Tires! Goodyear Dura-trac VS Falken Wildpeak

[norcal925]

So I have narrowed my search for tires down to 2.
Goodyear Wrangler Dura Trac in a 31x10.5x15
Falken Wildpeak(Rocky Mountain) 32x11.5x15

So my question is which one would you guys go with? my explorer is getting a 2 inch lift and will be able to handle the 32x11.5 but the dura trac only comes in 31 or 33. I live in northern California and go up to the snow alot during the winter, most of my wheeling that i do is in dirt and mud not alot of rocks.
the price difference on the two is about $60 the Falken's being cheaper.

Let me know what y'all think!
Thanks

 

[tweakedlogic]

May I make another suggestion... Firestone Destination. Excellent tires. Go with the 32s

 

[Anime]

The Wrangler DuraTracs are good if you want a sort-of All Terrain tire that looks like a Mud Terrain tire. The reviews from Explorer owners that have them are positive, and they seem to be a good choice for daily driving if you want an aggressive looking tread but don't want the downsides of a real Mud Terrain, which can be pretty bad in the wet and snow.

The Wildpeak seems like a decent alternative to the BFGoodrich All-Terrain, with a tri-ply sidewall and a tread that is a knockoff of the old Toyo Open Country A/T. It was a 'tire best buy" from Four Wheeler magazine for 2011, so that's a plus.

From what I'm seeing though, the DuraTrac is about the same or less than the Wildpeak, unless maybe you found some place locally that's selling them for less, or maybe they are discontinuing the tire (it came out in 2009) and there are better prices out there.

The DuraTracs will probably be better for off-road, the Wildpeaks will be better for on-road.

I'd also suggest you consider BFG AT's since they are an excellent on/off road tire, and have a much wider array of sizes to choose from.

The Firestone Destination AT's are also a decent tire.



You should also consider gearing when choosing tire sizes, if you have factory 3.73 gears you may want to stick with 31's.

 

[rickybobby]

I have the duratrac's, and love them for what i use them for. Keep in mind that they only have a 2ply sidewall. They arent great for towing, and they require a little more air to handle well at speed. They are great off road though, they outperformed every tire ive ever used, even my Mud Claw Radial MT's

 

[colintrax]

I have the rocky mountain, which is the same as the wildpeak. LOVE em, pretty quiet when new (a little noisy now) tread wears good, lots of traction on and off road, never hydroplane, and are generally pretty awesome.
Although, they don't come in the size I want, so I was thinking of the Dura-tracs as my next tire.
However, I'd suggest you go with the wildpeak. It's a taller tire, cheaper, and I love them.

 

[drakeguy22]

I have the Duratracs in a 31x1050r15 on my xlt and i freakin love them! worth every penny. i drive a lot in the mud and we get serious snow here too. handle great in both conditions

 

[norcal925]

The Wrangler DuraTracs are good if you want a sort-of All Terrain tire that looks like a Mud Terrain tire. The reviews from Explorer owners that have them are positive, and they seem to be a good choice for daily driving if you want an aggressive looking tread but don't want the downsides of a real Mud Terrain, which can be pretty bad in the wet and snow.

The Wildpeak seems like a decent alternative to the BFGoodrich All-Terrain, with a tri-ply sidewall and a tread that is a knockoff of the old Toyo Open Country A/T. It was a 'tire best buy" from Four Wheeler magazine for 2011, so that's a plus.

From what I'm seeing though, the DuraTrac is about the same or less than the Wildpeak, unless maybe you found some place locally that's selling them for less, or maybe they are discontinuing the tire (it came out in 2009) and there are better prices out there.

The DuraTracs will probably be better for off-road, the Wildpeaks will be better for on-road.

I'd also suggest you consider BFG AT's since they are an excellent on/off road tire, and have a much wider array of sizes to choose from.

The Firestone Destination AT's are also a decent tire.



You should also consider gearing when choosing tire sizes, if you have factory 3.73 gears you may want to stick with 31's.

i do have the 3.73 gears
will the jump from a 31 to a 32 affect my acceleration that much?
also i didnt look into the BFG's because they're not good in snow, living in northern cali I go up to the snow alot and the dura tracs seem to excel in deep snow and ice, not so sure on the wildpeaks though

 

[colintrax]

Not by much, but remember the 32 is also wider which means its heavier

 

[norcal925]

I have the rocky mountain, which is the same as the wildpeak. LOVE em, pretty quiet when new (a little noisy now) tread wears good, lots of traction on and off road, never hydroplane, and are generally pretty awesome.
Although, they don't come in the size I want, so I was thinking of the Dura-tracs as my next tire.
However, I'd suggest you go with the wildpeak. It's a taller tire, cheaper, and I love them.

