Smoother riding AT tire than BFGs?

[Ezekiel2517]

Hey, I'm looking for recommendations for my next set of tires.  Currently have BFG KO2s in 275/60r20.   They handle my travel trailer well, and are without a doubt tough.  And not that loud for what they are.  But you can definely tell the 3ply sidewall when riding around.  It's pretty rough.  I bought these because most other tires are load range E in this size and these were Ds.  Figured it would be smoother.  But I was reading other tires like toyo and Falken have 2 ply sidewalls even though higher load range.  

 

Any experience with anything that rides smoother?  I had XL rated Terra grappler on my old Sierra and honestly they were much smoother and still plenty for half ton towing.  But they are kinda blah.  

 

I love the new toyo AT3s but not sure on ride.  

 

Thanks for advice!

[swathdiver]

Michelin LTX A/T2.  P-Metric in that size.

[BossTaco2020]

I'm liking my Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3's I just put on about 3000 miles ago. Not as aggressive looking, but miles better than the Duratracs that were on it from factory. I have the 18" LT ones on my TrailBoss. Rides quiet and comfortably and yet still has all the traction I've needed offroad. I don't go mudding or hard-core trail riding, but I do have a cabin in the mountains that's only accessible via a stone gravel road for half the way and just grass and mud (when it's raining) the other half.

[asilverblazer]

I've had the Bridgestone tires and prefer the BFG. The BFG tires wore better for me.

[mafd2]

I find the Firestone Destination A/T2 very smooth, quiet and balanced out perfect. They ride better that my highway tires.  Great reviews. Firestone is using different silica's in their compound.

 https://www.firestonetire.com/tire/destination-at2/275-65R18/?ef_id=Cj0KCQjwteOaBhDuARIsADBqReguOO-uuJMmmEzSxpvgOQpDCsRQzAkqqIKH9Pxb6oXFwdROh_IWbNAaAqIqEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!5372!3!618412553989!p!!g!!firestone destination a t2&lw_cmp=sem_fst-us_g_pi_product_destination&keyword=firestone destination a t2&campaign=10060093391&adgroup=139962281705&gclid=Cj0KCQjwteOaBhDuARIsADBqReguOO-uuJMmmEzSxpvgOQpDCsRQzAkqqIKH9Pxb6oXFwdROh_IWbNAaAqIqEALw_wcB#section-performance

[Mike Borowski]

I have Toyo AT3's (265/65/18) and I love them.  I like to switch it up when I need new tires but I will be getting them again when I need new ones sometime in 2023.  They ride really good and are pretty darn quiet.  

[Diamond817]

I just put on Hankook Dynapro AT2 Extreme tires, and I can honestly say they are as quiet and as smooth riding as the Michelin LTX MS tires they replaced. I am actually shocked by this.

[jaxcam02]

Sumitomo Encounter ATs. they are my go to tire for the last 5 years and have excellent dry, wet and snow ratings (triple peak rated). They are comfortable, good handling, and low noise and fantastic treadlife. My first set had 30k miles on them before I sold that truck and there was probably a little more than 50% tread left to the wear indicators. I will never buy another truck tire as long as they are making it.

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by jaxcam02

[bgsntth]

I have the Falken's on my AT4 and there is only a bit more noise and ride harshness than the OE GY's. My wife is the AT4's primary driver and she has not complained about the Falken's, and has even commented that she no longer feels like we need to level it and put on 34's (aesthetics). She has demanded I take off Cooper and Bridgestone AT's on past trucks\SUV's.

 

I can attest that they have much better grip than the GY's on steep grass\gravel ascents and mud; but, that would be obvious. Dry and wet asphalt grip is not noticeably different than the GY's.

[Amcguy1970]

Ah the BFG's, the most overrated and overpriced tire. Lots of mis-information goes around when talking sidewall ply's. Yes, BFG has 3 ply sidewalls, but those are 3 ply 1000 denier poly thread. Some others might only have two ply but they are 1500 denier poly thread such as the Grabber AT2 and Cooper Discoverer AT3. The ST Maxx has two 1500 plys and one 1000 ply for the record. 

