help me out: KO2 vs duratrac vs ?? in 255/75/17

[charwest]

I run the ST MAXX in 235/85 16, pretty much the same size overall, just smaller rim. They are fantastic, probably my favorite AT tire I've ever run. super durable (I've squished the sidewalls against plenty of sharp rocks), reasonably quiet, incredible traction in the dirt/rocks/mud and quite good in snow and ice as well (duratracs might be 'slightly' better in snow/ice). Also, I can still get around 25mpg on the highway, with a softtopper, roof rack, 2" level, and nearly 1000 lbs of gear in the back. I've Been averaging around 19 around town.

Everyone on this forum loves to talk about the extra tire weight killing mpg, but I seriously doubt you will notice a difference. There are sooooo many other factors that contribute to mpg, I really wouldn't worry about it. And, imo, the 1/2 mpg you might lose in stop and go traffic, is worth it for something you can feel confident isn't going to get a sidewall puncture in the middle of nowhere.

Also, ST MAXX comes in a 255/75.

Duratracs are also a great option, but yes the sidewall is 2 ply instead of 3. They're still going to be a bit more durable than your stock Hancooks though.

Also, on the Ko2, I've never run them personally, but I've had a few friends complain about the steering response/road following characteristics. One even hated it enough he switched them out maybe a month later (on a 2018 4runner). I've experienced that on a set of BFG traction T/A I had a couple years ago on my F250, to the point where driving the truck on the highway was actually scary... I've been really hesitant to run BFG tires since, though there are still lots of people that love them.

we switched out to the duratrac 255/75/17 last week and took it for a spin in moab. tires worked well. no complaints. cant say i notice a difference between the hancooks and them in terms of offroad performance, but i didnt expect it to change my life. i just wanted a little more clearance and maybe a slightly more aggressive tread/durable sidewall.

i can say that we were spinning tires more than normal, and there was no chipping. the hancooks chipped the tires with far less spinning while rock crawling.

the other difference i notice is they are louder than the hancooks, but not in a way that bothers me. there is a noticeable road hum in the 45mph range, plus or minus, that i was never hearing before. but at low speeds and highway speeds i do not notice anything. i think at the higher speeds the wind noise becomes the predominant noise.

the noise is not enough to bother me though. even my wife doesnt mind.

my wife and i dont think it alters the handling of the car in any noticeable way, which is good.

all told we are quite happy, and look forward to seeing how things go.

many thanks to everyone for their help with this topic in this and other threads

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[7600]

I just replaced a set of stock size dura tracs with 41000 miles on them I had one flat. Ran a piece of metal through it. This is a company truck, so I have to run what the want. With that said, i have never had a better set of tires than the dura trac's. I drive off road at least 70% of the time because of my job. I maintain gas leases. BTW, the dura trac's were replaced with cooper st max's. No comparison to the goodyears.

 

[charwest]

we switched out to the duratrac 255/75/17 last week and took it for a spin in moab. tires worked well. no complaints. cant say i notice a difference between the hancooks and them in terms of offroad performance, but i didnt expect it to change my life. i just wanted a little more clearance and maybe a slightly more aggressive tread/durable sidewall.

i can say that we were spinning tires more than normal, and there was no chipping. the hancooks chipped the tires with far less spinning while rock crawling.

the other difference i notice is they are louder than the hancooks, but not in a way that bothers me. there is a noticeable road hum in the 45mph range, plus or minus, that i was never hearing before. but at low speeds and highway speeds i do not notice anything. i think at the higher speeds the wind noise becomes the predominant noise.

the noise is not enough to bother me though. even my wife doesnt mind.

my wife and i dont think it alters the handling of the car in any noticeable way, which is good.

all told we are quite happy, and look forward to seeing how things go.

many thanks to everyone for their help with this topic in this and other threads

minor update: after a thousand miles and some off-roading we noticed a brief light rub in full right lock passenger front tire.

this was caused by the edge of the tire lightly catching one of the plastic panels inside the wheel well. notching it stopped it with no functional change to the panel.

(knife points out the spot before i notched it. photo is rotates 90deg ccw for some reason)

we’re still very happy.

just updating bc a lot of people want to be sure you can run these in a stock vehicle.

update:
in case anybody cares, i lost 1.3mpg by changing from stock hancook to duratracs. controlled for everything else.

 

[SurfnClimb]

Can confirm 255 75 r17 KO2 fit a stock FX4 without rub. Also fits in the spare under the bed. I went KO2 because their thicker C load sidewall saved me once before - a rock left a huge gash and definitely would have gone through the duratrac SL. Probably not necessary if your main offroad is mud and roots but it is nice extra insurance for rocky trails. Minimal increase in road noise at lower speeds, no difference at higher speeds when wind noise takes over. Remains to be seen what the change in MPG will be but I'm sure I'll get punished for the extra weight.

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