Toyo AT3 vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W

[mcv1]

I also love the Wildpeak AT3s. I concur with ISellRams22 that they do tend to grab small gravel (my trailer is parked atop a 5/8- gravel bed, and the tires come out "studded"). With fender flares, and tires tucked up under the truck on stock rims, I don't care, and for me, the gravel sheds immediately without any highway clicking.... I have not had any trouble balancing as ISellRams22 reported. Great snow traction. Very quiet. Super pleased with their comfort and performance so far, especially for a E rated sidewall. But I have not run the Toyos, so can't give you a proper comparison.

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[Weebear]

As said by so many before me, I do not have much to add. I just got my first set of Falkens this past weekend - had them installed on 3/25/23, so not much experience on them.

I will say this, though, road noise is negligible compared to the stock GY Duratacs my '19 Rebel came with. My wife said she thought it was a major difference.

I only have a couple hundred miles on them so far, but I feel like they have much better traction than the Goodyears. It's been raining off and on since they were installed and traction at take-off is WAY better on the Falkens. Ride is nice - again, much better than the Goodyear (yeah, I know that's not saying much, but it's all I have).

I bought mine through SimpleTire. If you are military or have access to a military discount (friend, relative, etc.), try either ID.me or the AAFES exchange (they are on both). I bought mine through the exchange online - great price plus another 15% off and the install was also discounted. I went with a local NTB and the install was $19 vice $49 normally. I was able to pick my installer and set my install date. The whole process was pretty smooth.

(Seeing all the uplifting comments about Falken in this thread just makes me feel better about my choice!)

 

[mtofell]

Thanks everyone for the continued discussion. I'm leaning Falken at this point but we'll see.

And, in case anyone is wondering, the Ram, "Buy 3 Tires, Get One Free," sale is a joke (I know, big surprise). They want about $300 more for the set than Discount Tire Shop (ironically, located across the street from the dealership).

 

[truck2014]

Thanks everyone for the continued discussion. I'm leaning Falken at this point but we'll see.

And, in case anyone is wondering, the Ram, "Buy 3 Tires, Get One Free," sale is a joke (I know, big surprise). They want about $300 more for the set than Discount Tire Shop (ironically, located across the street from the dealership).

Unless there is something you don’t like or heard about the Coopers, I’d take a look
at them , the AT3 XLT . To be honest I chose them because they were a bit cheaper than the Falkens , and I believe a better mileage warranty , plus a $75 rebate , which I think they have going now . I got a price match , from some online prices from a local tire shop I’ve used for years . I usually play that game with them on all my tires I buy from them .

 

[mtofell]

Unless there is something you don’t like or heard about the Coopers, I’d take a look
at them , the AT3 XLT . To be honest I chose them because they were a bit cheaper than the Falkens , and I believe a better mileage warranty , plus a $75 rebate , which I think they have going now . I got a price match , from some online prices from a local tire shop I’ve used for years . I usually play that game with them on all my tires I buy from them .

Oh man... looks like I have some more research to do. Thanks!

Edit.... yeah, that might be the new leader. $140 cheaper for a set of four and looks like a better all around performer on wet and dry roads. The Falken wins on gravel and snow but I don't do a lot of that. Cooper is lighter by 7#/tire for better MPGs and has a 5K longer warranty (60K vs. 55K).

 

[Jeepwalker]

The A/T Coopers I'm running are working out fine for my tk's (not AT3's though).

I went to a tire dealer last fall and 'felt' a pr of AT3's that I was considering for another vehicle. I was concered by the looks of the sidewall they might be a little stiff for what I wanted, for mostly hwy driving. These were 285/75/16's (basically 33" tall tires) for a H3. Because it's almost impossible to glean meaningful specs anymore from tire mfgrs websites, you almost gotta see and 'feel' a tire in person to know what you're really getting. I've installed, balanced/mounted a lot of tires in my day. Anywhooo.... I looked and felt (by hand) the tire over real well. Turns out the sidewalls are more pliable than I imagined they would be. They're about right for a DD. That should translate into a decent ride, not too much choppiness. Be able to handle some sensible off-road airing down too. That's not to say the sidewalls are super soft either. But they're not real stiff like a heavy-duty tire is.

I ended up going with Hankook D/P AT2's at the end of the day due to some sales and a few other tire features. But mostly I wanted to 'try' a set of D/P-2's, which I hadn't run before. (I like to try out different products). The Hankook's have a rim-protecting recessed bead, whereas the AT3's don't. I liked the tread pattern of the Hankook's better for my use (deeper snow), plus each tread block on the HKs extend all the way to the carcass (no raised 'bridges'!). Pretty sure the AT3's would be a touch quieter than the HK's by looks of the Coop's tread pattern. It's similar to other Coopers I have which are super-quiet.

