Upgrading Trailhunter (or TRD Pro) tires?

[JustAnotherDingus]

Hey folks! I’m not the happiest with the oem wrangler RT tries as I wanted to be, and since I’ll be up in snowy places in the next month or so, I was thinking of upgrading. Right now my thoughts are landing on something sized at 275-70-r18. So a true 33x10 with the oem rim ~ I don’t think that would impact the spedo too much if at all and would prob fit fine in the spare spot. I would love to get a smaller wheel but I don’t think I can for a while. This is prob enough sidewall for the messes I get into tho!

My question for you folks is has switching to an E load absolutely killed your mpg? Or made the ride insanely harsh?

I think if I could snap my fingers I’d prob get an SL tire but they aren’t really as common in this size unfortunately (minus the Toyo at3 ev tire but I’m not really sure what that is all about??) I think the Nitto terra grappler 3s come in SL too. I would love to live in a world where most of my driving is on dirt but this is also my daily so I’m trying to be somewhat realistic with my choices. This is also my first proper 4x4 truck so I’m trying to lean about all this tire stuff along the way.

Anyway. How much has the heavier tire impacted your driving comfort and mpg? I think the oem tires are around forty ish lbs a tire and the lightest e load in that size I can find is about 50. The oem trailhunter rims are something around 25-28lbs a pop I believe.

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[TacoFreak]

I expect @tacorancher to chime in here soon - he has been playing new tire roulette and has some good insights.

 

[tacorancher]

Yeah so I got 275/70/18 Falken AT4Ws in E load. They weigh 60.3 pounds. They also “run big” in that they are without any question wider than any other 275/70/18 I’ve ever seen and I’ve looked at a LOT of them in person. They also sit 33.43” tall which is taller than 90% of tires in this size (most run 33.2”). For the Trailhunter, the actual size of this tire is a match made in heaven. They go right to the edge of what can fit and they look super nice. They are very aggressive and look somewhere between a 285 tire in 34” and a typical 33”.

But. The downside. In my humble opinion, E load sucks ass for ride quality. I cannot get my truck dialed in — tried every psi. I temporarily swapped tires once to another E load to see if it was the tires and - same shit. I feel the tiniest bump and my cabin is always shaking from larger bumps and it sucks. I am probably going to get fed up with it and change tires. I wish they made the same identical tire in a C load and I’d call it a day. The General Grabber in SL and the G3 look kind of anemic but I may end up there. I also may get a 17” wheel and get a 32.8” tire (285/70/17) but I think that’s kind of small.

Most people though seem to love their E loads and have zero issues. This could just be me.

For gas mileage I was shocked it only went down 1-2 mpg. Zero speedo impact. Handling did take a hit - less nimble for sure.

Our wheels (TH/PRO - weigh 33-34 pounds; stock tire is 40 pounds; lightest E load is Firestone destination XT and its 50 pounds which I tried and didn’t like)

My next move may be relations race wheels at 20 pounds + Mickey Thomson 285/70/17 in SL at 48 pounds - but I’d prefer C load and a taller tire.. but may be no other option

 

[JustAnotherDingus]

@tacorancher thanks for such a detailed response! Shoot I thought the mpg would be worse. Interesting. Good to know about the ride quality though. I’ve been a bit concerned about it. I hope you figure out a way to dial in your ride to be comfy for you soon

I didn’t realize our wheels were that heavy too. Dang. I think even a method 705 is something in the mid/upper 20s? Hm. Eventually I’ll step down to 17’s and run 33x10 from there at least that’s the plan.

The toyo at 3 at 275 70 18 (e load) claims to be 50lbs which isn’t too bad considering? The Terra grappler g3 is 46lbs at 116T. That’s what I’m debating between now that I’ve thought about it a bit more ~ the falkens seem awesome but they’re so heavy! Same with the KO3. The G3 is winning for me rn even though it’s not the beefiest boy of the bunch lol just on pragmatism alone.

I think it’s strange so many of these sizes are E load only. On a midsize in particular, unless you’re wheeling allllll the time it kinda seems like major overkill?? Maybe I’m missing something here.

