Let's talk tires..

I contemplated Toyo M-55's for replacements for my KM2's on the Land Cruiser. From all accounts, a solid commercial A/T tire and available in my current and rare 255/85/16 sizing. They even have an understated classic look fitting for the vehicle. But... the price was eye-watering and finding retailer for them didn't inspire ease of replacement.
 
I contemplated Toyo M-55's for replacements for my KM2's on the Land Cruiser. From all accounts, a solid commercial A/T tire and available in my current and rare 255/85/16 sizing. They even have an understated classic look fitting for the vehicle. But... the price was eye-watering and finding retailer for them didn't inspire ease of replacement.
That would be an excellent replacement. A friend has had those on his heavily modified FLQ9J80 (GM 6L) for years and swears by them for on and off-road trips. He does use them too; on the beach and out West in the desert and mountain terrain I'm anxious to visit again. Sourcing is difficult though - he's had to get them from out West where they are much more popular.
 
The Hankook ATM product line have a tread cap in the internal design, which is another layer of material laid perpendicular to the casing's layered pattern. It can happen, but I've never seen a well produced tire with a tread cap have a delamination event (tread separation). My current choice that I run on my van(s) are the Hankook ATMs load range E.
 
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The Hancock ATM product line have a tread cap in the internal design, which is another layer of material laid perpendicular to the casing's layered pattern. It can happen, but I've never seen a well produced tire with a tread cap have a delamination event (tread separation). My current choice that I run on my van(s) are the Hancook ATMs load range E.
Do you mean Hankook? I haven't heard good experiences with them other than price point.

https://www.hankooktire.com/us/
 
Do you mean Hankook? I haven't heard good experiences with them other than price point.

https://www.hankooktire.com/us/

About this time last year I had to put three sets of tires on three different vehicles all in the same month. Price point became important as my go to brand, Cooper, has taken themselves seriously and really hiked up the price point of their tires. Quite frankly buying the tires I wanted was too much to invest in a single month, so until I could space out future tire purchases some "settling" had to be done.

The Tacoma ended up with a set of Hankook ATM 3s as it is more the daily driver/extended travel ride. They got about 15,000 on them now. The tires were very round from the get go and didn't need very little weight to balance. The tread is wearing very well, great traction in the snow and ice, good grip on gravel and fields, adequate in the more sloppy stuff and they handle the lighter loads of a small truck fine. They'll do and Id buy them again.

The FJ got a set of Falken Wildpeak ATs. My buddy with the tire shop had just become a dealer and had 40 sets of promotional tires so I got them relatively cheap ($120 or so I think). I was dubious as they were a Goodyear offshoot before going on their own and I've never had a Goodyear tire that was worth a crap. But hey, they're made a couple hours up the Lake from me so what the hell.

The tires all took various amounts of weight to balance, the one was real bad and we had to swap it out but the replacement still took more weight than it should to balance. The ride quality is fine and they work good in light snow. They are sniped enough to be decent on ice. But in deep snow or slush covered roads they want to wander into existing ruts instead of cutting their own path. This is also true in light to heavy mud. It takes a lot of steering input to keep them pointed where you want them to go. They don't do so well in wet fields or shale. They also seem to skirt around on gravel while flinging it back on the flanks of the vehicle. They are wearing fast, I doubt I'll get over 35,000 miles on them despite being rotated every 4,500 miles. But hey they have big side biters so that's cool. I won't own another set. Next tires on the FJ will be the tires I want instead of "settling".

The third set is some off brand from Cooper I put on Cam's FJ. It's a college ride it just needs tires that are round, do good on the road and hold air. Those Trail Cutters do that so their good enough. If he wants something beefier or cooler he can buy them himself lol.
 
Just picked up the truck with the Toyo's. Night and day difference in ride, better than hoped. I can even hear the engine when traveling at speed (I had to slow down because I thought something was wrong... lol). Time will tell of course but I am impressed with the on road ride and I had no tire slippage going up the steep section of the trail that masquerades as my driveway.

In a way I hate them. They are reasonable, quiet on the road, not aggressive at all, stock size... damn. I am getting old... and boring at that.
 
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