New Tires

[DMurNF]

Hey All,

On my truck currently I have Hankook Dynapro AT2. 275/55R20. They were factory tires and have about 12,000 miles on them. I'm thinking of getting new tires same size but Falken Wildpeak A/T3W. I had them on my previous truck and loved them. With the deeper aggressive tread it drove better on my other truck and felt a bit more stable even when not towing. To me was just a better tire in general. Only reason I didn't transfer them over is I went from 18" rims to 20". My question is with the tire being the same size will my WD hitch and anti sway setup still work if all looks level when connected. And will the more aggressive thicker tire be better for towing? Wondering if the more stable feel would transfer to while I am towing. I'm not increasing any weight or looking to be able to tow more weight. Thank you!

 

[donn]

Aggressive tread patterns generally make for worse towing experiences. The tread can make towing squirlly as the tread pattern moves around.

 

[DMurNF]

Thanks for the reply. I'll do some research to find a good tire for towing. Who knows, maybe the ones I have on now will actually work the best.

 

[DMurNF]

Aggressive tread patterns generally make for worse towing experiences. The tread can make towing squirlly as the tread pattern moves around.

And that also does make sense. Maybe I was just thinking about it wrong. I was thinking since the Falken has an 800lb more weight capacity, and while I'm not towing more, the weight on the tongue wouldn't be as much of a stress as it is on the current tires. I guess what I'm trying to say is I was thinking a bulkier tire would feel more solid.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

My question is with the tire being the same size will my WD hitch and anti sway setup still work if all looks level when connected.

You should probably repeat the WD set-up adjustment process to be sure, but I would not expect any change due to tires alone. The WD affects the weight distribution on the axles and the tires carry that weight. If the distribution remains the same, the tire loading is also the same. That assumes the new tire can indeed carry the required load, of course.

 

[DMurNF]

You should probably repeat the WD set-up adjustment process to be sure, but I would not expect any change due to tires alone. The WD affects the weight distribution on the axles and the tires carry that weight. If the distribution remains the same, the tire loading is also the same. That assumes the new tire can indeed carry the required load, of course.

The new tire has an 800lb higher max capacity. I figured the bulkier tire with the higher load capacity would feel a little better. Like I mentioned I'm not looking to tow more weight. Even though the tread isn't super crazy aggressive, I was told the more tread can cause the tow experience to become squirrelly and I definitely don't want that because it tows fine now.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You claim the truck "drove better" with the aggressive tread. "Better" can mean a lot of things, but if it's "better" without the trailer, it should still be better with it. But [in my opinion] tread designed for enhanced off-road or mud & snow performance is rarely "better" on dry roads and normal driving. You gain in one area and lose in another. At the end of the day, only you have to be happy with the tradeoffs.

 

[DMurNF]

You claim the truck "drove better" with the aggressive tread. "Better" can mean a lot of things, but if it's "better" without the trailer, it should still be better with it. But [in my opinion] tread designed for enhanced off-road or mud & snow performance is rarely "better" on dry roads and normal driving. You gain in one area and lose in another. At the end of the day, only you have to be happy with the tradeoffs.

I agree. Thanks for the feedback. I think I was getting caught up in the extra 700-800 pound load capacity thinking it wouldn't stress the tires as much. And if that was the case as long as I wasn't going to mess up my tow experience I would entertain the switch. But I don't know if that line of thinking is accurate.

 

[WrkrBee]

Most people don't notice a handling difference, if replacing a tire with a comparable tire. They'll notice a noise difference. Even replacing a tire with the same new tire, it is quieter due to the thread thickness.

 

[Old_Crow]

I've been running the DynaPro ATMs on my Jeeps for years. I've recently been looking again, as my Jeep will need new shoes this summer. Apparently they have improved the design and changed the name slightly(AT2 now instead of ATM). Also now, for the new ones they're showing a 60k mile tread life warranty. They never had that before.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

An additional 800 lbs doesn't mean much if you already have decent surplus load capacity, but is probably valuable if the current model tire is barely sufficient. I don't like to see a tire running at 98% of its max load all the time, but 80%-85% wouldn't worry me.

 

[DMurNF]

An additional 800 lbs doesn't mean much if you already have decent surplus load capacity, but is probably valuable if the current model tire is barely sufficient. I don't like to see a tire running at 98% of its max load all the time, but 80%-85% wouldn't worry me.

There. You've said what I have been trying to. My tire is sufficient but barely and I want something rated a bit higher and able to run at a higher psi. Hence my thought to switch.