What All Season Tire for 2018 Big Horn? (Yes, Another Tire Thread)

[Jeepwalker]

No change in the Cooper tires since Goodyear bought them out???

I don't know. That was a concern of mine too. I bought 4 sets of tires last year for various rigs ...3 sets of Coop's. They seem fine. As good as any other tire. I looked them over closely ...and I've had a tire changer since I was in high school (changed/balanced a lot of tires over the yrs!). The rubber on the Coop's doesn't **seem** to have the feel of the Silicone compound (AKA rapid dry-rot & cracking compound) that the Goodyears & Michelins use. I've had those too, and no more. They just rot off after 6-8 yrs. But ultimately time will tell on the Coopers.

If you DD your truck any tire will most likely wear just fine before dry rot catches up to ya. Michelins are a fantastic tire, arguably the best. Everyone in the industry says there's Michelin ...and then everybody else. I've run many sets of car michelins and they are fantastic. I'm sure the truck tires are great too. But these days, I just don't want them to rot off in 7 yrs. LOL. I don't put on a ton of miles on each vehicle, so I hope to get more age out of a tire. I have a set of Coopers outside on another vehicle, ~13 years old and no cracks at all. But that was pre-Goodyear.

But we'll see on the Coops. I wouldn't tell you they are a decent tire if they weren't. At their price point, the regular AT's are a good 'basic' tire. Not a HD tire. They don't appear to be a cheap or low grade tire in any way shape or form. Or I wouldn't have bought more of them. The AT2's are heavier duty. If you want a HD tire, get those. Or another brand with 10-ply rating. I used to put on a ton of miles and have owned many types/sets/brands of tires over the yrs. I wouldn't recommend something *just* because I bought it. I actually quit buying Coopers for years there in the mid 00's due to some problems I had with a few sets. But these Walmart ones seem good. And the price was an added bonus. Even my buddies at the Local GM shop, where I had them balanced, they quit selling coopers years ago, but agreed these seemed really good and balance out nice. A lot of the mechanics we were all over by the balancer looking at tires ...like tire geeks. Like I say, time will tell.

Overall you can't go wrong with Michelins, Bridgestones & Goodyears. Continental makes a great tire. Lot of guys here like the Falkens. The Cooper AT3-XLT's are a better tire. You have a lot of choices. If you're not sure and you want the best, just get a set of Michelins or Cooper AT3-XLT on a buy-3 F/F deal. Ask them to Road Force Blanace them (you have to request it). You can't go wrong. Maybe that's what you should do.

 

[Jeepwalker]

No matter where I buy tires, or what brand, I *always* stand there and watch guys do my tires. Usually I take the tires/wheels down in a pickup. Every tire tech out there will find a new & innovative way to short-cut or skip a key step such as:

Bust a lug nut,
Break a center cap
Over-torque lug nut
Try to install cheap lug nuts
Not change the stem
Almost break a brand new TPM
Tear the tire bead,
Keep stacking on a mountain of weights
Install a tire with water inside
Never look to see if a tire is out-of-round
Not get the hoist on the frame right,
Etc.

Tire install/balance is critical and one place to be a Helicopter Owner on. But if you're watching and talking to them (in a nice way), they usually do a great job.

 

[PowrRam]

Your priorities you have listed describe Michelin Defenders, have them on my truck and are everything you are asking for.

Overall you can't go wrong with Michelins, Bridgestones & Goodyears. Continental makes a great tire.

Any opinions on Continental TerrainContact H/T?

Tirerack.com has them rated higher than Michelin Defenders and they are $45 less per tire than the Michelins.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Probably a great DD tire so long as you drive sensibly on snow. That tread should be quiet. Check the weight on the size you need compared to others you are considering. There was one Continental tire I was looking at last year (forget which model) which was considerably heavier than others (in it's class). Heavier weight means greater durability & wear, but also added up-front cost some fuel economy hit. Continental makes great tires.

 

[PowrRam]

No matter where I buy tires, or what brand, I *always* stand there and watch guys do my tires. Usually I take the tires/wheels down in a pickup. Every tire tech out there will find a new & innovative way to short-cut or skip a key step such as:

Bust a lug nut,
Break a center cap
Over-torque lug nut
Try to install cheap lug nuts
Not change the stem
Almost break a brand new TPM
Tear the tire bead,
Keep stacking on a mountain of weights
Install a tire with water inside
Never look to see if a tire is out-of-round
Not get the hoist on the frame right,
Etc.

Tire install/balance is critical and one place to be a Helicopter Owner on. But if you're watching and talking to them (in a nice way), they usually do a great job.

This is why I have apprehensions about getting tires at Walmart. You wonder about the quality of their equipment. You wonder about the knowledge of the installer. You wonder if corners will be cut. Are they going to try to upsell you? (Tire pressure monitor sensors, anyone?) Are they really going to let you stand around and watch them mount and balance your tires?

