Absolute gold! Great info and here I thought the 2 measures were the same. Didn’t realize you pay different based on US vs metric named tires. The weight difference on the mudders is huge!
We ignored cost and weight and wear, all we cared about was the punctures and cuts resistance of the sidewalls, and how much we could fit. We went with KM3s because the Maxxis Trepador M8060 wouldn't fit, and there was no M/T Baja Boss Powerply XD at the time. BFG had a video out, I wish I could find it now, of the KM3 sidewall over a sharp edge of angle iron, loaded, not even a scratch. That sold us. The tread isn't as aggressive as Firestone's MT2, but everything else is better, no regrets. We have 285/75R16 on a '99 Suburban
Same deal with the Toyo MT's versus their AT111's. I had both. The MT has a really robust sidewall compared to the AT111 even though the weight's not a whole lot different.
the difference in price is due to the overall production volume. it takes a lot to set up a machine to manufacture a tire, the more made on a particular run, the cheaper the tire can be. check out the price of a 225/60r16 vs a 225/55r16 or a 235/75r15 vs a 235/70r15 or a 205/55r16 vs a 205/50r16 or a 265/70r17 vs a 265/65r17. common sizes have lower prices. also, tires that are a stock size on a vehicle will be a much lower price.
For tires like the Maxxis RAZR M/T the 315/75 R16 is 34.8" tall and 12.8" wide if you have 16" rims. The 295 is the width in "mm". The middle number is the height of the sidewall in "mm" essentially. It ALL depends on what size rim youre running.
@@jeremiahfiek5495 The second number is a percentage of the first number, not millimeters directly. Like a 295/70R17 for instance. The 70 means that the sidewall height is 70% of the 295mm. So you have 295 x .7 = 206.5mm for the sidewall height.
ASE certified mechanic that worked at a tire shop for many years and I can say this is some great info. Only thing not mentioned is you also GAIN off road traction from a skinny tire so if your rig is more than a mall crawler there is no reason to buy high flotation tires! Great video!
I love this point, but I’m hoping you can clarify it a little more. It’s to my understanding that “skinny’s” are better in dry and shallow mud/water/snow because they provide a higher pressure per inch to the ground, and they also cut down into the mud/water/snow more and get you to the hard dirt/asphalt so you get better traction. I did however, hear that in really deep mud and snow you actually want the floaters so you don’t sink and belly out. Any say on this? Obviously there is no “1 tire is best in every situation” but I’m curious about this. I’ve also watched videos comparing “footprints” of skinny vs wide tires and while every brand will be different, the skinny’s actually gave a larger footprint and wrapped over items better.
skinny tires are great if you want deep ruts and you don't have very soft ground like we do in Louisiana. I"m a land owner (wooded tracts for hunting, pond and creek fishing and timber production" we do not allow skinny tires on any of our properties. They dig huge deep ruts and make bad spots become impassable or winch spots. 35" inch wide tires work best, I've seen it first hand. I have driven around skinny tired vehicles with my "floaters" as you say, they dig adn sink too deep and vehicles bottom out, at least on my place. 35" wide tries help keep you from sinking in what we call Gumbo mud. Tires are not one size fits all, it depends on where you drive.
You did a good job here and I don’t want to sound critical. My two cents…the height numbers the manufacturer give you from the catalog are not the the same as the “actual mounted height” on the rim in the real world. Thanks subscribed!
My last work truck was a 2015 F250 diesel. It weighed 9700 lbs with parts and tools loaded. Had 80 PSI Firestone tires on it when I got it. I average driving 150 miles a day to and from work, Had 4 blowouts in 3 years going 75 mph down the highway almost flipping the truck twice. I work in mining, so the truck is subjected to loose rock, ruts and just all around bad conditions. I have never made it to 30,000 miles from Firestone or Michelin in the 80 PSI 10 ply tires. My tire guy suggested I go with 12 ply's at 60 PSI, that was 3 years ago and those same tires are still on the truck with about 60k miles on them. I recently got a 2023 Ram 2500 that came with 10 ply, 80 PSI tires new. Switched them out at 50 miles to 12 ply. I'll never do 10 ply on a heavy truck again, it's just dangerous TBH.
