Truck tire recommendations

I'm in the market for a new set of tires for my pickup. Current tires (Uniroyal Laredos) still have a little tread left but I hate them and can't wait to get new ones. The compound is just too hard and they have poor traction on even a slight grade when it's wet. I've had enough of a certain part of my anatomy puckering up when I pull my boat up the ramp at Cumberland.

There are only two brands I'll even consider - Goodyear and Michelin. Looking at manufacturer's sites and talking to folks at tire dealers hasn't helped me at all. I figured the best people to ask would be those who pull their boats up wet ramps on a regular basis. I'm looking for input on specific models, not just the brand name. If you have any input, good or bad, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[QUOTE=hairball;559006]I'm in the market for a new set of tires for my pickup. Current tires (Uniroyal Laredos) still have a little tread left but I hate them and can't wait to get new ones. The compound is just too hard and they have poor traction on even a slight grade when it's wet. I've had enough of a certain part of my anatomy puckering up when I pull my boat up the ramp at Cumberland.

There are only two brands I'll even consider - Goodyear and Michelin. Looking at manufacturer's sites and talking to folks at tire dealers hasn't helped me at all. I figured the best people to ask would be those who pull their boats up wet ramps on a regular basis. I'm looking for input on specific models, not just the brand name. If you have any input, good or bad, I'd greatly appreciate it.[/QUOTE]I know you said only Goodyear and Michelin but we have Bridgestone Dueler A/T on the Silverado and Bridgestone Dueler H/T on the SUV. Pulled the boat up the ramp many times with both and never a slip. Both are excellent in snow and on wet pavement. The H/T's have more road noise than I prefer but like my Dad, who worked at the Goodyear plant in Gadsden used to say, "tire properties are a trade off, to get one property better you have to trade off another." The Silverado is built so well that you can't hear any outside noise so I'm not sure if the A/T's are loud or not.

Michelin LTX A/T2 if you want more of an all terrain tire, Michelin Defender LTX M/S if you don't.

Agree on the Duelers....great tire and no slip on ramps or wet roads when I owned a set. I have Cooper AT3's now because of a sale that was running last year and excellent tires as well. I've had no slip at all and will be getting them again.
I know you mentioned other brands but just throwing out thoughts.

The Michelin LTX MS tires have served me well over the past many years.

[QUOTE=hairball;559006]I'm in the market for a new set of tires for my pickup. Current tires (Uniroyal Laredos) still have a little tread left but I hate them and can't wait to get new ones. The compound is just too hard and they have poor traction on even a slight grade when it's wet. I've had enough of a certain part of my anatomy puckering up when I pull my boat up the ramp at Cumberland.

There are only two brands I'll even consider - Goodyear and Michelin. Looking at manufacturer's sites and talking to folks at tire dealers hasn't helped me at all. I figured the best people to ask would be those who pull their boats up wet ramps on a regular basis. I'm looking for input on specific models, not just the brand name. If you have any input, good or bad, I'd greatly appreciate it.[/QUOTE] I can't tell you what tire will get the best traction, but I can give you a tip that will save you a couple hundred bucks, let your local big tire store give you a out the door price on four tires you choose, then go online to one of the discount tire direct stores and get the price on the same tires you liked, some will say free shipping, but only if they ship them to your local big tire store, so they can charge you 29.00 or more per wheel to mount and balance the tires for you, buy the tires from the one that will give free shipping to your home, but before you buy the tires, look on ebay for the same tires, ebay was giving a 100.00 discount for buying the tires through them, when I bought mine, and they will ship free to your house, then load the tires in your truck, take them to wallmart and get the tires mounted and balanced for 14.00 or less per tire. you will save a couple hundred bucks, I called my hometown big tire store and got a out the door price, then asked him what would he mount them for if I already had the tires and he said 35.00 per wheel, mine is 22 inch wheels, I bought them through ebay and got the 100.00 discount, and walmart mounted the 22" tires for 14.00 each and I think they will mount smaller tires for 9.00 per tire. hope this helps someone save a buck or two.

Why just those two brands?

I get a discount on Toyo's, their open country line is a very popular AT type tire. But even with my discount they are not better priced than Hercules Terra Trac AT II's. I had those Hercules on a 3/4 dodge and they gave me the best longevity and quietest ride compared to the BFG AT's and the Mickey Thompson tires I had on it. Hte stock michellins gave the best mpg but they were a road tire not an AT and were on the stock wheels.