 

[Curmudgeon]

I don't know, OP. If there is a Walmart near you and they have what you're looking for, give it a shot?

I've purchased from Walmart, they had windows. I did have one notable experience with a set of Michelins for my car, a bad case of radial runout deviation causing a bad vibration at all speeds.
A two-fold problem: 1) Walmart was storing their tire stock so as to create flat spots, and 2) the tech was unable to spot it even after 4 attempts. I saw it from the window and pointed it out.
At least I had no issue getting all my money back as they honored their part of the transaction.

Almost all my tire purchases over the last 5 decades have been the process of 1) researching and deciding on a tire, then 2) looking to see where I could get them. I guess I've always lived in areas where I had no shortage of choices for tire shops.

Best of luck. And my $0.02, I have really loved every set of Continentals I have ever purchased.

Link: lateral vs radial runout,

radial vs lateral runout - Google Search

 

[NETim]

Any opinions on Continental TerrainContact H/T?

Tirerack.com has them rated higher than Michelin Defenders and they are $45 less per tire than the Michelins.

That's what I put on my truck 2 weeks ago. Love them so far. But I haven't put that many miles on them and what I have driven has all been on dry pavement.

But they are quiet and give an excellent ride.

 

[crackerjack1957]

Consumer Report Rankings on All Terrain

 

[crackerjack1957]

More of list above

 

[turkeybird56]

Another thought: I run Falken Wildpeak AT3W with 3PMSF rating. Mine are "C" load, as not need E load tires. I got them from my Dealer: Check Dealer ads: I got 3 and the 4th 1 for $1.00. Runs well, no issues, even did well in the One Big Snow/Ice storm we had in 2021. I could not drive on the road, they scraped it down to ice, so I literally drove off the road in the grass all the way to town. 275 65R 18 tires, 116T rated. I also get free rotations from dealer, and have them rotated every 5,000 miles and keep an eye on PSI.

Total price was $836 and change out the door. I did keep my 4 SRA's and sold them to recoup a few dollars.

//When you find the 3PMSF symbol on the side of a tire, it indicates the tires meet certain U.S. Tire Manufacturer Association (USTMA) requirements for severe snow conditions. The symbol is there to help you identify if a tire will provide traction on medium-packed snow.//


.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Walmart....Are they really going to let you stand around and watch them mount and balance your tires?

No, you go THIS time of year, like now ..or in the summer and they keep their doors open. Make it a good visit...not being a jerk type supervising. The better walmarts do a pretty good job. Maybe take them to a good Super-Center.

OR ....Walmart ships them to your house anyway. ...just take them to your local GM, Ford or Chrysler dealer, if you have a small family-run small-town dealer near you. Get a price for a Road Force balance (all GM's have them)...and let them know your intentions to bring in your own tires. The'll probably charge $75-$100. It's money they wouldn't have made. Not really not a whole lot more to have my local GM place do the balance.

What size do you need?

 

[Tom Davis]

Cooper makes a Discovery HT if not wanting the AT version. If memory serves me correct (getting older) Firestone does as well. I cannot speak on either as I have never used them.

 

[Delta11]

Michelin Defender LTX M/S ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2010 2500 5.7 Texas Longhorn edition,,,,On my second set. First set could of gone 85k. 285/70/17
You just have to watch the Ya Hoo's rotating the tires. Discount tire in Texas messed my rotation up which now caused uneven wear. Started marking my tires with sharpie 1,2....2 being the rears and 1 being the front. Discount did not rotate two of my tires and now the wear pattern has set. I also take my metal valve stem caps off before I go....so I can have them after the rotating and not a bunch of mismatched caps. Live and Learn.

 

[Joeking]

I also have a 2018 Bighorn, and I use my truck the same way as you - along with towing my snowmobiles all over three States including Minnesota. Maybe not a popular choice, but I did the Firestone LE3 tires on mine. Quiet, stable, good traction in all conditions even a few inches of snow or algae covered boat ramps that I can hardly walk on without slipping. I have 30K on them and there is still a lot of tread left. Firestone has some good sales events, so the price can be competitive. I'd buy them again.

 

[ClassicCanuck627]

I’ve just spent over an hour trawling through the numerous tire threads here. I didn’t find a recent thread that addresses my needs so, yes, I’m starting yet another tire thread.

I drive 98% on paved roads, occasionally will go on dirt and/or gravel roads in rural settings to get to boat launches on lakes. I’m in Minnesota so I do see some deep snow and some icy conditions but it’s almost always in an urban setting, meaning it’s gonna be plowed within a day or two. Even with the stock Goodyear Wranglers that came on the truck I’ve never gotten stuck in snow, though I’m certain there must be better performing tires for snow/ice conditions.