You shouldn’t be running them to max psi if it says 80 run 60-65 Big trick tires say 120 and everyone with a brain knows you run 95-105 Max pressure is cold pressure once they heat up you can expect 10-20% higher psi depending on load and ambient temperature
Thank you for pointing this out! I noticed this phenomenon a while back when comparing tire sizes for a potential prerunner build on my '94 Silverado. Nearly all offroad tires that were sized in inches were more expensive than their metric sized counterparts, and to varying degrees depending on rim size and width. It's definitely a scam to squeeze more money out of off road guys used to buying tires by the size in inches.
Thanks for this video bud! You are absolutely right! I was going to buy the Falken RT01 35x12.50r22 for $579 each. I researched and found the 325/50r22 for $413 each! That's like $700 savings in the set of four! Thanks again Nick!!!
I run 285/75/18 which is 34.8 inches in the Toyo tires I run. I just brought 285/75/17 for my JEEP truck which is 34.1 in tall tire. I got Goodyear Duratrac RT which is a “new” tire as the long running Dura Trac except now it has 3-ply sidewall where old Dura Trac was 2-ply. Great video. 👍
Great info. Have a gladiator with 33's and wanted 35's. It's not so much the money for me as the weight. These things are dogs as it is. Cannot "afford" another 80'lbs of weight. By the time you add lights, bumpers and all the other stuff, these things are like farm tractors.
I searched for 35's, but came across this video. All I have to say is wow. I never knew, and thank you. Hopefully BF Goodrich/Firestone hasn't off'd you yet
Excelente content; I was downsizing from 37s on my Gladiator due to front end parts wearing and regearing costs but mainly cause of fuel economy.. I could only find 2 choices on 35x11.5R17 as I also want to delete 1inch of width if possible.. after watching your video, I found that the 285/75R17 is almost equivalent to a 35inch tire for less the price, opted for BF ko2s as you cannot go wrong.. Once again, thank you for great information! Patrick- Edmonton Alberta Canada 🇨🇦
I live in FL, I have these Falken Wildpeak AT3s in 33" on a F150 SC. They also work great in mud, sand as well as wet or dry interstate. First set I've ever owned & at 49 years old, the best set of ATs I've ever owned & will not buy any other brand since owning these. I've got over 40k miles on mine and they still look new. Best tire on the market imo
This isn't always true and can vary drastically depending on rim size, load, etc. For instance, a 315/60R20 (34.9x12.4) Geolandar G003 is $170 more per tire than a 35x12.5R20. The 315 is a 125 D load vs a 121 E load, but $170 more for metric. Long story short, everyone should do their research and see what their total options are depending on their size and requirements because there MAY be a cheaper option if certain characteristics (load rating,etc) don't matter to them.
Yeah I’ve responded to someone with a 20. I wasn’t really calling out 20” people in my video. More off-road Overlanding 4wd people. 20” + is confusing because it’s difficult to find both the us and metric sizes for a lot of tires. But yeah in general this is a 15-18” video. I didn’t think it would be getting this many views outside of what I usually do my videos on. Thanks
Thanks Nick. I've been running 315/70 R17( basically 34.4) on my 2020 JLUR for years. The price difference is astounding and like you pointed out, the actual size difference is negligible.
I'm glad the algorithm switched things up because I'm about to go from 37s to 35s and this saved me some money. Thanks a lot, Nick. L&S'd this guy for this video alone.
Great info, the only thing i wish you had taken the time to explain is how metric tire sizes read COMPLETELY different. Everyone i meet thinks the first number (like 295) is the height.
Wow!!!! I didn't believe you at first, but you are correct! Example nitto trail recon: 35x12.5 17 - 34.53 inches in height - $429 Same exact tire in 315/70r17 - 34.41 inches in height - $362 Thanks for the tip!!
