What tires not to buy for Heavy Duty Trucks!!!

[Gray 5.9]

It's been a long time since Iv'e posted on here. I just recently bought a set of nitto terra grappler 285/75-17s to replace my Bfg 315/70-17s, and what a mistake it was#@$%!. It was like I just had P rated car tires put on my truck, man let me tell ya, it wanders so bad that if i didn't know my truck i think i would have crashed by now, and thats without towing at speeds of 40 mph and up, I don't even want to think about towing. Before, I had looked at what everyone else was running out there and went by the the good reviews that everyones been giving about the nittos , so i went for them. They may be ok on a Half ton pickup, but not for Heavy Duty trucks with the Cummins or any other. Oh and by the way, just so that you all know I have had all new front end parts for an '08 model,along with a BD adjustable track bar, MAXX sway bar links, and Bilsein shocks and stabilizer. I'm going back to my BFGs, got over 50,000 miles out of the last two sets each without any swaying or any kind of major problems. Guys and GALES... . BEWARE OF 2 PLY SIDEWALLS w/10 ply RATINGS.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Sorry to hear about this. Any chance you can return them and trade for something else.
FWIW, I don't think there a problem with 10ply rated 2 plys as a rule. The stock Michilins are made that way and haul/tow fine.

 

[HBarlow]

I think some select tires based on size and appearance not tire quality, towing and hauling capability, and service life.

MChrist recently posted a thread with objective tire ratings.

 

[MChrist]

Gray 5. 9, I run 285/70/17 Nitto DURA Grapplers, and they are extremely solid, competent tires on my truck. My truck came with the same tires you had (BFG 315/70/17) and actually, they were fine for towing as well. Switching to the Nittos was a step up in riding hard. I actually run about 55/50 psi and 60/60 psi if towing more than a few hours. My tires feel like solid forklift tires, even at lower psi!! I've never even thought about going to 80 psi...

I've heard mixed reviews on the Nitto TERRA Grapplers, mostly that they wear out around 25,000 miles.

Actually, now that I think about it, my new Dura's DID squirm around for the first week or two. That went away. That may be good news for you. Since you probably can't take them back, just drive them around for a while, and let us know the update.

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

 

[AH64ID]

I would think that your tires are defective or not inflated properly. According to the specs from each company you went from a 50 psi D rated tire to a 80 psi E rated tire. You cannot run the same psi in the Nitto as you did in the BFG, you will be under-inflated.

Being 2 ply sidewall is not uncommon, the BFG's are a 3 ply, but I can tell you that the 2 ply sidewalls on my 285 Toyo's were thicker than the 3 ply on my BFG KM2's and much more solid. They were both 10 ply rating.

 

[MChrist]

Makes me wonder if the DURA Grappler's sidewalls are different than the TERRA Grappler, since the Dura is designed more for towing? His 75 profile will make the sidewalls slightly taller than my 70s, also.

 

[MChrist]

I went to Nitto's website looking for any reason your tires would be much different than mine, namely sidewall construction. While I didn't find that, I did find something interesting regarding load rates.
Dura Grappler:
LT 285/70/17 =3750 lbs
LT 285/75/17 =3970 lbs
Terra Grappler:
LT 285/70/17 =3750 lbs
LT 285/75/17 =3195 lbs

Unless it's a misprint... still, I would say to give them a few weeks and see if the squirming goes away.
Like I said before, I run my fronts at 55psi in the front. Only when I get down to 52 does my sidewall even hint at beginning to bulge at the bottom. I have run these like this for over 45,000 miles, and my tread wear is perfect from shoulder to shoulder.
Since my tires are probably stiffer than yours, I would run slightly higher pressure, maybe 65-70?

 

[EricBu12]

Those tires are a softer compound for better traction as well.

 

[AABEN]

Stay away from any Goodyear. I run Firestone Trans Force LT on my 03 and my 04 38ft fifth wheel. They have a little more rubber tham most tires. Good Luck.

 

[BDaugherty]

I have always had problems with brand new tires on heavier truck being squirrelly until they get a few miles on them. It is so bad on some of the F450 and F550 trucks that people I know who run them replace the fronts and then a couple thousand miles later, the rears. Give it a thousand miles to see if they wear in.

 

[Gray 5.9]

Well fellows, it shure is nice to have response from you all. Currently I'm running 85psi in front and 80 in the rear, and you would think that this truck would ride like rocks but it suprisingly doesn't. When i left the dealer the first time they put 60 psi in front and 70 in rear, just as the door jam has written on it. When I left the parking lot It was deffinently squirmy and out of control on the main hwy in traffic just to keep it in my lane. I got home and added the extra psi that i have now, which was what it took to get some stability back to drive. The next day i had to go 60 miles to work and thats where you'll find out how good your reflexes are when hitting potholes along with and uneven surfaces just to keep it straight in your lane:--) not counting bridges with every concrete exspansion joint. I just ordered my BFG 315s today, and I can't wait to get back to normal. :-laf. I know it sounds unreal but it is very true.

 

[Regcabguy]

Your results may vary.



My local shop was installing some 3" coils and Bilstein 5100's in an '05 2500 qcsb. Stock shocks and Firestone's in the rear. He's running brand new 315 BFG's. He's got a big Lance shortbed cabover going on it. I predict the 50 psi BFG's and the 5100's will be overwhelmed.

 

[goodguys75]

I run 285/70/17 bfg AT's load range E at 60psi all around and have no problems what so ever... loaded or unloaded..... If it is a heavy load, then I would bump up the psi...

