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Went with Duratracs

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
I needed to get new tires before Moab and I narrowed it down to KM2s and the Duratracs. I've had a lot of tires on this H3
1st - OEM Goodyear Wrangler RT/S
2nd - BFG KMs. Lasted 20,000 maybe. Takeoffs from another H3 owner but they were dry-rotted and chunked badly. Really badly.
2nd - BFG KOs, 305s. Punctured about 4 sidewalls, lasted about 45,000 miles
3rd - BFG KM2s, 315s. Great tires. Sometimes hard to keep balanced, lasted about 45,000 miles
4th - Hankook MTs, 315s. Good tires. Also hard to keep balanced, lasted about 40,000 miles
5th - Yokohoma Geolanders, 315s. About 5000 miles. Takeoffs from Reloader. Noisy, rough riding, hard to keep balanced, directional so rotation is a PITA.

All tires were replaced with some tread remaining. I think I sold the KOs on Craigslist.

Decided on Duratracs as I think they'll be a bit easier to keep balanced and I've seen that they do well in Moab. I put them on my Silverado as well about 10,000 miles ago, and they were about $25 less per tire. Not a lot, but a bit more measurable when multiplying by 5.

I've put two miles on them so far so I can't offer much of an opinion on the ride at this time.

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JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,400
Location
Way up north, UT
I remember when mine looked like that. I've put about 30K on them so far I think and they've still got a ways to go. I haven't had any issues with them staying balanced, and they are pretty quiet really. I'm not sure what my next set will be, either sticking with the Duratracs or maybe something a little more fuel efficient since I spend most of my time commuting. Really I'd love to have two sets of wheels and tires, one for daily driving (but still reasonably capable offroad) and the other for playing. Maybe someday...
 

Acer4LO

Well-Known Member
Messages
750
Location
Illinois
Nice! I have had duratracs them on my 2006 H3 since I got it and they perform really well. Only thing is I think they don't do too well rock crawling. I remember that 06H3 said in a post that the sidewalls don't hold up. I think my ideal setup would to be run MT/Rs or Toyo MTs, but you know how much those cost :sigh:.
 

H3V8

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
Location
Texas
I was debating between Duratracs and Toyo MTs a few weeks ago and I ended up with the Toyos. The duratracs seem to be a solid tire based on most people's reviews, the jeeps in my area seem to love them.
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
Nice! I have had duratracs them on my 2006 H3 since I got it and they perform really well. Only thing is I think they don't do too well rock crawling. I remember that 06H3 said in a post that the sidewalls don't hold up. I think my ideal setup would to be run MT/Rs or Toyo MTs, but you know how much those cost :sigh:.
He's the only negative review I've seen for the H3. Others have had them and done well. Of course he may have been airing down to 10 or 12 lbs, and I'll be 16-18.
 

JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,400
Location
Way up north, UT
Even though most of the Duratracs are rated load range E, they don't really have the sidewall strength a more expensive MT tire will have, is my understanding. Only certain sizes of Duratacs are rated that high of a load range, and I'm not sure if it's due to the construction (different # of plys and whatnot) or if it's just due to how the tire dimensions work out. If you look at a size chart for the Duratracs the load ranges are all over the place, along with the max PSI and load capacities. This site has all this info: https://tiresize.com/tires/Goodyear/Wrangler-DuraTrac.htm

I think when used in their proper application and PSI they are terrific all around tires. I would be very hesitant to drop the PSI on them below 15 PSI though. I think 20 is usually the lowest I'll go and then just deal with picking the right line, and now that I have lockers I can engage them when needed. The only trouble I have had so far is when I have open diffs on both ends I can easily end up with a single wheel slipping. Lockers will overcome that pretty easily.
 

RamRod

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,914
Location
AB, Canada
Duratrac's are very popular around my neck of the woods, and people love them for winter driving and wheeling

Every time I have been out wheeling and someone has had a sidewall issue it has 100% of the time been someone with Duratrac's - now that statement can be a bit misleading for two reasons
1) 85% of the guys I wheel with use them in the winter so there are a disproportionate amount of people using them increasing the odds
2) I have only been on the trail when someone has a sidewall issue 3 times

Sounds like they are still worth the risk from the people that use them around here
 

Traxx

Well-Known Member
Messages
682
Location
PNW
Duratracs have a soft sidewall that you can feel with a heavy rig like an H3. They are kind of a hybrid at/mt tire, have great winter performance, decent mileage, and excellent snow and rain traction if that is what you need. Many people like them because they are cheaper than a traditional mt and usually lighter. For a wheeler though they would not be my first tire choice, I would stay with the stt pro or toyo m/t.
 