But I was impressed with the AT3's. Cooper makes a great product. Perhaps I'll try them the next go-round on different rig. At the end of the day you just gotta do your research. You'll go nuts listening to various people say "this tire is the best" or "that tire sucks" ..which are kind of meaningless w/o detailed info (why) which we never get. LOL. There are more good truck tires out there than ever before.

 

[mtofell]

I just did a pretty deep dive and even found some other contenders - Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T and BF Goodrich KO2. It seems each of the manufacturers make a solid tire but they all have various pros/cons.

Weight and durability go hand-in-hand (but weight will kill MPGs due to being on the wheels). Generally, thicker sidewalls = more weight which is better for rocks/gravel. The Mickey Thompsons are the heaviest and toughest, followed closely by the BF Goodrich. Those are both off my list since I rarely drive on rocks/gravel (but I mention them in case anyone wants/needs that). I'm more looking for wet and snow traction and it looks like the Coopers or Falkens are the best. Toyo is in there too but is more expensive and doesn't seem to have as high of highs as the other two. Falkens are a bit heavier and tougher so I guess it's just a decision of how much I need. I'm 90% on paved roads, 5% snow/ice covered and maybe 5% gravel (if that).

The Falkens at 61# are a bit heavier than the Coopers at 54# and I'm just not sure I need the extra sidewall durability (thanks again @truck2014 for mentioning those Coopers!).

In the end this is totally splitting hairs as every tire mentioned looks to be a nice product. One thing that is funny is in the reviews they all talk about snow/mud/water evacuation and tread depth but as the tires wear that all goes away.... so? Any newer tire is going to be worlds better than even a 40% worn tire? I guess so... and I must be naive for not putting more stock in that previously. I guess it's like marrying a hot, skinny girl and then..... well, never mind, this isn't going anywhere good

 

[Justin33]

Swap tires???! LOL. I love you CA guys, don't get me wrong, but you crack me up sometimes.

I remember one time we were in the Sierra's in CA and there was like 3" of snow on the road and they wanted us to chain up. There were actually people putting chains on too. Of course our rental didn't have chains and they were being snippy about it. My wife and I were baffled. This wasn't a major road, and it wasn't over a pass either. Just a relatively short 5-6 mile stretch to the next town. And it was like 38* outside, the sun had just come out and starting to melt. Heck it might have been 40 degrees.

I says to the officer, "You **Have** to be kidding!!? ..This is like eyes-closed kind of snow driving that we commute through every week! ...at 50mph, lol" While we were arguing about it the state patrol or whoever it was...radio'd over they closed the road and nobody could pass. I"m like, "Over 3" of snow? That's melting? Sun's out?? C'mon, You gotta be kidding me!". Ha ha. That's happened a few times when we've been out there. Even if it had been 6" of snow....(??)

Ok 14" of dry snow on a 12 degree night ....and a stiff 35mph crosswind (with 45mph gusts), *maybe* I can understand that ...but not 3".

Wow sounds like they don’t know what snow is maybe have them come to Maine.

 

[Jeepwalker]

One thing that is funny is in the reviews they all talk about snow/mud/water evacuation and tread depth but as the tires wear that all goes away.... so? Any newer tire is going to be worlds better than even a 40% worn tire? I guess so... and I must be naive for not putting more stock in that previously.

Yep! you put your finger on it. A lot of tire mfgrs connect the tread blocks with a rubber webbing, which probably adds more road straight-line steadiness, for dry driving. But OTOH, when ya get down to about 1/3 of the tire's total wear, you don't have individual treadblocks anymore for ok water or winter driving. Whereas on some other tires each tread block goes to the carcass.

It's all about 'balance' when choosing a tire. Different tires out there for a guy's needs. Some have stiffer sidewalls, some softer, some perfect for dry road conditions, some shine in snow. Some better on ice. Hauling/towing. Off-road. The road tests, and snow tests are nice, but like you say, they're on brand new tires! Therefore they are only somewhat relevant. Go test the same tires with 1/3 tread and let's see the same snow/water/braking tests overlaid with the new tires. That would be highly instructive.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Of the tires on your list, the Falken Wild Peaks or the BJG's just based on the tread design, should provide the best traction if you have the need to churn your way through measureable or deep-ish snow. But all of them and the coopers would be just fine for normal wet/dry & normal (maintained) winter driving conditions. My money is the Coopers would be a bit quieter by way of their tread design. Lot of people around here use Coopers and they do fine in the winter.

I have a looong drive that blows in, and a steep hill to get there (that isn't always plowed right away). So being able to churn through snow is important for a few ties a year. But the reality is 99% of the DD throughout the year aren't heavily snowed roads.

I agree! It's easy to micro-analyze tires. There are so many different types. Good luck. Let us know what you get.