Firstly, I tried the search function...


2004 XLT 4x4 4.0

So the time has come for new tires. I've never owned a vehicle long enough to need new tires so this is a first for me.

Running the stock 245/75/16 at the moment. Looks like I can run some 265/75/16 with no problems so that's what I'm going to go with.

I live in Iowa where there seasons are always changing. Snow, rain, mud, sunshine, etc. That being said, I mostly drive paved roads and highway. On occasion I'll find myself on some gravel/dirt back roads or on a rough job site. I fish and camp some as well but mostly in nicely maintained and groomed parks.

I keep seeing recommendations for all-terrain tires so I hopped on Craigslist. I found some brand new Mickey Thompson Baja STZ 265/75/16 for $117 a piece. To me that seems like a pretty good deal? My main concern is that they're a bit too aggressive for my driving habits. They say that they're suited for highway and off road but how true is that?

I'm having trouble finding honest non-biased reviews. Most of the reviews I find are written by people who have just purchased the tires and have no long term experience with them. I'm looking for some real advice from people with real experience with these tires or something similar. Tread life? Wear evenly? Noise?

Any opinions and advice welcome.

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Tan 2004 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0

Well currently I am running BFG KO's and they are pretty nice but haven't had enough miles on them to really let you know. However before that I had a set of 265/70r15 Michelin Latitude Tours. While they were a bit pricey new they were great all the way up until I took them off. They weren't off-road tires, but if the ground was well kept I never got stuck. In fact I've never been stuck with them (not that I was one to try)
While A/T tires do look great on trucks/SUVs, 9/10 times an all-season tire is all that's really needed. Hopefully that helps

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2000 Ford Ranger XLT 2WD ~ Work-In-Progress: 5.0 V8, M5R2 5 Speed, 4" Suspension Lift, 3" Body Lift, 33" BFG's, Bilstein 5100's, Comp Cams XE258HR-12, 24# Injectors, Torque Monster Headers, Flowmaster 70 Series,
1987 Ford F-150 Lariat 302 ~ Decommissioned
2006 Honda Civic LX 1.6 ~ Totaled
2011 Acura TSX K24 Base ~ Daily Driver, Supercharged 10PSI, 310whp 241lb/ft

X2

Everybody has their "favorites" and you will get a lot of mixed input on "which All terrain is the best"

It's like asking which candy bar is the best.

However people always have good luck with the Michelin LTX M/S. My friend has them on her Explorer and it grips pretty well.

I also ran the BF Goodrich all terrains, those were my favorite.

I read a TON of reviews on all the tire websites to see what people like the most. It's a good way to get informed.

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2007 Regular Cab - 2.3 DOHC - 5 Speed Auto - 4.10 Gears - Maxtrac 7" Lift - Fiberwerx 3" Fenders - Bilstein 5100 Series - 15x10 Ultra 164's - 35x12.50x15 Red Letters - Custom dents

^sums up what I was gonna say.

Ive tried many brands over the years but have stuck with Michelin ltx on my field trucks.
Primary use on highway and non paved construction job sites.
Very predictable wear and above average in most conditions.
I use tirerack.com for research and purchase...then ship directly to a small shop for mount balance and alingment.

Site link
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/review...surveyComments

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2008 FX4 Ranger. Black/ Black
Undid the full size Mod.
Kept the power rear window
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=82y5AyI5eEY

What I'm hearing is that all season tires will do the job? Does that mean that all terrain tires are overkill or just not suited for the job? To me it seem like an all terrain tire would ware faster and less evenly on the highway than an all season would? I want something practical but still want to be able to mess around off of the pavement and like how they look.

I'm not a rich man so I'm not looking to spend more than $600ish. Most of the all seasons I'm finding are between $180-200. I know that limits my options quite a bit.

That leads me back to those Mickey Thompsons I found. Will that style of tire wear poorly and rapidly on pavement?

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Tan 2004 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0

My opinion is mud terrains are overkill unless that's all your doing with the truck to loud on the highway and to much money, I found some all terrain Nitto Terra Grapplers 265 75 r16 used for real cheap the guy claimed he had them on a Tacoma for 2 years the tires were at 80%, they are relatively quiet on the highway not obnoxious like muds look good 10ply okay on ice but awesome in deep snow.

ForumRunner_20160102_124402.jpg

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1996 2.3 2wd Single Cab Short Box Ranger with a 6/8 drop.

SOLD 2009 4.0 4x4 FX4 EXT Cab Short Box Ranger

I don't think All Terrains are overkill. Hence why a large portion of us run All Terrains.