I’m not looking for an all-terrain tire since I don’t go off road. I want a comfortable and quiet ride at freeway speeds. And even if I were after an all-terrain tire the most highly recommended AT tires on this forum--Falken Wildspeak, Cooper Discoverer AT3—do not come in the stock tire size of my truck, which are P275/60R20.

My priorities are:
Ride comfort
Ride quietness
Good traction in wet/snow/ice conditions
Decent treadwear, but doesn’t need to be excellent

When I do internet searches using these parameters the Michelin LTX Defenders show up a lot. I hesitate on the Defenders because I’m probably not going to have my Big Horn for more than 2-3 years, and I only drive about 7,000 miles a year. (Was less during Covid.) So I’m not too excited to lay out almost $300 per tire on something I’m only going to own for 25% of its rated life.

Maybe I’m overthinking this because I’m going to sell the truck in 3 years or so, but the Goodyears that came on the truck are needing replacement and they have only 29,000 miles on them. I’ll likely put on 20K-25K miles in the next 3 years so I need tires that will have good tread on them when I sell.

So what are your recommendations?

I live in Winnipeg Canada (north of you, with similar weather).
I have a 2022 Ram Classic and have Nokian Rotiiva AT plus tires. And I absolutely love them. Quiet on the highway, capable in offroad situations, and a great treadware warranty. I would definitely buy them again.

 

[bborzell]

‘22 Laramie Sport 4X4 5.7 eTorque Crew Cab 5’7” bed.

Came with 22” Pirelli Verde tires. After 26K miles of ok performance on highway and crap performance on dirt driveways (had to engage 4WD on wet leaves), I gave up and bought Cooper Discoverer AT3s.

Dramatic dirt traction improvement, as expected. But, the surprise was tracking on highway driving. With the Pirellis, I was constantly doing micro steering adjustments to a point where I stopped being aware of them. With the Coopers, my hands are pretty much rock solid on the wheel. It’s kinda creepy, in a good way.

 

[gilleydog]

Went with Falken Wildpeak HT 275x60x20 did have Michlein Defenders m/s heard Michlein uses used rubber in there newest tires

 

[Jeepwalker]

...I did the Firestone LE3 tires on mine. Quiet, stable, good traction in all conditions even a few inches of snow or algae covered boat ramps that I can hardly walk on without slipping.

That's another good suggestion. I had a set of Fireston Destination A/T's on a vehicle and they were among the smoothest tires I've had. Good winter tread. Made in USA as I recall. I called them on a day there was a home football game. I had been shopping around and new the local tire prices. The mgr told me they were going to be super slow due to the football game & gave me a heck of a deal over the phone, *if* I came in right away. I did, and they worked out great! I would have bought another set but they didn't have the size I needed at that time (for upgraded wheels).

 

[scru0314]

I just replaced my worn out Cooper Discover AT4s with Cooper Endeavor Plus's. I wanted a quiet ride. I got it with the Endeavors.

 

[mward7]

I’ve just spent over an hour trawling through the numerous tire threads here. I didn’t find a recent thread that addresses my needs so, yes, I’m starting yet another tire thread.

I drive 98% on paved roads, occasionally will go on dirt and/or gravel roads in rural settings to get to boat launches on lakes. I’m in Minnesota so I do see some deep snow and some icy conditions but it’s almost always in an urban setting, meaning it’s gonna be plowed within a day or two. Even with the stock Goodyear Wranglers that came on the truck I’ve never gotten stuck in snow, though I’m certain there must be better performing tires for snow/ice conditions.

I’m not looking for an all-terrain tire since I don’t go off road. I want a comfortable and quiet ride at freeway speeds. And even if I were after an all-terrain tire the most highly recommended AT tires on this forum--Falken Wildspeak, Cooper Discoverer AT3—do not come in the stock tire size of my truck, which are P275/60R20.

My priorities are:
Ride comfort
Ride quietness
Good traction in wet/snow/ice conditions
Decent treadwear, but doesn’t need to be excellent

When I do internet searches using these parameters the Michelin LTX Defenders show up a lot. I hesitate on the Defenders because I’m probably not going to have my Big Horn for more than 2-3 years, and I only drive about 7,000 miles a year. (Was less during Covid.) So I’m not too excited to lay out almost $300 per tire on something I’m only going to own for 25% of its rated life.

Maybe I’m overthinking this because I’m going to sell the truck in 3 years or so, but the Goodyears that came on the truck are needing replacement and they have only 29,000 miles on them. I’ll likely put on 20K-25K miles in the next 3 years so I need tires that will have good tread on them when I sell.

So what are your recommendations?

The Cooper Discoverer AT3 has been a great tire for my 2017 Ram 1500 Laramie 5.7L. Looks like I'll get about 55K miles out of them. Been on the truck for almost 4 years now. I'm very pleased with them.