You should make another video comparing alot of different tires I had 35x12.5 and went down to a slightly smaller tire saved 800$ on 4 tires The 35 I bought back in 2017 they were 505$ can for 1 tire and now the same tire is 560$ Hense why I went to a smaller size saved 50 lb and a pile of money 4 tires ready to mount were 1600$ Tires in Canada are insanely priced
I live in west Michigan where we also get a lot wet snow. I've tried almost every brand of AT tire on the market and always end up going back to BFG. I tried the Wildpeak because they were a few hundred bucks cheaper, and all the yt reviews praising it. I "saved" a few hundred bucks over BFG's to get a tire that worked the same in snow, better in rain, but wore out in half the amount of miles. This was on my 2006 silverado 1500 4X4 winter beater, 265/7017 load range E, because I like a stiffer side wall for trailering. When I say winter beater the truck is mechanical perfect, but has rusty rockers and rear wheel wells. I am a mechanic by trade and always replace any worn parts and do an alignment myself when ever I replace tires. I rotate them every 5,000 miles when I change the oil. To me the $200 bucks saved was not worth it, my BFG's always wear like iron. You results may very... On a side note I'm also a Jeep/ offroad fanatic. That 80lb " savings " on the BFG is rotating weight and not going to effect a truck or gladiator nearly as much as a sports car, but that extra rubber may mean the difference between getting a punctured side wall, or not. The only time I'm going to care about that extra 20lbs per tire on a 34" tall tire is when I'm mounting, balancing, and rotating them.
If I remember correctly 10lbs unsprung weight is one horsepower lost so 80lbs would be 8hp lost basically the same as having a second AC system or a heavy duty alternator in addition to your normal one.
Great video! I’ve helped people pick tires and I’ve learned that for the most part, people want to see the number 35 on their tire more than anything else! I’m Canadian and I know metric. Duratrac 285 75 R18 come in at 35.1” actual diameter 5:17 . I’ve had arguments with people who tell me it’s not a true 35” tire compared to their 35 X 12.5 x 18” that has an actual diameter of 34.5”. It’s nuts! 295mm = 11.61”. The tire would read 11.5 of course. They can’t write 12.5 can they? Metric isn’t magic just like writing 35” on something doesn’t mean it’s true
0:45 I'd have to disagree with you on those. I've ran those after hearing how well they perform only to be underwhelmed 🤷♂️. If you can afford 400+ a tire Cooper STMaxx have been hands down the best traction in wet snow and rainy conditions plus has armortek sidewall. Doesn't hydroplane. Falken wild peaks are definitely decent and worth the $
I purchased 33x12.50 R15 once, I figured out that metric is way cheaper than inches in 2009. Ever since its always been metric sizes soley for the price. And I do not regret it at all.
I discovered this a while ago, but without as many crunched numbers. I run essentially a 34.2, rather than a 35. Saves me (in 2024) nearly $135 a tire.
I ran the AT3W for one summer wheeling season and had so many sidewall cuts they had to be replaced at only 8k miles. People who don’t actually use their trucks off road seem to love them though 😂
Tire sizes are more of a rough guess than an actual measurement. It varies by manufacture. Cheap inexpensive Chinese tires are much smaller, coopers are generally smaller Goodyear is pretty accurate, and Toyo / nitto are generally larger than listed. It gets noticeable above 31 inches roughly. This is why any tire store and manufacture will tell you not to run different brand tires or even different model tires on four-wheel drive vehicles but especially all wheel drive vehicles. They aren't trying to rip you off they're trying to save your vehicle. The 295 sizes were popularized within the last decade by nitto/Toyo. As new manufacturers enter that sales market their prices are going to be lower to try to get recognition and compete. As time goes on I'd wager that their prices will normalize. Fuel economy and power is greatly reflected by a tires rolling resistance. The larger the tire the greater the footprint on the ground the greater the rolling resistance. Yes the weight has an effect but not nearly as much as rolling resistance. I would assume The extra weight my play into brake life more but that could also be because of the angular momentum of both the extra size and weight, but I can't say for certain.
Hey I’m in total agreement with you on this. I rather have metric size which can be taller than a standard size. Your better with a narrower tire. I’ve had large mud tires on numerous trucks but years back I switched to metric. Excellent video
In general I agree. I like the 285/75r18 size personally. Actual diameters of these 285s is larger than the actual diameters of “35” inch tires. Same with your 295s.