They wear just fine on the highway, and they're pretty quiet depending on the brand you pick. Some tires are a softer material and wear out very quickly, like Goodyear. And then BF Goodrich and Michelin are a bit harder of a material. Those are the 60,000+ tires.

If you're looking to be economical then I recommend you go with a highway/all season tire. Simply because they are all around cheaper.

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2007 Regular Cab - 2.3 DOHC - 5 Speed Auto - 4.10 Gears - Maxtrac 7" Lift - Fiberwerx 3" Fenders - Bilstein 5100 Series - 15x10 Ultra 164's - 35x12.50x15 Red Letters - Custom dents

Not looking to be COMPLETELY economical/practical...wheres the fun in that? I'm just trying to understand the different between tire types and if there's some sort of middle ground I can land in.

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Tan 2004 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0

Lol fair enough. You can get good prices on some 31" all terrains. I got quoted for $550 out the door on 31x10.50x15 Hankook Dynapro's.

I guess the biggest difference is what the tires are made of.

99% of the All Terrains on the market are LT rated and all seasons should be Passenger rated. A/T's handle dirt and rocks much better than A/S

Here's what happens when you go off roading a lot with All Seasons
(This is a worst case scenario)




Which will never happen to an AT.

These are what I would pick if I went down to AT's

BF Goodrich KO or KO2
Falken Wildpeak AT
Michelin LTX M/S
Cooper Discoverer AT3

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2007 Regular Cab - 2.3 DOHC - 5 Speed Auto - 4.10 Gears - Maxtrac 7" Lift - Fiberwerx 3" Fenders - Bilstein 5100 Series - 15x10 Ultra 164's - 35x12.50x15 Red Letters - Custom dents

You can usually get AT tires in both LT or P ratings.

LT is made with 10 ply always. Usually has deeper treadblocks from the factory and have a higher weight rating. These will be a bit rougher ride

P rated tires are made with 6 or 8 ply usually and will offer a softer ride, tread not being quite as deep from the factory and a lower weight rating

Honestly LT tires are overkill for our trucks if your tire is offered any other way. We just don't have to towing capacity.

To add to Tyler's AT list for good tires fairly cheap there are:

Mastercraft courser AXT
Fuzion SUV
Firestone Destination AT


Higher dollar tires:
Toyo open country at2
Nitto terra grappler
Any Mickey Thompson
BFG ko and ko2
Michelin ltx at2
Hankook dynopro

You get what you pay for when it comes to tires in my opinion. I really enjoy my AXT's. They're good but I think my next set will be dynopros or ltx at2's


Note: if any of you guys are looking at getting the Michelin ltx line you better grab them while you can. Michelin has discontinued the line for the new "defender ltx" line.

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2006 DSG FX4 SuperCab 4.0L SOHC V6, 5R55E, vinyl floor boards 31" AXT's on DSG Alcoa's. Cranked T-bars to level.

"Education is what you get when you read the fine print...Experience is what you get when you don't."

I got my bfg KO2s in a 265/75R16 for $790 out the door.

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2006 Ford Ranger FX4 Off Road
maxed out torsion keys, Add a Leaf, 3" higher then stock, LT265/75R16 BF Goodrich all terrain KO2s on 16x8 Black Rock 997 Type 8 Wheels, 15% front windows, 5% back windows. Cobra 40 Channel CB and a 3' Firestik II, 3157 Pilot LED backup light bulbs and 2 KC Dayligher 100 Watt lights

This ^^

Weird, my Red Letters are 7 ply and they're LT load range C.

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2007 Regular Cab - 2.3 DOHC - 5 Speed Auto - 4.10 Gears - Maxtrac 7" Lift - Fiberwerx 3" Fenders - Bilstein 5100 Series - 15x10 Ultra 164's - 35x12.50x15 Red Letters - Custom dents

If you like the look, go for an A/T. Road manners, sound, and wear are all pretty practical for most all-terrain tires.

I've run 265/75/R16 Hankook dynapros on my truck for the past two years. In those two years I put a little over 40,000 miles on the truck. I have no issues with wear or noise or vibration. They still have plenty of tread left (over half), but I went with a bigger/more aggressive tire after the lift.

Plus, I paid about 700 for a set of 4 with the road hazard warranty from discount tire.

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Don't buy wildpeaks. Worst tires ever

Ko2. Long lasting good in wet/snow/daily/desert

I've heard a lot of good things about them. Why do you dislike them?

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2007 Regular Cab - 2.3 DOHC - 5 Speed Auto - 4.10 Gears - Maxtrac 7" Lift - Fiberwerx 3" Fenders - Bilstein 5100 Series - 15x10 Ultra 164's - 35x12.50x15 Red Letters - Custom dents