Tire Advice

[Mtnbikes]

I’m looking at replacing my General Grabber ATX LT 265/70/17 with the Falken Wildpeak AT3w. The problem is Falken only comes in that size with a Load Range E or SL version. Would I be unhappy with the SL version?

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[SDXLT]

What do you do with your truck? That will help get you an answer.

Why Falkens vs other offerings? Snow/wet performance?

 

[Mtnbikes]

Driving on and off road…50/50. I live in MN, so I need a good snow/ice tire.

 

[SDXLT]

What are the off road trails like? I got the BFG KO2 in C which are 6 ply. The truck trail I did last weekend had tons of exposed rocks from runoff and I had no problems. An SL I would have been much more worried about a puncture. But if I was just running fire roads an SL may be more than enough

 

[JohnnyO]

Driving on and off road…50/50. I live in MN, so I need a good snow/ice tire.

Get the SL. E's are for F-250's and 350's, very heavy and stiff, and won't work as well in snow on a light vehicle like the Ranger.

 

[brroberts]

I don’t go off road much. I have a 2WD Ranger. The SL tires have been a problem for me. SL belongs on a car to me, not a truck. I’ve had two pavement flats on my Continental Terrain Contact AT’s plus one on the original Bridgestones. I will not put an SL tire again. I also have a 3/4 ton with load range E tires. I have a car with SL‘s. Neither have flats. If you use the truck as a truck, the SL is a bad idea. There are not many great choices for non SL tire on a 2WD Ranger, but I will make the compromise to get a tougher tire.

 

[MountainGoat]

I don’t go off road much. I have a 2WD Ranger. The SL tires have been a problem for me. SL belongs on a car to me, not a truck. I’ve had two pavement flats on my Continental Terrain Contact AT’s plus one on the original Bridgestones. I will not put an SL tire again. I also have a 3/4 ton with load range E tires. I have a car with SL‘s. Neither have flats. If you use the truck as a truck, the SL is a bad idea. There are not many great choices for non SL tire on a 2WD Ranger, but I will make the compromise to get a tougher tire.

Well I do go offroad, actually I live on fireroads and the Wildpeak SLs work fine. I'm usually doing 40mph and sliding around sometimes. Last year I went up an iced uphill turn that was getting everyone stuck, with no problems. You could see in the snow tracks where a truck got halfway up and slid back into a tree on the side.

That being said I was going to try the Toyo AT3s next as they are 6lbs lighter each. Wildpeaks are iirc 47 lbs each.

 

[Mtnbikes]

Thank you guys for all the real world advice. It’s helping me make a better decision.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Get the SL. E's are for F-250's and 350's, very heavy and stiff, and won't work as well in snow on a light vehicle like the Ranger.

If the off-roading you do involves a lot of sharp rock outcroppings, exposed tree roots that can poke at your sidewalls, I'd get the E's. The downside is it will ride even more like a truck.
I just installed a set of Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S' on mine. I'm very happy with them so far; about 600 miles. They are 3-peak snow rated, quiet on pavement, and my mpg has stayed the same as with the Kumhos. My son has had two sets on his Silverado and has been very pleased with them. 65,000mi tread life warranty on an all terrain tire; I'm in.

I inadvertently found myself on a sand ATV/snowmobile trail a couple days after they were installed (the sign said Dry Landing Road.). Many places where it was only as wide as the truck, big woopty-doo washouts and mostly thick, semi-wet sand from recent rain. I have Terrain Management and dialed up Sand which worked OK then tried Mud/Ruts, which wasn't as good. the Coopers got down to business and I could feel the truck straining against the deep, loose sand but she never quit churning along; very impressive. I finally reached a gravel county road that seemed like an Interstate after that.

 

[Discount Tire]

I’m looking at replacing my General Grabber ATX LT 265/70/17 with the Falken Wildpeak AT3w. The problem is Falken only comes in that size with a Load Range E or SL version. Would I be unhappy with the SL version?

You may want to consider the LT 275/70R 17 in the Wildpeak A/t 3w. It is available and it is a C load rated tire.

Hope that helps!

 

[Dieseldean1]

Get the SL. E's are for F-250's and 350's, very heavy and stiff, and won't work as well in snow on a light vehicle like the Ranger.

Actually, I had them in 235/80-17 load range E. They were phenomenal in the snow. The problem was the ride quality. It rode like a jackhammer. I replaced them with 6ply Falken 275/70-17. Love them. Great ride, quiet, smooth. They even feel good when towing.

 

[Mtnbikes]

You may want to consider the LT 275/70R 17 in the Wildpeak A/t 3w. It is available and it is a C load rated tire.

Hope that helps!

My OEM size is 165/70/17. I don’t think these will fit.

 

[Discount Tire]

@Mtnbikes The 275 does show as an aggressive fitment. It's a bit over a 1/4" wider and taller. Might be worth a test fit.

 

[JohnnyO]

If the off-roading you do involves a lot of sharp rock outcroppings, exposed tree roots that can poke at your sidewalls, I'd get the E's. The downside is it will ride even more like a truck.
I just installed a set of Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S' on mine. I'm very happy with them so far; about 600 miles. They are 3-peak snow rated, quiet on pavement, and my mpg has stayed the same as with the Kumhos. My son has had two sets on his Silverado and has been very pleased with them. 65,000mi tread life warranty on an all terrain tire; I'm in.

I inadvertently found myself on a sand ATV/snowmobile trail a couple days after they were installed (the sign said Dry Landing Road.). Many places where it was only as wide as the truck, big woopty-doo washouts and mostly thick, semi-wet sand from recent rain. I have Terrain Management and dialed up Sand which worked OK then tried Mud/Ruts, which wasn't as good. the Coopers got down to business and I could feel the truck straining against the deep, loose sand but she never quit churning along; very impressive. I finally reached a gravel county road that seemed like an Interstate after that.

I have the same Coopers now. They started out good but now that they're halfway worn down they're kinda sketchy in the rain.

 

[Frenchy]

I don't have specific details on the Falken tires since I haven't ridden on them. Between SL and LT I won't argue that an LT will generally give you a more planted feel vs a SL will tent to be more soft. That said with an LT tire it will also depend on the exact tire. For me one of the big things I look at it tire weight as that will also affect the way the vehicle feels and handles. For me I personally like the Firestone Destination XT. It is an LT Tire and for the most part you will find it to be a Load E. There are few sizes available in Load C. Best part is when compared to a tire in the same size and load rating you will find the Firestone to be lighter than the rest. Also the tire has very good traction in snow and ice, but not enough traction that a snow tire will still kick its ass. That goes for all tires trying to compete against a snow tire.

Hopefully that help

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