Unslung weight is a good thing when you build a real 4x4. OVERLANDING being as much about highway and smooth level two track and gas milage, I can totally hear your argument. I think every build should start with a purpose. #1 what’s the purpose of the vehicle: #2 what’s the best tire to do that purpose:
Ground clearance is pretty importance for soft sand driving. A diff hitting a dune will act like a anchor. But yes, people that sell 35s know their buyers will pay that much for them. This is a great video!
The 35 is not meant to be a heavy load tire, it’s got a heavy sidewall to drop pressure real low and conform to the terrain where as the 295 is meant for flat ground and maybe a yard, not big rocks and rough terrain. You only show one part of the situation but not the main point of the 35. The point is you don’t buy 35s to haul things which is pretty much common sense, you buy them to do the serious off-roading and I’m not talking about getting unstuck from a ditch
I pull 12k behind my Dodge 6.7 diesel running 35x12.50 r17 load range E mud tires and have hit speeds that in excess of the interstate speed limits in Colorado by 25mph ...LoL ... "You can't tow on 35"s"...😅 If I get these 4.30 gears installed before my next set of tires I'll be running 37s towing the same weight .
Was looking at tires bigger than 33 but smaller than 35 for my sierra 1500. My dealer gets the best prices on BFG so I went with KO2s. 17 inch rim, they make a 34x10.5 17! I thought I would go for that, when I found they make a 285 75 17, which measures out to about 33.9x11 or so. They were about 75 dollars less per tire, and just like you said they are 80psi rated, not 65. Metric is the way to go!
been doing this for years, its the same scam for any tire with a inch label, 33,35,37,39 its the same scams glad its being made into a video to expose cooperate markup
When the Wildpeak 35's that came on my JK finally wear out, I'm moving down from a 12" width to a 10 inch width. These things I have now are massive, and stick out past the fenders. They fling mud and gravel all up the side of my Jeep. I have no use for wide tires.
37’s from military humvee is the way to fly.. bit heavy but come with bead locks.. $200 a wheel! 90-96% tread been using them on my dmax for 2.5 years.. a guy in wi sells just the tires for $100 a piece..
I also found that most all terrain tires have a very limited or no warranty lesson learned after 3 sets of Goodyear wranglers belts breaking for no reason
The E load tire at 65 psi will carry as much as a E load tire at 80 psi . You can’t compare the load range of two different tire with two different load ranges. Compare apples to apples. Plus a 315/70r18 is 35.4” tall which is a true 35”. The 295/70r18 is 34.4” tall not a 35”. The load range D, E and F has zero on the mileage a tire gets. It’s referring to the side wall, not the contact surface/ tread that meets the road. The higher content of silica in a tire gives it the mileage. More information can be obtained through TIA and RMA it’s a school about tires .
I can't do 35's on mine anyway. For the LT285/70R17 wrangler duratrac, this size is an even 33 according to their website. I may upgrade to this size later on! Thanks for the information!
For full sized work trucks being loaded heavy the master race size is 285/75r18. Right at 35" Diameter and a load range of 129 for 4057s lbs. 35" tires are usually softer and have less load range for jeeps and offroad rigs who needs the flexibility
Was just pricing tires for my old square and this video certainly rings true. I just wanted 33s but a 33x12.50r15 which was actually a 32.2 vs the equivalent which was a true 33 but it's a 10.50r15 had higher load range higher speed and weighed less. In addition it was about $50 cheaper per tire. While the wider tire is preferred I couldn't overlook the differences. Especially for a truck that will be going into storage in another month until next summer.
Ok, I am currently running the 35x12.50r20 BFG KO2 on my F-250. The reason I went to the KO2 was to get more miles on the road. I was running Firestone MT 35’s but was only getting 20,000 miles out of them. Now I ran the firestones at 32psi cold & now the BFG’s at 32psi. So when they warm up, they’ll be at 38. I pull trailers & a lot of weight down the road. My main concern is how these will perform in the mud. They’ve been great so far. Those MT’s would beat you to death & the noise was terrible. I don’t care about looks. I care about performance & the cost. I don’t want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere because of crappy tires. So I won’t know until the wet season gets here but happy so far. If you’re carrying weight & want to air down, 35’s are the way to go.
