Yes, another post requesting info on tires

Don't know if any tire can claim to be "the best," but BFG AT tires ride well on and off road, are M+S rated, aren't too noisy, and wear well.

Robert Bills KG6LMV Orange County CA

Your factory tires only lasted 15K??!!?? Are you running them without air??? I *love* my general grabber ATs. They have a flexible sidewall and a slightly more open tread pattern than the BFGs. They're good on sand, mud, rocks (to a point) and very good on the street. When I replace them, though, I intend to get the Goodyear mt/r tires. JP magazine rated them 3 out of 4 stars in all categories. To me, that indicates a good all-around tire. TJim

I was able to squeeze 26,000 off the original Goodyear's on my XJ myself... I now have BFG All-Terrain KO's that are not pushing 47,000 miles. They are wearing pretty even and the tread looks like I have at least 5,000 more miles but they are showing age cracks in the tread groves.

-- Taylor

'89 Audi 200 '03 Audi S6 Avant '98 Jeep Cherokee Sport

My opinion is you want way too much out of one tire. You need two sets. I don't think there is a good mud and ice tire that isn't a mud tire with studs. Mud and ice are much different than mud and snow rated, and even then mud and snow usually dictate different tires; and then you want it to do well on road. Not really going to happen in one tire.

The BFGoodrich AT is one of the best middle of the road off road tires that also got the RMA severe weather rating (more than just M&S rated). The BFG AT will suffice when some chain restrictions are in force due to the RMA rating, meaning it does quite well in snow due to siping. Ice of course really dictates the use of studs. If you want a good "ice" tire it needs to be studded, but at the very least you want to find something with the RMA severe weather rating (look for a mountain with a snowflake logo on the sidewall of the tire, AND the M&S).

The BFG AT, not having very wide "lugs" gets very packed in sticky mud and does not clean nearly as well as a good mud tire. But then, there are few mud tires that do well in ice (unless studded), or wear well on road and are not too loud.

BFG ATs are probably a *good* choice, but understand they do almost nothing exceptionally well, but do most things marginally well. As an all-around tire they are great, but not really great at any one thing.

BTW, I have used BFG ATs on more than one rig, and currently run them on my XJ. I run them because on dry dirt they work well, and I know they work well in snow/packed snow on the highway. They also seem to last forever.

Bottom l>

I took my BFG AT's into the snow once... was horrible, they packed with snow immediatly and I slowly slid right into a ditch. A guy in a Geo Tracker drove by me giving me the finger... Never again... Nick

does not clean nearly as

in ice (unless studded), or

Were they the AT/KO (newer version)? Also, in many snow conditions you do want them to pack), because rubber doesn't stick to snow. Snow sticks to snow. The sipes in snow tires allow snow to pack them, sticking to the snow on the road as the tire comes around again. What kind of tires was the Geo running?

A neat experiment would be to roll a rubber ball down a snowy embankment and see how much bigger it is at the bottom of the hill. Roll snow around and you can make a pretty big ball of snow because the snow sticks to itself. I'd suspect you spun your tires trying to clean them rather than only trying to allow the tires to turn slow enough to stick to the snow on the roadway. Of course there's a hundred types of snow and they don't all call for the same driving technique. If you're driving in deep snow, offroad, or powder I'd say the driving technique would be drastically different, so would the need for a different tire.

Of course no tire is the best at everyth>

I live in Texas, so snow isn't too much of a concern but once or twice a year. I drive mostly on the road... the jeep is my only vehicle, but I do a lot of outdoor stuff and have been down muddy trails. The factory set did great and not once was I stuck, even when 'regular' vehicles were, but I assumed it was the 4wd rather than the tires. I probably have another 5-7k left on them. I would just like some ideas of something with a little more traction than the factory set that will wear well on the highway too. I'm sure there is a best choice for each situation. but out right road tires look awfully funny on a wrangler... almost as bad as 28 inch tires.

Thanks again!!!

Billy

If you've got a Costco near you, BFGs are fairly inexpensive and both the AT and MT wear well. If the factory set did great, then any AT or MT will too. I don't think I really understood your need for tires/question before.

I th>

No they were the older version. I also remember one time turning a corner and hitting a wet spot on the cement. My back end flew around infront of me, tires squeling. Again, I was SO not impressed by the at's... In the snow, I had tried a combo of things. It was deep moist snow. I tried just moving at idle, it tried gunning it..everything and they just didn't cut it. As the tracker drove by, I noticed it's tires tread was clearing immediatly after leaving the ground. Not sure what they were but it was more deep verticle sipes than horizontal. Right now I have MT's and really like them but don't yet have experience with them in snow or water.

Nick

want them to pack),

snow tires allow snow to

again. What kind of tires was

and see how much bigger it

big ball of snow because

clean them rather than only

roadway. Of course

driving technique. If you're

would be drastically

the ATs pack up and are

offroad, in multiple offroad

I should look for it next

I also run BFG MTs, on another Jeep, and really like them in the snow. On ice or hardpack it's another story, and I don't think anything but studs works well. Deep, soft snow, MTs work pretty well. Onroad it's another story, because vehicles tend to pack the road snow and create an almost icy situation, whereas the MTs don't have enough bite.

From another Texan (by location, not by birth), IMHO you would probably be best off with the BFG ATs down here. The amount of snow that you get here is negligible, and you're probably right it was more the 4WD than the tires. FWIW, I drove my Jeep for a couple years in Chicago on the BFG ATs, as well, and was happy with their winter performance.

How muddy is "muddy" when you're talking about trails? The BFGs as others have noted aren't the best in mud, but I've used them offroad on some relatively soupy stuff and haven't had much problem. Mine have somewhere over

50K miles on them and are just under 50% tread, if I remember what my last measurements were.

If you've got a TJ, you can go up to a 31" tire without needing to do a lift - and IMHO they look *very* sharp.

Tirya

-- TDC Inca Jeeper A dirty Jeep is a happy Jeep.

98 TJ SE 90 SJ GW

ice or hardpack it's

soft snow, MTs work pretty

snow and create an almost

Well, that wasn't to smart entering water flowing that hard. Nick

That was wicked... that wasn't you was it? Did the people recover the TJ? No doubt that was a expensive lesson on what not to do at water crossings...

-- Taylor

'89 Audi 200 '03 Audi S6 Avant '98 Jeep Cherokee Sport

No, it wasn't me (I've been in water almost that deep, but never moving water). You can get the entire story on:

the pictures on: must have been quite an adventure! Scary, too!TJim

98 TJ SE 90 SJ GW

Here's the Nissan:

and the pictures on:> It must have been quite an adventure! Scary, too!> TJim