I have the Hercules terra trac II's on my jeep cherokee and they are great both on the road and in the snow. Only wet river bottom gumbo mud is a problem as it will pack the treads.

When it came time to put new tires on my '13 sierra I again priced the Toyo's but was still money ahead to go with the Hercules tires. This time I did not get the Terra Trac's but a less aggressive road version and could not be happier with them. Quiet but with excellent tread and traction for pulling the boat up the ramp and in the snow.

[QUOTE=smashdn;559074]Why just those two brands?

I get a discount on Toyo's, their open country line is a very popular AT type tire. But even with my discount they are not better priced than Hercules Terra Trac AT II's. I had those Hercules on a 3/4 dodge and they gave me the best longevity and quietest ride compared to the BFG AT's and the Mickey Thompson tires I had on it. Hte stock michellins gave the best mpg but they were a road tire not an AT and were on the stock wheels.

I have the Hercules terra trac II's on my jeep cherokee and they are great both on the road and in the snow. Only wet river bottom gumbo mud is a problem as it will pack the treads.

When it came time to put new tires on my '13 sierra I again priced the Toyo's but was still money ahead to go with the Hercules tires. This time I did not get the Terra Trac's but a less aggressive road version and could not be happier with them. Quiet but with excellent tread and traction for pulling the boat up the ramp and in the snow.[/QUOTE]



Because in 46 years of driving, those are the two brands I have gotten the best service from and also the
brands I have heard badmouthed the least. Those two factors equal trust and confidence for me. Nothing like running down the road hoping you're not riding on maypops (may pop at any second for the uninitiated).

[QUOTE=waterdog101;559039]I can't tell you what tire will get the best traction, but I can give you a tip that will save you a couple hundred bucks, let your local big tire store give you a out the door price on four tires you choose, then go online to one of the discount tire direct stores and get the price on the same tires you liked, some will say free shipping, but only if they ship them to your local big tire store, so they can charge you 29.00 or more per wheel to mount and balance the tires for you, buy the tires from the one that will give free shipping to your home, but before you buy the tires, look on ebay for the same tires, ebay was giving a 100.00 discount for buying the tires through them, when I bought mine, and they will ship free to your house, then load the tires in your truck, take them to wallmart and get the tires mounted and balanced for 14.00 or less per tire. you will save a couple hundred bucks, I called my hometown big tire store and got a out the door price, then asked him what would he mount them for if I already had the tires and he said 35.00 per wheel, mine is 22 inch wheels, I bought them through ebay and got the 100.00 discount, and walmart mounted the 22" tires for 14.00 each and I think they will mount smaller tires for 9.00 per tire. hope this helps someone save a buck or two.[/QUOTE]

So feed the beast (Wal-Mart) that doesn't give one **** about you and the online retailers with no local investment, making it a lot harder for your small independent businesses (that built this country) to stay afloat. Do you know how much money local tire guys have to spend on their people, insurance, and the equipment that is required to mount and balance wheels and tires correctly, especially a 22" rim? They aren't getting rich mounting them at $35, I promise you. I wouldn't let Wal-Mart touch the tires on my kids tricycle, much less my truck...but good luck!

Personally, I'd just go to my local tire guy and let him earn my business by taking good care of me...even if it costs me a few more bucks up front.

(Also, check the DOT codes on your tires from eBay...you might be surprised at how old some of them are, before they ever see the pavement under your truck. Tires do have a shelf life that affects them.)

[QUOTE=hairball;559006]I'm in the market for a new set of tires for my pickup. Current tires (Uniroyal Laredos) still have a little tread left but I hate them and can't wait to get new ones. The compound is just too hard and they have poor traction on even a slight grade when it's wet. I've had enough of a certain part of my anatomy puckering up when I pull my boat up the ramp at Cumberland.

There are only two brands I'll even consider - Goodyear and Michelin. Looking at manufacturer's sites and talking to folks at tire dealers hasn't helped me at all. I figured the best people to ask would be those who pull their boats up wet ramps on a regular basis. I'm looking for input on specific models, not just the brand name. If you have any input, good or bad, I'd greatly appreciate it.[/QUOTE]

Is your truck a 2WD or a 4WD?