Alpha X

Well-Known Member
Messages
409
Location
The Motor City
I'm just getting ready to pull the trigger on some 315/75R16 Duratracs in the near future. Seems like everything I've read about them is good. But a few interesting points have been brought up. I'm not concerned with winter capability. What about the Toyo M/T's or Cooper STT Pro's make them a better choice? A lot of the specs below are pretty even. Toyos seem heavy, though they do have 3/32 more tread according to the specs below. I see that the GY Wrangler MTR-Kevlars has an 8-ply load range, but I'm assuming those 8 are made of better stuff than Duratracs 10 ply.

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alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
I've heard great things about Toyos but I've specifically stayed away from them due to weight. ~18 lbs per corner is a lot of extra weight at each wheel.
 

H3V8

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
Location
Texas
I'm just getting ready to pull the trigger on some 315/75R16 Duratracs in the near future. Seems like everything I've read about them is good. But a few interesting points have been brought up. I'm not concerned with winter capability. What about the Toyo M/T's or Cooper STT Pro's make them a better choice? A lot of the specs below are pretty even. Toyos seem heavy, though they do have 3/32 more tread according to the specs below. I see that the GY Wrangler MTR-Kevlars has an 8-ply load range, but I'm assuming those 8 are made of better stuff than Duratracs 10 ply.

People will tell you all sorts of things with tires I find. I don't think you can really go wrong between the Toyo M/T, the STT Pro, or the Duratrac.

I went with the toyo because I like the bigger lugs for mud, people say they are very durable, and because I don't ever have to worry about winter conditions. Just got them a couple weeks ago so I can't comment on off-road yet but I can say that with the 5.3L, the weight is hardly noticeable in terms of acceleration, MPG only dropped ~1 MPG after adjusting for tire size, and so far they aren't any louder than my nitto terras were. The terras were terrible in the mud btw.

I would imagine the duratrac would be much better in sand and icy weather, and from what I've seen, still pretty good in mud. But you've got people saying that the sidewalls are thin.

STT Pros are pretty new and I couldn't find much information on them when I was looking for new tires. Tread looks like they would be better in slippery conditions than the toyos.
 

Traxx

Well-Known Member
Messages
682
Location
PNW
The toyo's are some of the most popular tires around and wear like iron if you rotate them properly. I went with the STT this go around because I haven't had them before and wanted to try them out, they were a bit cheaper and mostly because they were in stock and I was stuck with a non fitting 17" combo when I put the Rancho on and needed something asap. So far they haven't disappointed.
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
Nothing like a tire thread to get opinions flowing. Like I did with the Hankooks, I figured I would take a risk and try them out. I know I'm getting something good with KM2s but maybe I'm getting something just as good for my needs with the Duratracs. Or they'll be a giant fail. It's worth finding out.
 

chaos254

Well-Known Member
Messages
577
Location
United States
I've had duratracs since I have owned my truck and they have been great. I just put on another set a couple of months ago after 72,000 miles. I don't do a ton of off roading but it has been to rausch Creek and a bunch of local trails with no issues. Good in the snow and ice as well.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

Woodtick

Well-Known Member
Messages
801
Location
Ilanoid, UP MI
So Alex has brand new tires and a new air compressor. What could possibly go wrong? :woot:I've never been a fan of Goodyear. These came on my GC and I love them. I know a bunch of you have daily trucks and SUV's other than your Hummers. I was shocked on how well they did in snow. By no means are they a hard core off road tire. They are a really good A/T tire.IMG_3913.jpgIMG_3914.jpg We got 14" of snow last week and I was impressed.IMG_3860.jpg
 

2010H3TAlpha

Well-Known Member
Messages
563
Location
Issaquah, WA
Duratracs are the absolute best ”compromise” daily driver tire. I wanted a tire that was pretty good at everything, while accepting its limitations for more extreme stuff. So far I am very happy.
 

Highatop

Well-Known Member
Messages
600
Location
Florissant, Co.
I think you will like them. They are a good all around tire and quite to. Ive done well in Moab w/ them. I air down to about 20 and try to drive slower when drivin to the trails there in Moab. Good luck...
 

crwalkerasla

Well-Known Member
Messages
313
Location
Corinth, MS
ALROCK. The Tires look good. Look to my post about the ST MAXX. I've got close to 50K on them and still look great. No issues off road so far & they did very well in the snow & Ice too.
 
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