Which Tyres To Buy?

[alien365]

Hi Guys. 

I currently have Goodyear Wrangler highway tyres (255/65R18), but I'd really like some all terrains (For the sidewall protection and to look good). Does anyone use AT, not MT, that are relatively quiet and good in the wet? I don't want any tyre smaller than mine (like the 265/60R18) as I'd like the height for the wet season, but at the same time I don't want to lift the truck, nor buy new rims. I'm thinking Giti AT71, Toyo AT3, Falken Wildpeak AT4W, potentially in 265/70R18. Does anyone have experience with any of these who's willing to provide some feedback?

[pgrahmm]

I have Maxxis fitted on my SUV....They have worked & worn well.....They give a good ride and grip.....

You might want to check that brand out....

I had Yokohama Geolanders & they did ok, but seemed to wear quickly.....

I always had success in the states with Michelin, however, the Michelin store I tried (only one around) couldn't be bothered selling 5 tires & 5 Lenso wheels, so, I bought elsewhere....They lost 3 vehicles worth of sales.....

[Rampant Rabbit]

you can get new tyres removed from brand  new  pick ups really cheap many Thais dont want oem wheels and tyres so bin them immediatley. I got some brand new still with stickers on 255/ 65/18s  goodyear wrangler territory tyres for 8000baht set of 4 not each whereas new  bridgestones were 20k+ a  set

Just  look on facebook marketplace for the tyre type you want example  here off  farcebook ( i know theyre not the ones you want but type into fb search

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/8935308476520783/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ab25da7af-17d9-465b-b40d-0ac5237b70a7

[Ben Zioner]

Michelin of course, Nokia possibly. Avoid Goodyear like the pest, they don't give a soft ride, and won't last either

[alien365]

19 minutes ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

you can get new tyres removed from brand  new  pick ups really cheap many Thais dont want oem wheels and tyres so bin them immediatley. I got some brand new still with stickers on 255/ 65/18s  goodyear wrangler territory tyres for 8000baht set of 4 not each whereas new  bridgestones were 20k+ a  set

Just  look on facebook marketplace for the tyre type you want example  here off  farcebook ( i know theyre not the ones you want but type into fb search

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/8935308476520783/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ab25da7af-17d9-465b-b40d-0ac5237b70a7

I think these wranglers are decent for day to day use, so I could always just go with the OEM tyres again. Can you recall how much it costs to put the wheels on the rims and balance them if you buy them this way?

[alien365]

1 hour ago, Ben Zioner said:

Michelin of course, Nokia possibly. Avoid Goodyear like the pest, they don't give a soft ride, and won't last either

I don't see any Michelin A/Ts with a rugged sidewall. This is something I'd like for when I drive out into the plantations. 

 

Regarding the Goodyear tyres, I find mine were soft for a couple of years, likely due to the sidewall height, but as they are aging,they are getting harder now.

[Ralf001]

I run Falkens wildpeaks on the work Ranger... They go good.

[G Rex]

I recently replaced my origunal spec GoodYear Wranglers on my Ranger. They were okay as road tyres, but not great grip, and 'chirping' every time i did a U-turn, or even when I turned a corner!   I put a pair of Maxxis on the front a few months ago, because one of the original GoodYears developed a bulge on the side wall (after 12,000Ks). These were cheap, and had even less grip than the GoodYears!.

In work mode back in Australia, I always ran either Coopers or BFG.  I eventually stopped Coopers because I was getting too many punctures.

I bit the bullet here, and put a set of BFG AT ko3 265/65/18 s on.  It was the best move I have made for a long time!  They are quiet , have good grip - on and off road - and they look great on the car too.  Those raised white letters are good for at least another 25 horsepower - lol.    Not cheap, at 34k for 4 - but totally worth it for safety and peace of mind.

 

if you want some slightly used Maxxis - they are slowly rotting behind my shed!

[alien365]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

I run Falkens wildpeaks on the work Ranger... They go good.

How's the noise? How slippery are they when it rains?

[alien365]

1 hour ago, G Rex said:

I recently replaced my origunal spec GoodYear Wranglers on my Ranger. They were okay as road tyres, but not great grip, and 'chirping' every time i did a U-turn, or even when I turned a corner!   I put a pair of Maxxis on the front a few months ago, because one of the original GoodYears developed a bulge on the side wall (after 12,000Ks). These were cheap, and had even less grip than the GoodYears!.

In work mode back in Australia, I always ran either Coopers or BFG.  I eventually stopped Coopers because I was getting too many punctures.

