Big Tires

[mrfreakinwhite]

So, I work at Elias 4wd Center, and I have a couple two three years experience as a tire tech in a high end tire shop.

I sell tires, sure, and I don't get a commission. The shop is going to make around the same margin on any tire we sell, but, we recommend certain tires to people because we want them to be satisfied with their purchase.

A lot of people ask me what tires to get, and what to avoid.

For myself, I opted to get Toyo Open Country M/T tires, even though I was going to pay more, and here's why.

I was running Swamper LTBs, which were fantastic off road, but they were a buzzkill after a few years, several replacement tires and over 70k miles of street mileage. Previously, I was replacing tires just as often, while running BFG MT tires, but I was replacing them because of sidewall failures. I was wheeling with more and more people with the Toyo tires, and based on what I was seeing, I was second guessing the pros of running an extremely trail oriented tire. Short tire life, LOUD - like a B52 running me down, difficult to keep balanced (air soft BBs worked great, but what a mess if I had to service the tire).

I started work at Elias, and we're moving these Toyo tires like crazy, and I ended up on the tire machines. What I noticed was how easy these tires balanced out.
Based on my previous tire shop experience, I couldn't help but notice that these tires took less weight to balance than a lot of passenger car tire. You know, 18 lb tires in the P195/65R15 sized tires. How well a tire balances is the first indicator of quality.

Round is greater than oval.

Recently, I started photographing results on the balancer and posting them on facebook.
37x13.50R18 = 3-4 ounces.
37x13.50R17 = 2-4 ounces.

A friend of mine sent these pictures from his Jeep build, with Toyo tires we supplied him.
These are 40x13.50R17 tires, they weight 106 lbs each (not including the wheel).
These rims are used, five years old or more. Our customer is building his FSJ Pick Up to drive to Colorado and wheel it hard at his new job.

May I present to you, 4 oz of total weight to balance a tire with exceptional off road traction and perfect road manners.


Voila - I don't feel these tires have let me down, at all. Completely smooth and quiet on the highway, no traction compromise at all.

"Ya can't balance a mud tire anyway..." You can't balance an oval tire well.
"I want an AT tire because of road noise and I do a lot of highway driving." Consider a modern mud terrain radial, made in the US on non-leased tire mold machines.

I'm passionate about the road manners in my off road Jeep, as much as I am about off road manners. I'm so happy with these tires.

[Baseshakers]

let me 2nd the quality of Toyo M/Ts. I've had them on my rig for a number of years now, and anyone who has seen me wheel knows i don't baby it! my rig is also my daily driver, so i needed a tire that also handles well on road. one thing that has impressed me the most about these tires is the sidewall strength. with my previous tires i had numerous sidewall tears, sometimes 2 in a single run! since putting on the Toyos (and wheeling on even harder trails) i have yet to have a sidewall failure on the trail! impressive tires all the way around.

[Frank]

Ryan : Let me correct you if I may . Two side walls in a 100 yards if I remember correctly . Ad you forgot to mention the 4 foot of air at RMTP ! Id say you guys are on the right track with this tire. I run D.C. Crusher 35s with home made beadlocks , no weight at all and granted I dont exceed 60 or so on the highway , they roll absolutely true and (fairly) quiet. My only other tire has been S.S. TSL radials , That I keep sayin I could have made that with my swampers, but like you said. I never turned on the radio while moving , and the wheel weight was almost around the rim on some of them. The cost of the Toyo tire was the deciding factor for me. FjR68

[Kerri]

I just bought Toyo tires, I love them. My girl is my daily ride so I needed fun mixed with practical.

[Frank]

My girls name is "Mona" Cant wait to show her off ! FjR68

[mrfreakinwhite]

My previous Cherokee came with a name when I bought. And her name was Lucy.
Lucy lives on in a member's relative's Cherokee, with her engine.
In fact, she was almost totally recycled into other Jeeps. All I scrapped was the stripped carcass.

My Lucy was a demon, and I felt the need to scatter the parts far enough so she could not become a Golem and get me while I slept.