OK, I'll throw in my 2 cents here, I used to drive a 3/4 ton truck(4x4) mostly gas motored but some diesel's( and a few were 1/2 tons)
about 50k a yr for about 25+ yrs and was buying tires almost twice a yr, I have gone thru a LOT of different brand and model tires! I ran pretty much the same sized tires,
90% were 33 inch tall, in a few different ACTUAL side wall tires reading(33x12.50's/285-75-'s and the likes)
I was also an extreme off road guy, with trucks from pro class mud bog racers to monster trucks(72 inch tires) so I have a LOT of off road under my belt in many levels!
here is MY experiences
Michelin's have ALWAYS been the LONGEST lasting of all brands I have used!(pro)
BUT they were also never the best tire in snow and mud, even MILD wet grass>
and they held and threw rocks at hi way speeds, chipping up paint as they came out or, AT cars behind you??
and there NOT cheap tires to buy either??
if ALL I did was hi way and paved roads, I'd say BEST tire out there!
Firestones have been the worse, MY last truck I had 4 sets of the destination AT"s, and every set was toast in about 20-24,000 miles, and before you ask WHY I kept using them, buddys kid worked at a shop and could get me them , installed, for about 60% below costs?
so, since they were so cheap, I gave them a go, first set, Dealer, told me was RARE case, second set, they told me was from same batch<? Third set?? I was positive they were JUNK,
but was getting ready to trade truck in and threw a 4 th set on due again to CHEAP price I was getting them at!
MY current truck, 2500 RAM, came with firestone tires and at 23 k, I am in need of new one's soon!!
and if you go on a dodge/ram forum, you will see ALMOST everyone has like results with the OEM tires,short life and well, NOT the best handling tire out there for sure??
there will always be loyalists to any brand so, take this with a grain of salt
Coopers, have always done me good, decent all round tire
the AT's will be the better of the ON road tire, but NOT the best for MUD
NO AT tire is GREAT in mud, too small of voids and don't self clean due to that, and the fact AT's are made of HARDER rubber, which also makes them HOLD mud, more than a pure MUD tire will!
BFGoodrich's AT"S, KO"S
OK tires, at best IMO< again, never was able to get any to last long and I had more flats with them than any other brand tire I ever ran? , had about 4-5 sets over the yrs, giving them second and third like chances?
Over priced IMO!
Hankook, these were maybe the second longest wearing tires I ever owned and the price was always great on them, just NOT a lot of dealers by me carry them, but there at the front of tires I am thinking of buying soon for my current truck ina month or so!(coopers are Toyo's are the 3 I am picking from)
Yokohama's , they were decent tires, nothing great or BAD to say about them, all lasted fairly well, and never got a flat on any of the few sets I ran!
Goodyears>> OK< these were always hit and miss, would get a set, last long, buy a second set and get HALF the life out of set as first set,
tired them several times and same result, seem very HIT and miss to me, and gave up on them LOL
Toyo,
have had very good luck with them, minus, the issue's with NOT a lot of dealers near me??
Uniroyal,> same deal as Goodyear, some lasted some sucked?
gave up on them
General, Pro comp, Micky Thompson, Denis Kirk, Remington, and a few others, I ran all got about the same life and handled OK ish!
I personally think there is NO< GREAT AT tire that will be good in mud, and there is NO great MT tire that is great on roads
its about picking what you do MOST and living with the con's of that tire in places you use them least in
BUY a set of chains, if you need MUD traction on an AT tire< will do you wonder's?
simple deal here
AT tires, have small and LOTS of voids(more small voids equals more edges, so the better they grip snow) and get you MORE rubber on the contact patch! and AT tires are of harder rubber compounds to add grip!
TRUE SNOW tires , will be LOTS of biting edges(again what grips the snow and ice better) and snow tires are of SOFTER rubber to aid in snow and ice, but they will wear a lot faster due to it!
True MUD tires, are treads of larger voids, to self clean, and softer rubber to ALSO also flex to self clean, and have LES rubber on the road, thus they DON"T handle as well, and wear faster, they heat up faster which causes more wear!
Bigger VOIDS in tires, LOUDER they get, smaller voids and directions of the edges, also add into sound levels
Sorry on long post, but, again, you honestly have to PICK what you want a tire to do best and live with the less traction or noise or handling in places you only travel less often!
the Cooper AT's you have now are GREAT AT tires, not much better
LAST< watch out on MUD tires and other NEW tires in LT and truck sizes, MANY company's are DROPPING there speed ratings on them
NOT that we drive slower these days, but many are Q-R speed rated which is like mid to upper 90's
sounds FAST< but , when a tire gets a lower speed rating, IMO< its in part due to balancing issue's??
harder to get a truck tire to balance , and out of balance or, lesser skilled techs, you will get a poorer handling tire on your truck!
and a tire with a S at a 112 rating or higher, !
SHOULD balance better and ride better, and even wear better!