 

[Kdbradley85]

@JustAnotherDingus I can provide some insight, although I'm in just a lowly TRD OR model, so the feel may be a bit different on my truck vs a Trailhunter. I have the KO3s in 275/70R18, and so far, the ride is as smooth as it was with the factory 17" wheels and smaller tires. A friend of mine has them on his factory 17" wheels and says his ride feels better than stock. As @tacorancher pointed out here already, they're 33.2" diameter, and if they fit on my truck, they will fit on a Trailhunter with ease. Also, since you have the iForce hybrid, the performance hit should feel fairly minimal as well. You will take a hit on mpg, for sure, but again, not terribly. I've only got about 2.5 tanks worth of driving on these tires, and so far, it looks like I'm down about 20-30 miles in range at worst. Once I have some more miles with them, I'll be able to make a much more accurate accounting of the difference in mpgs. It doesn't appear to be a "bank breaking" difference though, and it's likely not as big of a hit with the hybrid as it is on mine too.

I may have gotten a little lucky with balancing, but mine feel great with little to no vibration at any speed. I've heard/read various thoughts on the Falkens, and I was absolutely stuck choosing between the AT4Ws and the KO3s, but I ended up with the KO3s based on looks alone. The BFGs with the white lettering... they just look super slick to me, but that's definitely subjective. I've seen people have difficulties with balancing on both tires, and no clear winner in terms of ride quality either. In my experience so far, I'd give these a big thumbs up.

 

[JustAnotherDingus]

@Kdbradley85 im glad they’re working out for you! I think the ko3s look really nice with the white sidewall too.

I wonder if the difference between your and @tacorancher ’s experience with the E load is something to do with the trailhunters weight and suspension geometry vs the OR. Hmm.

 

[tacorancher]

A bunch of people like the KO3 as mentioned above - maybe softer rubber compound as the AT4 HDs are targeted at super duty trucks? I know other TH owners who also like the KO3. Not sure what’s going on. I could try those. But it’s a huge gamble for me at this point. Honestly my truck experience has been ruined with these tires. I am in the minority as nobody else is reporting a bad experience with the Falkens or the KO3s in E load.

I will lastly note that the TH sprints are stiff.

 

[Kdbradley85]

@JustAnotherDingus ...and my friend's truck is a PreRunner with the leaf springs. Definitely heavier tires. It seems like going to a 275 tire limits the selection to mostly E rated tires with very few options in C or SL ratings.

 

[tacorancher]

Final note - if I run them as low as 32-33 cold they feel almost decent. But that’s a bit low for an E

 

[JustAnotherDingus]

@tacorancher did you weigh the oem wheel/tires when you replaced them initially?

 

[JustAnotherDingus]

@JustAnotherDingus ...and my friend's truck is a PreRunner with the leaf springs. Definitely heavier tires. It seems like going to a 275 tire limits the selection to mostly E rated tires with very few options in C or SL ratings.

Yeah I might just have to change size or do an E load. Either way I’m sure it’ll all be fine! I’m very much a measure twice person when it comes to purchases like this

 

[Airborne]

Truck looks great…i like how you have the tires and wheels, i plan to hold out on new tires when truck comes in, at least get some use out of tires that truck comes with , then ill replace right before winter arrives, it always seems the stock tires get crappy in the 10,000 mile range, or im eager to just put better looking tires on , lol
David

 

[Kdbradley85]

@JustAnotherDingus I weighed the Trailhunter wheels on a scale at right around 33 lbs, and I think the stock Trailhunter tires are just under 40 lbs (SL), but that's from Tirerack.com. E load tires are overkill on these trucks for sure, but a lot of folks, including myself, like the extra thickness for rougher terrain and/or sharp objects on job sites. There's definitely a tradeoff. I was initially trying to save weight for the same reasons you've stated (ride quality and fuel efficiency), and if those are a major factor in your decision, I'd be willing to bet that choices will be expanding in the coming months from the various tire manufacturers. I just didn't have the patience to wait, especially once I was finally able to get my hands on these wheels!

 

[TacoFreak]

it always seems the stock tires get crappy in the 10,000 mile range, or im eager to just put better looking tires on , lol
David

IMO the best thing about most OEM tires is their short life span.

 

[TacoFreak]

@Kdbradley85 are your KO3's E load?

There is nothing at all lowly about an OR man, they are great trucks and the best value in a 4th gen IMO.

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