At 10:07 PM 6/22/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>BFG All-Terrains suck. They are extremely overrated especially when you
>consider how much they sell for.
Well, since everyone has their opinion on tires, and I just spent some time
researching and getting opinions on them, I must agree that there are
better tires out there than BFG's. I must also agree that almost anything
would be better than the Goodyear RT/s (or almost any Goodyear for that
matter).
I bought a set of BFG AT's for my 3/4 ton truck some six years ago and was
less than impressed with them - especially given their high price. MAYBE
the new "KO" version is better in the handling dept., but mine loaded up
badly in the mud to the point they were completely useless, and they could
not carry a load for anything. I only had them in the snow a dozen times,
many of which I needed chains anyway, but they were certainly not as good
in the snow as the Uniroyals, Michelins, Hercules, or Coopers I've used
since. On the road, they were much quieter than the max-traction (farmer
style) bias plies I'd had before and were very soft riding. I bought
10-ply rated tires (load range E) but they were still so soft that they
could not carry a load well, they wallowed badly when loaded, and they were
very temperamental about pressure. I USED that truck, frequently seeing
loads up to the rated max and found that I had to pump the tires up to
their max pressure whenever I put any load in the truck, then let them down
when I was done so the tires would not wear too prematurely in the center -
which they did anyway. I've come to the conclusion that these tires would
probably be good on an SUV where a soft, comfortable ride is essential and
only average to minimal mud/snow traction is desired.
I will also NEVER buy a set of Goodyears by choice. I bought them for my
car once, and for earlier trucks, and have had nothing but pooor
experiences with their ride quality, roundness, and balance. We run them
on our buses at work which put on several million miles each year with few
problems, but they seldom last long, we only use cheap/crude street tires,
and the buses are heavy enough that out-of-round/balance conditions have
less of an impact. The Goodyears are generally very durable just through
crude brute strength and massive amounts of rubber.
I have since found absolute satisfaction with the COOPER Discoverer LT's of
which I have now bought a third set. They are one of the last American
made tires (many Goodyears are now made in Korea), they have always been
round, true, and balanced, they are very durable, and they have a good
compromise in traction vs. road handling. They certainly "sing" on the
highway, but only a little more than the Goodyear RT/S we just took off the
Dak. They are smooth and predictable on the road, excellent in the snow,
and above average in our clay-rich mud which will still swallow anything
(just ask the guy who lost his D4 Cat into the mud of a new subdivision
last winter). The new Cooper tires for our Dak ran me $110 for 31x10.5x15
load-rqange "C" ($500 installed with significant taxes in CA)
I've also run MICHELIN LTX/AT's with much luck. My friend and wheelin'
partner has had them on his '94 Toyota 4x4 for 6 years now and will easily
get 100K miles out of them. They are excellent in the snow and on the
road, but definitely lacking in thick mud. In spite of this, he's rarely
been stuck. For the same price as the BFG's I'd sure run Michelin's in a
heartbeat!
Just my $.02 worth
Kevin
Kevin Sellstrom, W6KTB E-Mail:ksellstr@softcom.net
***Wilton, California***
'99 Dodge Dakota CC, 4x4, 5.2,
'69 Dodge D200, 4x2, 318,
Also: '83 Volvo 244Ti, '85 Volvo 244, '68 Volvo 122S, '98 Specialized
Rockhopper A1FS
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