 

[JerryNelson]

I just got a set of Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2 E rated. and i do not like them. I'm all over the road. I have 30 days to return them and go back to 315 BFG D rated. I do have a big truck camper 3000 lb and the BFG were great I'm not to sure about the Bridgestones

 

[Patriot_RAM]

The tires seem to be different from one truck to the next. One thing has been consistent over time -- On trucks with the death wobble, the 315 BFG All Terrain T/A tires aggrivate it and make it worse. On my truck, I never had the DW. I installed BFG 315 load range D tires and it happened four times in a month. I sold them.



I put on a set of 35" Toyo Open Country M/T load range E tires and the problem never came back. This is a personal experience consistent with a bunch of other guys here at the forum also.



I've run three sets of the Toyo's with absolutely no issues. They are an off-road tread, so they're a little squirmy at first, but they are very stable after you get a few miles on them.



I ran a set of 35" load range E Parnelli Jones Dirt Gripz. They looked great, but the quality is VERY SUB-PAR on those tires. I had one that was 16 ounces out of balance, even after trying to rotate it on the rim. The manufacturer said add more weights. I had two of those tires have structural failures. They developed vertical cracks between every lug on all four tires. Two of them gave out and developed rapid air leaks out of those cracks (on the same day of all things... ). I again called Parnelli Jones and they said that it wasn't a defect and that I was probably two rough on them. I don't even tow... .



I also tried one set of Super Swamper Trxus load range E tires. They were a little squirmy for a while, but I was pretty happy with them after they had a few miles on them. I was NOT happy with the amount of miles I got out of them. I forget the number, but it seems like it was about 60% of what I got out of the Toyos.



A few weeks ago I put a new set on. This time I went with the 35" General Tire "Grabber" which is also a load range E. So far I'm very happy with these and they look great on the truck. Oo. These are based on a very successful offroad racing tire. They're kind of new, so here's a link so you can at least see what these look like!



I've gone through a lot of 35's on my truck, and the one set of 315's. Hopefully this info will be helpful!!



Patriot_RAM

 

[AEdelheit]

The next day i had to go 60 miles to work and thats where you'll find out how good your reflexes are when hitting potholes along with and uneven surfaces just to keep it straight in your lane:--) not counting bridges with every concrete exspansion joint. I just ordered my BFG 315s today, and I can't wait to get back to normal. :-laf. I know it sounds unreal but it is very true.

Thats sounding more like an alignment issue, are you sure they didint change your castor when the tires where installed??? Id check your castor and toe before jumping to any conclusions.

 

[BigPapa]

I guarantee you the problem is the new, taller tread blocks squirming. We get this all the time when customers get a new AT or mud tire.



The county ambulance service decided to go to Yoko AT's on the rear of the ambulances instead of swapping to studded snow tires every winter. The first one went 2 miles down the road and came back saying we had left the rear wheels loose. Mine did it when I installed a new set of Toyo Open Country AT's and even on a new set of Michelin LTX M/S.



After a few hundred miles, the combination of tread wear and you getting used to it and everything will be fine.

 

[HBarlow]

Several years ago when the Ram 4500/5500 trucks were introduced I really wanted a 4500 to haul my fifthwheel trailer. I was pretty serious about buying one. A friend and I visited a couple of dealers who had them in stock and drove them. These were brand new cab and chassis trucks with no body and no weight on the rear. They drove horribly - squirmed all over the highway like a snake crawling. I had never experienced driving a new larger truck with 19. 5" wheels/tires and was unfamiliar with the squirming. I wanted to believe that once a heavy aftermarket bed was bolted on the squirming would stop but was afraid to pay $45k for a new truck that would always squirm all over the roadway.

Had I known then that the squirming would stop after a heavy bed was installed and the tires wore in a little I would probably own a 4500 now. My 3500 C&C does a good job but a 4500 would have done it better loaded - but not unloaded. My 3500 rides and drives very well empty.

 

[NIsaacs]

Most new tires will be mushy when new, it takes a while to break them in, for the rubber to take a "set", the owners manual even talks about this. High air pressure will usually not help since the side wall is not the problem, it is the tread actually moving on the belts.



Nick

 

[Axekicker]

I have always had problems with brand new tires on heavier truck being squirrelly until they get a few miles on them...

That's my experience too. Some tires / brands / load-ratings will 'SQUIRM' worse than others. The worst I've had were the Discount Tire in-house brand 'Pathfinders' in load range E (built by Kelly for 'Discount). The tire with the least squirm out-of-the-tire-shop was BFG's but I understand they've been bought-out by Cooper and the tire compound is now softer / different so it's no longer APPLES / ORANGES to compare old-2-new. I just put on a set of 'Falkens' and they're squirrley... but every 100 miles they are getting better and I suspect they'll be fine after 1,000 miles. The Falken's also have a super warranty through 'Discount'. So... here's one of our TDR lesson's learned... NEW TIRES ARE GOING TO BE SQUIRRLEY UNTIL THEY BREAK-IN. Some will take longer than others. Some will be worse than others. All of them will break-in with time.



I drive a 2-wheel drive truck so my front suspension is NOT going to be a factor in my tire-analysis... like it will be for you guys with 4WD's. If you've got a 'loose' 4wd front-end, new tires are going to EXACERBATE handling loosey-gooseyness and the wanderlust-way your truck 'tracks'. Be careful NOT to blame 'tires' on an already problematic front-end.