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Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 12:37 am
by IcedTeasley
I'm posting this because these are VERY new tires and there isn't enough feedback out there for people to make an informed decision about them. I have 265/75 R16s on my '06 Pathfinder. Goodyear says they have a 31.7" outer diameter. That's not true at all. They fit my pathfinder just fine and sit at 31" under vehicle weight at correct pressure. They required no fender trimming at all despite their deep tread. If you are using regular A/T tire that are a close fit, these may cause rubbing because of their extremely deep tread. Here is my driving experience so far. They are really quiet on the highway; equivalents of BFG T/A KOs and their competitors. Due to the widely spaced shoulder knobs, you get some extra noise under moderate to hard cornering. They shed mud very well for an A/T tire. Give them a spin and they're mostly clean. If you let out the PSI, they do fairly well on the typical sand-on-dry-rocks conditions common to many Colorado OHV trails. For everything else they perform like champs. Bottom line: these are way more aggressive than most A/T tires on the road and they make only a little more noise. These are a great choice for Pathfinder owners looking to get dirty. Since the Pathfinder has limited suspension articulation, good off-road rubber is really important. These tires are civilized enough to use every day and more than excellent for any terrain your Pathfinder can handle. The only real question left to answer is how well they will wear over time. If anyone else in the world is using these tires, let me know about your experience. I'd like to find out if they are wearing well for the few high-milage drivers who already have them.

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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 2:19 pm
by Captain
Thanks for the write up, I'm looking at them as well before this winter. If you can please keep us updated on these new Goodyear tires. As well as some new pics(muddy pics please).

Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:17 pm
by IcedTeasley
UPDATE:

After 2000 miles I'm still ridiculously happy with these tires. I haven't had them off-road much lately (sad, I know), but their on-road performance is still great. Usually the super soft top tread has worn off most A/T tires by this point (that's why your BrandX A/Ts are suddenly louder than they were when you bought them). So far, so good. I'm taking a drive from Denver out to SLC and Park City, Utah on Friday. I'll report more after the trip.

Sorry, Caveman. No muddy pics yet. My neck O' the woods has been pretty dry lately. Just wait until the snow falls. All my trails will get sloppy soon enough. I can't wait.

Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:24 pm
by fat_frog
Has it rained in your area? How do those tires perform on wet pavement? (I'm more worried about being able to stop than start moving as I just recently found out a hard way that stock BFG Radial Long Trail T/A tires do not have a good grip to stop on wet pavement...)

Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:49 pm
by IcedTeasley
These tires won't compare to the BFG Long Trail for wet pavement traction. I live in Colorado and don't see much rain. Unless your concerns are about deep, standing water, you are better off with a more conservative A/T tire. The Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs are designed for trucks that spend a lot of time off-road but still need to be civil on-road. Unless you are into dirt, rocks, mud, and still need to drive to work, shopping, etc... you might want to find a tire along the lines of a Yokohama Geolander A/T-S, Pirelli Scorpion ATR or a Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor. They are more aggressive than the tires you have now and feature better water clearing tread. Hope that helps.

See Tire Rack's A/T tire comparison page...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyres ... ?type=ORAT

Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs: UPDATE

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:52 am
by IcedTeasley
After a 1400 mile round trip to Park City Utah from Littleton Colorado, I can report that these are the most civilized off-road worthy shoes money can buy. They sing at 80mph+ however, they still maintain a smooth ride with less noise than competitors (yeah... even the venerable BFG T/A KOs). With over 3500 miles on these tires, I can still say that these are the best All Terrain tires money can buy. They continue to impress me.

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:18 am
by Captain
Thanks for the updates. I'm still going to go with the Goodyears.

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:10 pm
by IcedTeasley
Denver just finished getting pounded by an awesome fall snow storm. I live about as close as you can live to the mountains without being IN them. It snowed for almost 48 hours straight. Total accumulation is around two feet of snow where I live. Sweeeeeet!

Now I can officially say that these may be the best winter tires I've ever used. I've had the privilege to drive trucks and SUVs in winter conditions equipped with a few competing tires. The list includes:

1. 2004 Dodge Durango SLT w/ Nitto Terra Grapplers
2. 2002 Toyota 4Runner Limited w/ BFG T/A KOs
3. 2005 Toyota 4Runner V8 Limited w/ Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 2s
4. 1999 Jeep Cherokee w/ Goodyear Wrangler MTs
5. 2007 Dodge Dakota w/ Pro Comp Xtreme All Terrains
6. Chevy Silverado 2500 w/ General Grabber ATs


None of these tires perform as well on snow and ice as the Duratracs do. I even went looking for deep snow drifts on unplowed side roads and vacant dirt lots. Nothing seemed to stop them. I'm elated with their performance. So long as they wear well, I'll buy them again and again.

4000 miles and I'm still very happy.

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:08 am
by guinnessjim
cool....be interested to hear how they wear

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:11 pm
by Captain
Picking up mine some time this week. Can wait. going with 265-70 17 going up to match the stock OR PF.

Just got the DuraTracs

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 12:32 pm
by todoh2o
Just got these installed last weekend, and still too early to report back in detail. However, here are my first impressions: they hum a bit, but not too bad. Because there's less tire on the ground than with the stock, softer 245/65 R17s, the steering is a bit more sensitive, and they pull harder if you hit a parallel road rut on the freeway. Haven't had them offroad yet, but I'm heading to Tahoe after Christmas and will find some soft stuff to try them out.

But the real reason for my post: I have two problems:
1. The DuraTracs are 245/70, and they rub on the inside wheel well in a hard turn. I haven't investigated yet what it will take to open up the wheel well a bit, but I was wondering if anyone who has installed larger tires on a stock '03 or similar Pathfinder has any advice for me.

2. The spare no longer fits under the cargo area (it rubs on the hitch, which is fine, and I think on the sway bar, which is not fine). Roof-mount is not an option. Does anyone know of a rear bumper replacement or wing-out tailgate mount that would work for an '03 Path?

didnt think they would fit

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:32 am
by stmack2007
hey iced nice tires...im looking a new shoes to replace the bf goodrich ta i have now....i was looking at these tires...stock is 265 70 16..the tire shop didnt recommend going with the 265 75 16....he didnt give a good reason...so now im still on the hunt....have you had any clearence or rubbing issues...is the gas mileage any different..thanks for any info

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:28 pm
by IcedTeasley
I've had ZERO problems with the 265/75 R16s. I highly recommend that size to all R51 owners. Your mileage should be on par with your BFGs. These are the best all around tires you could own.

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 12:11 am
by IcedTeasley
9000 miles in and I've only lost 1/64th of an inch of tread depth. These tires wear like iron. I'm still happy with them and will buy them again if they ever wear out.

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:53 am
by guinnessjim
thanks for the updates, man....i do like the look of them, good to hear they seem bomber