I run the Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adventure, which is a Kevlar reinforced tire. I've got about 30K miles on the ones on my F150 and they've done me well. Smooth and relatively quiet (for an A/T) and they have worn even with regular rotations. I've never had an issue on a boat ramp with them. They aren't cheap, which is my only complaint with them...a little high. I can't say that I've been a Goodyear light truck tire fan in the past, but this tire kind of won me over to their side a bit.

I'm not a Michelin guy, but can't bad-mouth their tires. They have a successful brand for a reason...pricey, too.

If you're looking for a less aggressive highway tread tire, let me throw out two options that my company sells a ton of...so I've got a lot of experience here:

(1) Firestone Destination LE2 - This is a great tire. For the price point, on a good name brand tire, hard to beat this one in a highway tread in my opinion. Don't overlook it for the performance you're looking for at a middle of the road price. It will run.

(2) Continental Cross Contact LX20 - A bit higher than the Firestone, but you will spend less here than a Goodyear or a Michelin. I've had the opportunity to participate in testing this tire at a test track down in Texas where we were driving 2WD Chevrolet pickups. Excellent performer, especially on wet, which I think would do you very well on the boat ramp. Braking distances on this tire far out-performed the Michelin and Goodyear we were testing it against, too. Check it out.

Depending upon where you're located, I might be able to recommend a local tire guy if you need one. Just PM me.

Check air pressure,let out a few pounds at the ramp when its sketchy,carry a small 12 volt pump to bring it back up or air up a trailer tire. Alot of people max out tire pressure to haul loads and a boat trailer isnt that much of a load,Im not saying run them underinflated but banjo tight is just as bad for traction.

[IMG]http://www.fishin.com/forums2/images/misc/quote_icon.png[/IMG] Originally Posted by [B]waterdog101[/B] [URL="http://www.fishin.com/forums2/showthread.php?p=559039#post559039"][IMG]http://www.fishin.com/forums2/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png[/IMG][/URL]
I can't tell you what tire will get the best traction, but I can give you a tip that will save you a couple hundred bucks, let your local big tire store give you a out the door price on four tires you choose, then go online to one of the discount tire direct stores and get the price on the same tires you liked, some will say free shipping, but only if they ship them to your local big tire store, so they can charge you 29.00 or more per wheel to mount and balance the tires for you, buy the tires from the one that will give free shipping to your home, but before you buy the tires, look on ebay for the same tires, ebay was giving a 100.00 discount for buying the tires through them, when I bought mine, and they will ship free to your house, then load the tires in your truck, take them to walmart and get the tires mounted and balanced for 14.00 or less per tire. you will save a couple hundred bucks, I called my hometown big tire store and got a out the door price, then asked him what would he mount them for if I already had the tires and he said 35.00 per wheel, mine is 22 inch wheels, I bought them through ebay and got the 100.00 discount, and walmart mounted the 22" tires for 14.00 each and I think they will mount smaller tires for 9.00 per tire. hope this helps someone save a buck or two.

[QUOTE=MrSplitshot;559082]So feed the beast (Wal-Mart) that doesn't give one **** about you and the online retailers with no local investment, making it a lot harder for your small independent businesses (that built this country) to stay afloat. Do you know how much money local tire guys have to spend on their people, insurance, and the equipment that is required to mount and balance wheels and tires correctly, especially a 22" rim? They aren't getting rich mounting them at $35, I promise you. I wouldn't let Wal-Mart touch the tires on my kids tricycle, much less my truck...but good luck!

Personally, I'd just go to my local tire guy and let him earn my business by taking good care of me...even if it costs me a few more bucks up front.

(Also, check the DOT codes on your tires from eBay...you might be surprised at how old some of them are, before they ever see the pavement under your truck. Tires do have a shelf life that affects them.)[/QUOTE] everyone is entitled to their opinion, and as the old saying goes, opinions are like belly buttons, most everyone has one. what I posted was a fact, by going the route I said in the above post, I saved myself a little over 200.00 for the same exact set of tires. why should I care for a local tire store that tried to take me for 200.00 bucks, as for the age of the tire, the tire were new, shipped from discount tire direct through ebay, and the walmart store tire changing machine, did a great job at a cost of 56.00 instead of 140.00 I posted this only to save someone a little money, but if some have money to throw away, it's their money. personally, I didn't like the way my local tire guy tried taking care of me.