I bit the bullet here, and put a set of BFG AT ko3 265/65/18 s on.  It was the best move I have made for a long time!  They are quiet , have good grip - on and off road - and they look great on the car too.  Those raised white letters are good for at least another 25 horsepower - lol.    Not cheap, at 34k for 4 - but totally worth it for safety and peace of mind.

 

if you want some slightly used Maxxis - they are slowly rotting behind my shed!

Part of the main tread broke away on one of mine after a similar period. I know exactly what you mean by that U-turn chirp. I found raising the pressures gets rid of it, but I'd rather not do that unless I'm carrying a load.

I always thought Maxis were a bad tyre and your experience adds more weight to this. The KO3s look great! It's good to hear that they handle well, but I'm a bit surprised as I thought they were mud tyres with no grooves to prevent aquaplaning.

[Ralf001]

49 minutes ago, alien365 said:

How's the noise? How slippery are they when it rains?

 

No noise good grip wet and dry.

 

[G Rex]

30 minutes ago, alien365 said:

The KO3s look great! It's good to hear that they handle well, but I'm a bit surprised as I thought they were mud tyres with no grooves to prevent aquaplaning.

 

The KO3 T/As are not as aggressive or Off Road spec as the Mud Terrain T/A  KM3s - the Mud Terrain are much noisier on road.

In my experience, another benefit of the BFGs is that I can easily get 50K ks from a set, whereas i struggle to get 30K from 'cheaper' tyres. (Disclaimer - I am VERY hard on my tyres!! Corners were made to enjoy!). The only issue is that they can feel 'hard' for the last 10,000 ks.

[alien365]

14 minutes ago, G Rex said:

 

In my experience, another benefit of the BFGs is that I can easily get 50K ks from a set, whereas i struggle to get 30K from 'cheaper' tyres. (Disclaimer - I am VERY hard on my tyres!! Corners were made to enjoy!). The only issue is that they can feel 'hard' for the last 10,000 ks.

Good to know. I've only done 45k on my Goodyear's so far, but I see some slight bulging on a sidewall and the rubber is starting to crack. I don't understand why when I mostly park in the shade or an underground carpark. I felt like they were decent for the first 30k and then they dropped off. As the KO3 are expensive, I'll have to have a think about it and check my finances after an upcoming holiday.

[alien365]

On 4/8/2025 at 12:57 PM, G Rex said:

 (Disclaimer - I am VERY hard on my tyres!! Corners were made to enjoy!). 

Do you know if they are good at high speeds in a straight line? When there's no houses, schools or other cars on straight roads, I like to make hay while the sun is shining on long runs.

[G Rex]

8 hours ago, alien365 said:

Do you know if they are good at high speeds in a straight line? When there's no houses, schools or other cars on straight roads, I like to make hay while the sun is shining on long runs.

 

Yes - they are fine in a straight line. Not noisy, and quite a comfortable ride.  Just make sure your front wheel alignment is correct.

I tend to wear my tyres out more quickly than average because I like to corner quickly. I always wear the outer shoulders of my tyres (on all tyres- irrespective of price level) more quickly.

Sometimes you just can’t take the idiot boy-racer out of the man….

[alien365]

13 hours ago, G Rex said:

 

Yes - they are fine in a straight line. Not noisy, and quite a comfortable ride.  Just make sure your front wheel alignment is correct.

I tend to wear my tyres out more quickly than average because I like to corner quickly. I always wear the outer shoulders of my tyres (on all tyres- irrespective of price level) more quickly.

Sometimes you just can’t take the idiot boy-racer out of the man….

I'm surprised you haven't put some r20s on with a stiffer sidewall. As mine is an auto, I don't find the cornering as satisfying as a manual. At the same time I'm surprised how much grip the Ranger has. Before I bought one I heard trucks were death traps. In reality, the cornering is great and it's cruising speed is beyond the legal speed limit.

[G Rex]

1 hour ago, alien365 said:

I'm surprised you haven't put some r20s on with a stiffer sidewall. As mine is an auto, I don't find the cornering as satisfying as a manual. At the same time I'm surprised how much grip the Ranger has. Before I bought one I heard trucks were death traps. In reality, the cornering is great and it's cruising speed is beyond the legal speed limit.

 

R20s will just give you a firmer , and probably noisier ride.  i am over that <deleted>!! Lol

my previous Ranger was a 2020 Raptor, and I went crazy customizing it. Big front and rear bars, custom lights and super wide 21s all around.  Why did I do it?  Because I could!  In Australia, you can do very little in the way of modifications.

it looked great. Would i do it again?  No.    The ride quality and noise from the wide tyres was horrendous!

