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Cummins Diesels from the '40s

GREAT AMERICAN TRUCKING SHOW in Dallas Texas.. Anyone going?

Big O brand BIG FOOT A/T DUAL GROOVE tires on a 1 ton truck?



I used these tires on two passenger cars and on my 84 Suburban w/15" wheels. I enjoyed the quiet ride and good road feel.



But, will they stand up to a 1 ton dually truck? They are Load Range E rated at 3250 lbs/tire.
 
Are you certain that they are "E" range? I wanted to get these and ended up getting the more agressive tread 'cause the salesman at BO explained that this style was only available in "D". (I wanted to stay with load range "E". ) I did not like the handling of the more aggresive tread (similar to Goodyear T/A) and ended up with Mich M/S which I really like.
 
The Big O salesman showed me a set yesterday and since my truck was on the rack getting a flat fixed, he knew what it had to fit.



To quote the Big O web site:

http://www.bigotires.com/index.asp?PG=2&Sub=12b&CatID=01BIG31



Reinforced Sidewall Construction

The strong sidewall construction reduces the chance of damage or puncture and provides load ranges of C, D, and E, enabling certain sizes to carry loads weighing up to 3,042 lbs. per tire.



A. P. T. all position tread design

This unique all-season tread pattern is designed for use at any wheel position including 4-wheel drive, 2-wheel drive and single or dual wheel applications, and provides an exceptionally smooth, long wearing and quiet highway ride.



Heavy gauge bronze-plated steel belts

Two bronze-plated, maximum width steel belts eliminate tread squirm, reduce heat and ensure the highest resistance to puncture even during heavy off-road use.



Two deep, full circumference aqua channels

Two deep tread channels force water and mud away from the tread centerline, maximizing wet and off-road traction



The performance of this tire on my other vehicles has been excellent. I don't pretend to think that it would be an excellent off-road tire, but for its' intended purpose of urban driving with the occassional "gotta go there" situation, it has never left me in a lurch. I don't do mud bogs, just the occassional trip to snow country or IF it ever rains around here, I might have occassion to climb back up from the bar ditch to the pavement.



I am really inclined to purchase this tire as it is about $25/tire cheaper than the Michelin LTX M/S and has a longer tread wear rating of 520 vs 500 for the Michelin. Plus being a Big O branded tire, it carries a life of tread full coverage warranty.



Ad says:


Like all other Big O branded Light Truck tires, the Big Foot A/T Dual Groove comes with an outstanding warranty that covers workmanship, materials and road hazards. If the tire fails for any of these reasons during the legal life of the tire, it will be repaired or replaced.



I have used Big O brand tires for over 15 years. I always bought the premium tire and they always replaced them if damaged beyond repair.
 
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I have always liked the Big O brand. I had a set on my Lincoln. Ya' can't beat the warranty and coverage. My biggest beef was the handling of the agressive tread on the set that I got from BO. But, I assume it would have reacted the same way regardless of brand. The dealer swapped them for me no questions asked. If this type meets your needs, then I would recommend them
 
I have the 265/75/16 "D" tires on 3/4 ton now. My got a bubble on the inner sidewall on one after about 50K miles. They were about 3/4 worn out at the time. They gave me a new one free, and I bought 3 new ones to go with it. That set is about half worn now and no problems. Traction has been great with these tires, especially rain and snow. I would probably get them again, but I would like to move up to an "E" rated tire. I don't believe they make that in my size.
 
I wasn't fond of the set that I had on my dually. I was told that they were new when I got the truck last August with 108k miles, I now have a different set on, Firestone Destination MT's, that I put on at about 120k. :confused: Don't know what I did wrong but they didn't wear the best. Granted they still could be ran but they have less than 4/32nds of tread depth so I needed new tires for the rest of the winter season. Some of the tires developed an indent in the sidewalls, maybe due to a bad "reinforced sidewall construction". :-laf Granted they still held air but probably weren't safe. Would try to get a warranty if I knew who sold them around here. Also traction wasn't even marginable on snow or ice. Don't know how many times I had the front and back tires just spinning at idle while being able to walk around the truck without worrying about it moving. :-laf Showed that to the guy's at the tire shop and they sure got a kick out of it... :D Also the lack of control of those tires forced me to get pulled out of a small enbankment in a town by a ******-off, drunk guy in a 1/2 ton Chevy idling my truck out in 4Lo. :eek: Just told me to leave it in neutral so I did, all he did was put the truck in 4Lo, tightened up the rope, and idled in gear to pull my truck out. Course he was probably ****** off for other reasons, most lilely the old Chevy 4x4 with bad header leaks racing the engine and spinning the tires to trying to get me out. I was having so much fun counter-steering the turns in town till then, went around a left turn with the truck skidding and the back end countered back to the left and I nosed into the ditch. Darn front end of these trucks are so heavy, not enough grip or momentum to get moving...



But on one hand, these tires wore down aways make for a heck of a good burnout, they spin so easy it's ridiculous.



My advice, if you live in or encounter northern winter weather, best to have a spare set of tires for the winter or start an investment for your 4wd system because you'll need 4wd if you use these tires in any measureable amount of snow. They are excellent on the highway, in rain or wet roads they are a joy except at stoplights, and they are fairly quiet compared to the set that I have on now. Keep in mind what I said above was after the point that I decided I needed new tires; i. e the 6 wheels spinning at idle, the sliding around corners, and the burnouts. All of my opinions that I have on these tires are based before these acts of punishment were put to the tires. ;) Just my $0. 02... ;)
 
Currently running the E range BF dual grooves on two trucks. I like them for quiet ride and they handle ice, rain and slush really well. They don't appear to last as long as some of the other tires we've tried, though.



Hope this helps,



Dave
 
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