I have a set of the 275/70/18 on my 08 ford half ton. Ive had them on for about a year, got about 10k miles on them now. They still look literally like they are brand new. I have nothing but praise for them, great traction, barely louder than the stock tires that were on there. They are definately heavier though, cuz my mpgs took a little hit. But I dont mind, I hate doing the tire switch thing in the fall and winter, so I decided on these and just run them all year. About half of it is towing (19 foot boat, two place trailer, or a sled deck, so nothing as heavy as a 4 place inclosed) never had any trace of the sway thing, though I dont think the 18's have issues with that. I will definately consider another set when the time comes.
Goodyear Duratrac
- Thread starter rxc8154
- Start date
E
EZmoney
Well-known member
I ordered the same size last week and am very glad to read your post. All the reports of poor handling were getting me nervous especially having a sled deck and high centre of gravity. I dont have a big trailer of any sort just a 21 foot jet boat. So i hope i have a positive experience as well..
275/65 R20 Load Range E on F-350 with no problems.
F350 long / crew: running empty, with open trailer, and with 26' loaded enclosed. Run OEM tire size. Excellent all conditions including loaded, passing in windy crosswinds (including I-90 past Livingstone, MT, for those who know those winds!) , snow covered forest service roads (barely visible trails) -no problems. Will buy again. I run them only in winter.
Seems like a lot of these issues are from guys running 8ply tires when they should be running 10ply. I have a set of 235/85R16 on my Dodge 3500 dually and noticed a bit more tread squirm than the almost bald tires I took off but no sidewall issues. They are fine with the truck empty, loaded with deck and two sleds, or towing 10k.
285/70-17 Studded Duratrac's on a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Gasser. They are only offered in "D" load rating in this size. About 1500 miles on them so far.
First impression, Noticeably soft sidewall. If I change lanes moderately aggresive above 40 mph the whole truck sways. I aired them up over the recommended pressure on the sidewall. This helped some but it is still noticeable. I do not consider this a good thing and wonder if the center of the tire will wear faster going this route.
On the plus side I find myself driving less aggressively and the ride is smoother.
Noise, quieter than I thought. Hums down the road above 45mph.
I would not consider them loud at all and that's with studs.
Rolling resistance, They are very grippy and don't roll as freely as all terrains I have owned. Lost about 1-2mpg over some bald A/T's
And Lastly...
TRACTION, I literally just road tripped over Kenosha, Hoosier, and Loveland passes in a snowstorm. Zero weight in the back. Roads were snowcovered and icy. Deepest snow on the road was about 3-4" deep. I engaged my 4wd to pass people, these tires work VERY well under these conditions. Best traction I have ever had in a tire. I also went blasting through a few 2-3' drifts up a steep gravel road because well, that's fun too
The studs helped me to completely stop on my icy 15% driveway.
They work very well.
So IMO,
Winter Traction=Excellent.
Noise= Good
Sidewalls= Medium to Poor on the Highway, Great for off road at lower speeds.
I agree with this analysis 100%
I got these tires in a 275/65R20 load range E.
Pulling a 4 place enclosed (fully loaded with sleds, extra fuel, gear) you can really feel the soft sidewall on lane changes and corners and that's in a load range E tire. Once you feel it you can change driving habits to work around it, but its kind of scary the first time. With just two sleds on the deck I don't notice the sidewall sway at all.
Traction in winter snow and ice is awesome.
Wear is minimal, ive got 30k on them now and will probably get another 25k out of them. Cant complain about that one bit. I run mine at 60 psi front and rear.
Overall i give the tire 4.5 stars out of 5 and will purchase them again.
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I'll chime in. 325/60/20 on 08 F250. I've used these for 2 winter seasons. I've beat the unowut out of them. Towing up to 10k on icy unplowed highways, pulling snowmobiles on iced over mud rutted dirt roads, slick ice going to the snow park where sand is NOT used, rain and standing water on the freeway. The tires have worked well for me. I have not experienced the sway. In all conditions they are the best tire I have ran except for warm weather. I lost more tread in April than I did all winter. They do have a soft compound, so, they are a winter tire for me. I'm debating on running these again this season or getting some credit on them and buying new.
J
Jaynelson
Well-known member
Although this site has a hard-on for these things....they are not the only tire on the market. There are other A/T tires with similar capabilities (many with longer proven history) that don't have the sidewall complaints. BFG A/T's, General Grabbers, and Toyo A/T's come to mind, and there are others. The Duratrac's are studdable....but if you don't intend to stud, they don't have any miracles that make them any better in the winter than any other A/T. And, again, won't have the handling issues.
Off the top of my head, it should also be easier to find an E-rated size in BFG's or Toyos (and likely others). I wouldn't want a D range on a 1-ton that I intend to pull and/or travel offroad with regardless of the tire. If you are worried about sway, E range tires are a no brainer. I run them on my 1/2 ton just because.
Off the top of my head, it should also be easier to find an E-rated size in BFG's or Toyos (and likely others). I wouldn't want a D range on a 1-ton that I intend to pull and/or travel offroad with regardless of the tire. If you are worried about sway, E range tires are a no brainer. I run them on my 1/2 ton just because.
Wholly agreed, although I've not had handling issues, necessarily.
THE reason I got them over BFGs (which I've had great luck with) is "studdable." That's the ONLY reason.