okay, have you used them in snow? and what size and gears are you running?
i have 3.73's and would i be able to run the 32 wildpeaks with that gearing? or would a size 31 be better

 

[colintrax]

Doesn't matter what brand, each tire will be same as far as gearing. Of course no tires weight the same, but if they are the same size and load range they'll be close.
I live in North Georgia, so my snow probably isn't the same as yours. They saw 1 day of snow last year, did fine. But they didn't even have 1,000 miles on em then. This year, we'll see. Tread is getting pretty worn down

If you wanna know, I have 30x9.5 with 3:73

 

[norcal925]

Doesn't matter what brand, each tire will be same as far as gearing. Of course no tires weight the same, but if they are the same size and load range they'll be close.
I live in North Georgia, so my snow probably isn't the same as yours. They saw 1 day of snow last year, did fine. But they didn't even have 1,000 miles on em then. This year, we'll see. Tread is getting pretty worn down

If you wanna know, I have 30x9.5 with 3:73

the dura tracs weigh 43 and the wildpeaks are 47, how are they wearing?

one of the main reasons for considering the wildpeaks is that i found them for 599 with free mounting and balancing for the set of 4 in the 32x11.5
and 549 in a 31

 

[norcal925]

the dura trac's would be 644 for just the tires then 100 for balancing and mounting

 

[norcal925]

The Wrangler DuraTracs are good if you want a sort-of All Terrain tire that looks like a Mud Terrain tire. The reviews from Explorer owners that have them are positive, and they seem to be a good choice for daily driving if you want an aggressive looking tread but don't want the downsides of a real Mud Terrain, which can be pretty bad in the wet and snow.

The Wildpeak seems like a decent alternative to the BFGoodrich All-Terrain, with a tri-ply sidewall and a tread that is a knockoff of the old Toyo Open Country A/T. It was a 'tire best buy" from Four Wheeler magazine for 2011, so that's a plus.

From what I'm seeing though, the DuraTrac is about the same or less than the Wildpeak, unless maybe you found some place locally that's selling them for less, or maybe they are discontinuing the tire (it came out in 2009) and there are better prices out there.

The DuraTracs will probably be better for off-road, the Wildpeaks will be better for on-road.

I'd also suggest you consider BFG AT's since they are an excellent on/off road tire, and have a much wider array of sizes to choose from.

The Firestone Destination AT's are also a decent tire.



You should also consider gearing when choosing tire sizes, if you have factory 3.73 gears you may want to stick with 31's.

what price did you see for wildpeaks?
i found them for 599 with free mounting and balancing for the set of 4 in the 32x11.5
and 549 in a 31

dura tracs were 644 plus what ever balancing and mounting is

 

[Anime]

i do have the 3.73 gears
will the jump from a 31 to a 32 affect my acceleration that much?
also i didnt look into the BFG's because they're not good in snow, living in northern cali I go up to the snow alot and the dura tracs seem to excel in deep snow and ice, not so sure on the wildpeaks though

Maybe not that much, depending on the actual tire diameter. Sometimes a 32 is really a 31.5 or close to it. As mentioned though, weight plays a factor as well, so the extra few pounds of a 32 will also affect things, especially acceleration. You'll have to decide how much you care about speed and acceleration (not to mention mileage) vs. having slightly larger tires.

The BFG AT is a good tire for snow. Not sure where you heard otherwise but they are branded with the snowflake symbol that is only for tires with exceptional snow traction. They of course do much better in snow when new with deep tread then they do when old with worn down tread, but so do a lot of other tires.

If you can get the Falkens for $100-200 less and you think you'll be happy with them, they would probably make for a decent all-around tire that you can use off-road and on-road. I'd suggest buying from a place that gives a good road hazard warranty though. Sucks to buy brand new tires then get a flat days or weeks later and get stuck having buy a new one again.

 

[Kevlar7R]

I have the Falken Wild Peak in 31x10.5x15. Absolutely love them. Quiet on road, and amazing off road. I JUST came in the door from a little wheeling and camping. Climped a wet slippery bank up out of the river, only to turn and climb loose sand. No slip, no complaints, and that was at highway pressures. I can't believe what I've been through on these without airing down.

Highly recommend the wild peaks!!!

 

[malohnes]

just my .02 worth...

BFG's are rated for snow, but merely adequate at best. They pack easy and don't grip as well as one would expect. they also don't seem to grip ice as well as a Michelin LTX, though they have a FAR greater aggressive tread. They are an excellent all around tire, but if you are wanting a AT tire that is really good on snow, BFG is not it. Been in Alaska for 30 years and I can attest to that.

