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Truck Tire Questions

10 plys can be a bit much for a half ton truck day-to-day. You can get the duratracs with an 8 ply I believe, and the Ko2's LT with a 6. They are fine for moderate off-road use. If you're driving those roads in a half ton everyday like a rig hand, then sure, the 10s might be a good idea. The half tons aren't meant for those heavy tires. You'll risk more wear on your suspension components and bearings and such. 3/4 ton and above trucks, then 10 ply is the way to go.
 
NM has some of the worst roads in the country. Have 2 trucks and only put 10 plies on both now. I drive 12 mi of dirt/gravel to just get to the hwy. I can't drive with flat tires all the time. It can be life threatening where I live.
Aggressive tread & go anywhere anytime 10ply on the Kenda Klevers on my Tacoma.
Good traction anytime,good hwy ride,& get anywhere 10 ply Yokahama Geolander AT GO15's on the F-150 now.
I see every tire made & how long they last on most every vehicle here where I live. Mostly trucks for the trips into mountains & ranches.
I had planned on getting Coopers ,but got deal on Yokahamas & they are almost identical & same reviews overall. The GO15's are a bit more aggressive.Ride great with the exception of 10plies & I run them @60lbs. I'm sure my suspension will wear a bit faster,but I do not get flats all the time anymore,like I did with less than 8ply.Had one 20penny spike in the Kendas fixed.
 
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I never thunk about the 12v compressor. Great idea.

Make sure you get a heavy duty compressor made for truck tires which are much bigger than car tires and need higher air pressure. I know from experience the cheapos will overheat and either shut down or completely freeze up because they have to run a long time to fill up bigger truck tires.
 
Those were high on the list,several guys I know have them here.
More aggressive than the regular Discovers,which several other neighbors have & I think BF uses these.
Better road ride.
The Geolanders are heavily siped & the only way to go where ice is concerned for me now. Makes them creep well over rocks too.
 
If your tires have 6k miles drive them...Unless you are just looking for an excuse to get new ones. You'll be fine in any part of eastern wyoming that I've been
 
If your tires have 6k miles drive them...Unless you are just looking for an excuse to get new ones. You'll be fine in any part of eastern wyoming that I've been

We found rough roads in eastern Wyoming I would never take crap factory tires on. 1/4" of rain made it even worse, nearly impassable.

When I drove a half ton truck I ran 10 ply tires to no bad effect the other than a bit rough ride.

Firestone Transforce AT on my F250 now. They do nothing special, but have worn well and given me no problems for a great price.
 
I've ran Nitto AT's, MT's, Toyo MT's, Goodyear AT's, BFG AT's and now I'm onto Cooper STT Pro. Over all I've had bad experience with every factory installed tires from more traction, to horrid wear. I've also owned everything from a Ranger to 1 Ton crew cabs, tire pressure will help soften the ride if you are off road running 10 ply in a 1/2 ton. If you are towing heavy loads (near max GVW) then the 10 ply really shine. Right now today I would recommend a MT over any AT for everything. Unless your pickup never leaves pavement then an AT will do just fine, if not be overkill. I would rather have the ability to chew thru rocks, mud, ice, snow, etc and be able t run chains if needed, then to get stuck in snot and be required to run chains to get out.

We all know chains are a life saver, but to me I should need to run them until I absolutely need to.

I would recommend the Cooper STT Pro, or their Maxx. Toyo's are like gold bars (least here in Utah), shops just want way to much money for them. Nitto is another great brand and their new lines are really promising for AT type tire.
 
I've usually used tires of similar design...aggressive but not obnoxiously loud. Cooper AT3, Cooper ATP, Cooper Zeon (wore too quick), Yokohama Geolander, Hankook DynaPro. All 10 ply but when I bought my Tacoma I put 8 ply in hopes of it being a better ride but in the end I sacrificed a sidewall layer. So far so good on those but I honestly haven't been out too much with them.

Switching to 10 ply tires will make your truck ride a bit stiffer as well as lose about 1mpg. I have had luck with buying tires online and installing them locally except now shops are charging as much as $25 each to install them.
 
I've only missed one season in Wyoming since 1997 and I'd not go out there off the main roads without 10 ply tires, as going out anywhere off road with factory tires is just asking for troubles and I found that out the hard way! I'd suggest buying a set of good 10 ply tires for your trip and then change them out when you get back and run the factory tires until your next western trip where you need the 10 plys again. I've been running Coopers and have had no problems and excellent wear with very good traction.
 
I've only missed one season in Wyoming since 1997 and I'd not go out there off the main roads without 10 ply tires, as going out anywhere off road with factory tires is just asking for troubles and I found that out the hard way! I'd suggest buying a set of good 10 ply tires for your trip and then change them out when you get back and run the factory tires until your next western trip where you need the 10 plys again. I've been running Coopers and have had no problems and excellent wear with very good traction.

I like that plan! Those 4 ply tires aren't going to be worth anything at a shop anyway so why drive on $1K+ tires when you got some factory tires burn up.
 
I don't understand the complaints about a rough ride if you put 10 ply tires on a 1/2 ton pickup. Just because they say MAX PSI 80lbs doesn't mean you have to keep that much air pressure in them all the time. That would be if you're loading them to their maximum carrying capacity.
I keep mine at 40psi unless I'm towing my trailer and they ride and wear just fine. Besides it's a pickup truck I don't expect it to ride like a caddy.
 
I don't understand the complaints about a rough ride if you put 10 ply tires on a 1/2 ton pickup. Just because they say MAX PSI 80lbs doesn't mean you have to keep that much air pressure in them all the time. That would be if you're loading them to their maximum carrying capacity.
I keep mine at 40psi unless I'm towing my trailer and they ride and wear just fine. Besides it's a pickup truck I don't expect it to ride like a caddy.

I'm running 40 in my 10ply and it's noticeable to me so...your mileage will vary
 
Save the tire money and just pick a unit/location where you can pull off the interstate to hunt...

:D



I'd say it depends on whether or not you'll need better tires. Where I pronghorn hunt and where I hunted elk in WY I would have done so with the factory tires. Other places I've went I'd want better tires. Then again, a previous job had me on some rough roads with factory tires. Usually it was fine, but I did get pretty handy at changing a flat...
 
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just if you folks are not aware,,most 10 ply rated tires are not truly made of 10 plys anymore,,,different designs now than the "old days",,personally ive always had good luck with bfg mud -terrians,,,I think a good tread pattern,"mud cleat" is very important if it gets wet in wyom,it gets bad fast.also have had poor luck w hankook,,,or mastercraft.I would recommend at least a "d" rated tire,"e"rated is the 10 ply equiv rating.
 
BF Goodrich Radial All Terrain KO
Load Range (E) 10 ply tires have lasted about 75K each new set
If these tires won`t pull you through the nasty stuff.........then you shouldn`t be there
 

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