[pj123]

On 4/8/2025 at 10:39 AM, Ralf001 said:

I run Falkens wildpeaks on the work Ranger... They go good.

Are they available in Thailand?

[LOG54]

Hello

I have some bad experience with Honda.. 2 times already (as they regularly maintain my car) they told me to change the tyres which were still in good shape.

I changed them as it was finally necessary (I always change them as soon as they become in semi good shape)..

They fixed Dunlop now 2 and a half years ago and I have made only 25.000 Kms.. they are in good shape but Honda says to change them.. When asked why ? Their answer is .. tyres above 2 years must be changed..

Never heard anything like that.. normally I think reasonable even with low mileage to check the tyres when they reach 5 years.. or after 40 to 50.000 Kms..

Has anybody been told also that 2 years tyres must be changed ? I imagine it is just a "commercial" policy without any technical basis..

Thanks for feedback

[NickyLouie]

13 minutes ago, LOG54 said:

 

Has anybody been told also that 2 years tyres must be changed ?

 

Yes, tires dry rot in this heat and do have a lifespan of when they are safe to use, remember tires are your main safety point of contact between you and the road. 

 

Also you can research the manufacture dates which are stamped along the sidewall of each tire.

 

 

[LOG54]

I am very concerned about safety and tyres.. however I don't see any reason to change tyres after 2 years if they are in good shape, not dry and run only 25.000 Kms.. Honda doesn't even have a look at the tyres.. just the guy in front of his computer saw when I went for maintenance (do it as normal every 10.000 Kms) that the tyres had more than 2 years and said to change them.

By the way they also assured me after checking the car that the battery had to be changed.. when I had fixed a new battery 2 months before (but not in Honda).

Went back to the garage where I had the new battery fixed.. he checked in front of me and showed me the battery was perfect.. he said "Honda needs money" and laughed

This was changed last August and Honda info in October.. not a single battery problem till date..so.. I trust them for regular checks but I feel they have a tendency to push you in unnecessary expenses

Good night

[alien365]

35 minutes ago, LOG54 said:

I am very concerned about safety and tyres.. however I don't see any reason to change tyres after 2 years if they are in good shape, not dry and run only 25.000 Kms.. Honda doesn't even have a look at the tyres.. just the guy in front of his computer saw when I went for maintenance (do it as normal every 10.000 Kms) that the tyres had more than 2 years and said to change them.

By the way they also assured me after checking the car that the battery had to be changed.. when I had fixed a new battery 2 months before (but not in Honda).

Went back to the garage where I had the new battery fixed.. he checked in front of me and showed me the battery was perfect.. he said "Honda needs money" and laughed

This was changed last August and Honda info in October.. not a single battery problem till date..so.. I trust them for regular checks but I feel they have a tendency to push you in unnecessary expenses

Good night

Changing every two years sounds a joke to me, especially for a normal car. If you see cracking on the sidewalls or notice a drop in performance then change them. Otherwise , they're likely taking you for a ridem. Regarding the battery, Honda were always telling me to change mine with my old car, what felt like every time that the battery went out of the one year warranty. I did the first time, but after that I went on how easy it was to start up. Psychologically, if they tell you it needs changing youre more likely to be concerned about it. I've not changed the battery on my ranger yet, and I won't change the battery until the truck itself tells me it's conserving battery (deep sleep mode or doesn't let me start it through the app)

[LOG54]

Thank you.. the only explanation I have is greed.. they want to sell new tyres..

For batteries however I feel their duration is quite short here.. 2/3 years and gone.

For the tyres car has 128.000 Kms and I have already changed the tyres 3 times..last time in August 2022.. make approximately 10.000 Kms per year, partly town or highway and don't use continuously using brakes.. drive at around 89/90 except on highways at 130.. so tyres are not ruined at all.. pretty sure that they still can run 20.000 Kms minimum

Have a good day

[LOG54]

Just now, LOG54 said:

Thank you.. the only explanation I have is greed.. they want to sell new tyres..

For batteries however I feel their duration is quite short here.. 2/3 years and gone.

For the tyres car has 128.000 Kms and I have already changed the tyres 3 times..last time in August 2022.. make approximately 10.000 Kms per year, partly town or highway and ambulance not continuously using brakes.. drive at around 85/90 except on highways at 130.. so tyres are not ruined at all.. pretty sure that they still can run 20.000 Kms minimum

Have a good day

 

[Yellowtail]

As long as the tires look okay and have decent tread, they are okay for ten years or more. 

[LOG54]

Thank you very much