 

If you tow often and heavy, then going with a load range tire is good. E is still overkill in most cases except for the heaviest long distance towers and extreme back country off roaders, but anything in that range regardless of tread type will ride rough on lighter duty trucks. 

 

You didn't give any indication to how much, how far and how heavy you tow, that matters. A 5k trailer once a month an hour or two away or a 9500lbs towing from Houston to Salt Lake City and other long distance tows a couple times a month will need completely different tires.  

 

Is the aggressive tires for looks or is it actually needed? The more aggressive the tire the worse the road habits are and especially the noise as they wear down. I got realistic with my tires after how loud the aggressive tires got as they wore down. I spend most of my time on the street commuting and towing or hauling, every so often I am in the back country exploring or hunting on the lease, but even the mild AT tires perform great when hours away from anyone or trucking through muck back to the cabin. 

 

Just be realistic with your needs, look at lower load range or even P-rated if towing is not too often or well under the limit as all those tires will be fine at proper pressure and support the loads on the truck. If you don't need an AT look at more a mild AT tire or even less to help with MPG, noise and stop and corner better on the road compared to aggressive AT tires. You ever see the test results of an AT tire versus street tire in performance categories like stopping distance and road holding? 

 

Either way you slice it, to ride better you need a lower load rating, so evaluate the needs first and go from there. 

 

Tyler

Edited October 27, 2022 by Amcguy1970

[OliverDennis52]

On 10/25/2022 at 10:18 AM, swathdiver said:

Michelin LTX A/T2.  P-Metric in that size.

 

This is what I did, couldn't be happier.  I only tow 2500lbs about 10 times a year so they fit my needs nicely. Quiet, good MPG but pedestrian looking. But to Tyler's point, you should consider your usage so not sure they would fit the bill for your travel trailer.  

[Ezekiel2517]

Thanks for all the great advice.  I tow my rv probably once maybe twice a month.  200-250 miles.  It has a tongue weight of about 600 lbs.   Then I toss a lot of stuff in the bed too.   I have a load distribution hitch and air bags to even out the ride.   Usually I don't put more than 40 psi in those bags, so honestly a standard P rated tire is all their are doing the work off.  I took them to 50 once and they rattled my 

[Ezekiel2517]

Also the truck is a max trailering 6.2 so it's rated at 13000 lbs.  It's basically a light 3/4 ton.  

[swathdiver]

9 minutes ago, Ezekiel2517 said:

Also the truck is a max trailering 6.2 so it's rated at 13000 lbs.  It's basically a light 3/4 ton.  

And I bet it still came with P-Metric tires like my 2012 NHT did.

 

A couple of weeks ago we took our three GMC out into the mud for some play time.  One has Trail Grapplers, one KO2s and Michelin Defenders on the last.  We played around in the mud and sand and water and none of us got stuck.  Granted, we didn't take on the worst of the worst but the Defenders went everywhere the other two went and that surprised the drivers of the other two trucks.

 

I had KO2s on my Yukon for almost 5 years and they were great.  Now have the Defenders and appreciate them even more.  No problems with either in our torrential rains and I got my gas mileage on the highway back!  

 

KO2s are overkill, in haste I put them on our new 2013 Sierra and should have gone with Defenders or tried the new BFG Trail-Terrains.

 

The 2012 Sierra runs the 35" Nitto Trail Grapplers.  Always has, always will.

[Ezekiel2517]

Yup. It came with some lame p metric Goodyears.   I've been looking at that new Recon Grappler from Nitto in XL rating.  I loved the ride of my Trail Grapplers but they just looked boring.  

 

I agree about most tires being more versatile than u expect.  With 4wd and a locking diff, it would have to be a nasty bog to get stuck.  My brother in law has a poser 2wd jacked up with 35" mud grappler.  It wasn't worth a damn out in the pasture after a rain.   Mine floated through.

 

The main thing I love about bfg kos is that I can drive through or over anything and not worry about a flat.  It just laughs off the thorny mesquite brush we have.  But in reality in not taking a $60k truck through hell like that.   That's what we have a UTV for.  So mostly it's just some light duty at Galveston Beach and pulling RV to park in sometimes muddy conditions.