From my experience, the best snow tires are not AT tires. It also depends on temperatures and ice conditions too or lack there of. A lot of guys run BFG's cause they are really accessible and inexpensive, but end up switching to another tire come winter-time. Dura-tracs are gaining a lot of popularity in Alaska for this reason.

Someone else here mentioned that Duratracs are not so great in towing situations and that is mirrored here. Not bad, just not great, just like the BFG's are not bad, just not great in snow and ice. For guys that tow, drive lots of highway miles and don't off-road too much the Michelin LTX's are very highly rated around here.

 

[Kevlar7R]

I'll actually have to second mark's post. Michelin LTX are probably the best all around tire ever. I got 105,000 miles on my last set, and the used tire place still wanted them!.

Like he said, it depends on what you use it for. My truck is now on the highway only to get to the trail, so I am not worried about highway tires. That being said, the wildpeaks are super quiet on the road.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I have the DuraTrac's. I tow, offroad, daily drive (highway and city) and never had any issues with the sidewalls feeling weak.

Here's a couple pictures of my lifted Sport Trac with them on...

 

[Suicide77]

I realize norcal925 that you requested opinions regaurding the Goodyear Wrangler vs the Falken Wildpeak, however, I thought it may be helpful to leave my review of the Hankook Dynapro M/T's incase you do decide to go with a good less-expensive "mud" tire.

I've had them since July and have been blown away time after time with what they can do and from what I've observed.

1. The tighter tread pack - rides great on the freeway! It didn't have the whir-whir-whir sound that I was expecting from a mud tire. A slight increase in noise than the Firestone A/T's I had previously, but a close comparison none the less. Cornering, stopping, and daily driving have not changed a bit from the A/T to the Hankooks. The tight tread has also kept the gas mileage pretty much the same - no difference has been noticed at the pump. I've put 6,000 miles on them and rotated/balanced only once and there is still no difference in the tread depth. They seem to stay cool and wear well!

2. Handles 4 wheel driving like a boss! No loss of traction, no tail wagging around corners, and allows for a great pavement like ride when bombing down long dirt roads. I can crawl in 4 Low up slopes that simply blew my mind! So steep in fact, that trapped water in the drain tray (located within the little holes in between the hood and windshield) ran out onto the windshield and then off both sides of the vehicle! Due to the soft compound the tire is made out of I have yet to air down while doing serious rock crawling.

3. Come rain, snow, or mud they continue to dig and shed to firm ground providing remarkable handling in incliment weather. We got 16" of snow last weekend. Saturday evening, during the storm, a buddy and I went off roading to test the tires in snow. Unbelievable! It wasn't until a steep icy snowy muddy section that I had to put it in 4 wheel drive. Even then, I can't believe we didn't get stuck. They are rated for mud, and perform well in mud, but my word did they do great in the snow!

4. The last piece of the puzzle would be the price (I have a 2.5" lift and bought 31's). I looked at 11 mud tires (lets be honest, being my first set I really wanted the coolest looking ones) and got quotes on 6. They were $75 cheaper a tire than the toyo's I was quoted on and $25 cheaper a tire than the Goodyear Wranglers I was quoted (almost bought the Goodyears). The Hankook's have a chevron pattern with real deep lugs and a nice tight tread pack. Between the look and the price I got the Hankooks.

Ironically about 2 weeks ago a friend of mine sent me this review he found while looking for mud tires and it kinda reinforced what I had experience with my set. It is a reveiw by fourwheeler.com. They put the top rated mud tires head to head in a 2 mile loop at Hollister Hills. To see how the Hankooks held up against the competition use the first link:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/wheels/129_1104_mud_tire_shootout_first_place_hankook_dynapro_mt/

To see the results of the competitors and how the Top Ten shaped up click this link and scroll down about 1 page:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/35/wheels/


Simply put norcal925, if you do decide to make the leap to a mud tire this is the one I would recommend. I like them and I think you would probably enjoy them too.

If anyone would like to see a laugh-able video I made showing how the tires handle somewhat loose and sandy terrain just click the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZk4RK4U-S0

 

[Anime]

For guys that tow, drive lots of highway miles and don't off-road too much the Michelin LTX's are very highly rated around here.

I'll actually have to second mark's post. Michelin LTX are probably the best all around tire ever. I got 105,000 miles on my last set, and the used tire place still wanted them!.

The Michelin LTX is unfortunately on it's way out, though you can still get a few floatation sizes. Both the LTX M/S 2 and LTX A/T 2 replacements are so far only available in P-metric sizes, with no LT variants. Sucks.

They are probably the best SUV tire ever for on-road, with good snow traction and incredible tread life, and also decent off-road.