@@robertdahle7216I had to air down because I drive around ranches that are very muddy. That was with the Firestone MT’s. Both the 275/65r20 (factory) & the 35x12.50r20. Now I put the BFG AT KO2 35x12.50r20. I’ve been able to keep them at 60psi & haven’t had to bag down yet driving in the same conditions. I’ve got 30k miles on them now & still have 9/10 of a tread. They still look new. I love this video because next time I’m thinking of getting the 296/65r20 so I can get the BFG AT KO3. I just don’t want to be stuck in the middle of a pasture in the middle of nowhere.
EXCELLENT video! Thank you! I never would have known. I have a '22 Diesel Rubicon JT, and am almost ready for a new set of tires. This is great information.
(1) KO2 have been the best in wet/snow for me, live in WA where it rains 9 months out of the year, make sure to get the softer tread ones, not the DT. (2) The KO2 has a higher load rating (126/123) than I should ever need for the size I get with my 3500 . (3) the KO2 is lighter than about any other in the same size, 57#. (4) 275/65r20 are a 34” tire and cost $1100 at Costco.
I have a 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon. When I bought it (used) it had a set of those same Falken tires on it (brand new tires) instead of the original Goodyear Duratracs that the Wagon comes with new. Now mind you, I’m not rock crawler and currently since my wife is in the military we are stationed where it’s congested traffic and basically 100 percent urban. Yeah, currently the Wagon is a “mall crawler” until she finally retires (in just a couple more years) then it’s back to NW PA for us where we will be in the sticks in the middle of nowhere with lake effect snows and barely an urban location anywhere to speak of, I’m talking peeing off your front porch at lunchtime in full view of the road middle of nowhere. Hopefully then, these tires will show me what they got. I don’t drive much where we are currently, but the few times I have driven, of all places I got kinda “stuck” was in an unfinished (think mud) parking lot next to a muffler shop. When it happened I didn’t even realize the truck was spinning really. It wasn’t even that soupy. I was in 2wd, put it in drive to go pick the wife up at the front door after dropping off our other vehicle and it wasn’t moving. I wasn’t hammering on the skinny pedal, I had just eased off the brake and was going to just let the truck slowly start moving before adding anything to it. It didn’t move at all. Confused, I braked and put it in park. I got out and along with some mud on the side of my truck and caked in the wheel wells those Falken’s (just like what you have beside you in the video) were PACKED with mud and were smooth. I admit, I was kinda shocked. It was cold enough outside that the “mud” was pretty stiff, nearly frozen. It was more on the dry side than the wet side of being mud, as I said….not soupy. I have a ‘52 M37 sitting on 37” NDT’s that would have lurched from that spot with ease. So, I think the Falkens just aren’t as suited to handle somewhat (read: barely) muddy situations as I’d hoped. I think the original Duratrac’s would have done better in that situation. Aside from that one instance they seem like good tires. Time will tell I guess.
Most people that have vehicles like that can't afford to drop $2,000 on a new set of tires. Or they just don't want to. Falcon tires should be listed as cruel and unusual punishment under the Geneva convention. The saddest part is when you think about the longevity of the tire and break it down to cost per mile between a cheap and expensive tire versus the Goodyear dirt track which is in my opinion the best tire out there, The More expensive tires like your toyos your nittos your good years your BFGs always work out to be less expensive in the long run. Hell I've seen people go through two sets of cheap tires in the same mileage that an oilfield driver would go through one set of good tires.
There is SOOO much more to this conversation that the oversimplified numbers you’re focused on. Bottom line is that the 35’s aren’t for everyone, but you’re wrong if you think they aren’t for anyone.
@@NoSmileification Many times the load range will differ as well as the make up of the sidewalls and what they can withstand for abuse. A higher price is usually justified though not always. A lot needs to be taken into account when considering your build.
It’s not a $100 difference, it’s over a $500 difference for that fraction of an inch bigger. What’s an even bigger rip off tho, is the larger the hole is for the wheel, the less rubber is needed, yet tire companies charge more for that extra air. They must have learned that shady BS from the government.