RH
I have just recently put these on my Duramx, 285/75-16 studded on a 8 in rim. Pressured up to 60psi. Just came back from the first sled trip of the year packing two sleds on the deck, there is a little sway to them but I am also comparing them to my summers which are 20 in rims ( so no tire sway at all ) But I never felt out of control. I fell they are better for a Winter tire than the BFG AT-studded that I have ran in the past, but also not as good as a Set of Nokian Hakapalitas that I had at one point, but the Nokians were only 5 Ply and very soft. The Duratrac's do have the snow flake symbol, so depending where you live this may be mandatory for winter. Other comparable tires do not have the winter symbol. All in all I would recommend them and I would buy them again.
J
Jaynelson
Well-known member
I know the BFG's and the Generals have the snowflake in most sizes just to clarify.
I will say this for anyone actually using the tires for what they are designed for and looking for real world experience. The Toyo A/T isn't even close to the GY tire when comparing traction. I've had them on 2 different trucks-a Ranger and an F250. Those tires were horrible for me on both vehicles. They probably are alright for rolling down dry highways only though. It's not an apple to apples on my opinion. You could be right about the bfg's though, I haven't used those.
I have had 3 sets of BFG A/T's on this truck and my previous truck and i really liked them as an all terrain tire. They did a good job in everything. I went with the duratracs this last time cause i had heard good things. They may have a little more sway or wiggle to them but not bad in any way. But there is no dought they are a better tire in the snow than any of the BFG's ive had!!! I am not sure on this but when everyone says the sidewall isn't stiff enough i think they are confussing that with the tread blocks being soft and flexing.... Im pretty sure the wiggling or swaying is from those big soft tread blocks with all the sipping in them moving not the sidewall flexing... Just my take.
Just put non-studded E rated 265-75-16's with 8" wheel on my 98 Dodge 2500 about 1000 miles ago. I havent hauled my sleds on the deck yet but have towed my 8500 lb. tractor & trailer combo with them with no ill felt effects. Traction in snow and ice has been good. I was worried about all the negative reviews I read too, heck even my dealer buddy tried to talk me into somthing different, but I stuck to my guns and went with the Duratracs. So far I'm happy and hope they treat me good.
I was using Mickey Thompson MTZ's and they sucked compared to the Goodyears IMO.
I was using Mickey Thompson MTZ's and they sucked compared to the Goodyears IMO.
Goodyear Duratrac Update
Ok i've had the goodyear duratracs 265-70-17 E load on my truck 2006 cummings Ram 3500 now for 5 days and so far so good. I took my 4 place trailer (4500 lbs) for a 50 mile drive and had the truck up to 70 miles and hour. And so far I have not experienced any of the swaying as everyone talks about. I made sure my tire pressure is up to max of 80 lbs. As for the noise rolling down the road is no worse than the Goodyear Silent Armor i just replaced. So now my next plan is to hookup my toyhauler with all the bikes loaded (10,000 lbs) for a test drive. Let you guys know later how that goes.
Ok i've had the goodyear duratracs 265-70-17 E load on my truck 2006 cummings Ram 3500 now for 5 days and so far so good. I took my 4 place trailer (4500 lbs) for a 50 mile drive and had the truck up to 70 miles and hour. And so far I have not experienced any of the swaying as everyone talks about. I made sure my tire pressure is up to max of 80 lbs. As for the noise rolling down the road is no worse than the Goodyear Silent Armor i just replaced. So now my next plan is to hookup my toyhauler with all the bikes loaded (10,000 lbs) for a test drive. Let you guys know later how that goes.
J
Jaynelson
Well-known member
That is great to hear a more direct comparison between the 2. I have also owned 4 sets of BFG A/T's on 4 different trucks over the years with great luck. Almost all of my friends have a set as well, and I have sold many many sets all with good reviews. We get lots of snow, and have no shortage of bad roads on the sides of cliffs here as well.
If the Duratracs perform as well, or better....I would definetly give them a go. That said, I would also buy more BFG's without thinking twice as they work great and always have.
I have run BFG A/T's for years and have been quite happy with them in all conditions as well as longevity.
I got the Dura's just for something different. I studded my 315/70/17's on my 08 F150 SCREW long. I only have about 1500 miles on them so i cannot comment on wear. However, I have noticed no detriment to performance. But then again, I am obviously a better driver than the rest of you
Towing they feel great underneath me. I have really only hauled a 6x10 by 5 1/2'tall trailer filled with 25" to 30" rounds (decent weight). They performed great on muddy forest roads, over slick baby heads with pointy rock mixed in and snowy roads with the trailer
They are also phenominal with the truck empty on snowy roads, hills and highways.
I like my dura's but will not run them year round as I would with my BFG A/T's
I got the Dura's just for something different. I studded my 315/70/17's on my 08 F150 SCREW long. I only have about 1500 miles on them so i cannot comment on wear. However, I have noticed no detriment to performance. But then again, I am obviously a better driver than the rest of you
Towing they feel great underneath me. I have really only hauled a 6x10 by 5 1/2'tall trailer filled with 25" to 30" rounds (decent weight). They performed great on muddy forest roads, over slick baby heads with pointy rock mixed in and snowy roads with the trailer
They are also phenominal with the truck empty on snowy roads, hills and highways.
I like my dura's but will not run them year round as I would with my BFG A/T's