I bought wildpeaks AT3Ws before they became popular. 33x12.5-18 were $800 out the door. They were a great buy but now they're almost double...just because they're popular. Falken wildpeaks are good, but they're still Falkens.
Liked your video so much I weighed my stock F150 265/65/17 Ford aluminum wheel with tire 63lbs. Next a 285/60/20 Ford 20x8.5 aluminum wheel Michelin defender 91 lbs. Then 285/55/22 Ford 22x9 aluminum wheel Yokohama GO15 110lbs !!!....wheel 47lbs tire 63lbs 34.75". Alot of wheel, alot of tire and if I didn't have 4.09 gears would suck the life and gas right out of this 5.0. Love the ride and handling. I will say the steering feels alittle heavier and the brakes more normal as with stock w/t's a bit touchy.
My understanding as explained to me from an off road guy is the wider KO2 35 with 123 load index is good for beadlock and airing down while 129 load index thinner tires is too stiff for good air down, but better wear for highway use. I off road only 1-2 times a year so I went with the mm version at 34” and 129 load index KO2
Nice break down … so have you research which brand and model of metric 18 inch diameter tire is closest to a true 35… I’ve been searching and I’m thinking it’s Nittos … what have you found.. because your right the price difference is substantial…
Tire sizes very by manufacturer. Anything above roughly 31 in is just an approximation not an actual measurement. The cheaper Chinese stuff is always much smaller, a 35 will measure out to 33". Cooper is a little bit small not as small as a Chinese stuff. Goodyear and BFG are fairly accurate. Toyo and nitto are generally oversized. A quarter to a half an inch but still oversized. Just because a tire lists itself as 35 or 33 does not make it a true 35 or 33. If you get the opportunity put a 35-in toyo/nitto up next to 35-in off-brand tire and you be shocked.
I get what you are saying but in 20 inch wheels you can't get 70 series All Terrains, you can go 295/65 x 20 but that is only an 11.5 inch tire, not as wide as most run with the 35/12.5 x 20. So if you want the width and height you are going to pay no matter what no way around it. plus if you go for the width in the metric size with a 325/60 x 20 then you will be paying more than a 35/12.5 x 20 tire.
This video is excellent. Looking today - Tires are now 15% more since this video and there is no 50-100$ savings between the tires anymore.😢 This video is helping me keep my eye on all categories of the tire spec.
The difference is off road when you air down. Sorry already tested. Thicker sidewall on 35 means less chance of puncture and less chance of losing your bead seal when air downed. It all depends on what your gonna use tire for.
Been researching the same for my burb for six months. A 315 metric is the equivalent to 35"across most wheel/rim sizes, the load difference is per brand as is weight dependant on ply on top and sidewall. Most 35" tires vary between 34.+ To exactly 35". Compare a 35" to a 315 and they are almost identical. 295 equates to a 33.3" tire. You actually have to factor in wheel/rim size and brand.
It isn't a ripoff, it's just a production volume thing. They produce many thousands of 295s and a fraction of that number in 35s so naturally the more common size is going to be cheaper. I agree with everything else but the price isn't a scam.
This might be the case for that tire specifically, but it is not always the case for every tire in general. Every tire brand and model is different, but in this case it is also cheaper because a 295/70R18 (equivalates roughly to 34.3x11.5R18) is smaller than 35x12.5R18. A 305/70R18 (34.8x12R18) is closer to an actual 35x12.5. I don’t believe Falken makes a 305/70R18 wildpeak at3w, but other brands that do, the prices will be similar to their 35x12.5
I put 315s on my gladiator and I love them. Absolutely the same height as a 35 and they are a tiny bit narrow compared to a 35 but the weight difference is huge! Factory rims and it didn't change the way it runs or drives!
I just saved like 500 bucks… 295/65/20 vs 35/12.5/20… The metric is only 1” narrower and actually 1/2 bigger.. and with the load rating I needed to go up in ply So in order to get a 80 lb tire it needed to be a F with the 35. This guy just saved me a lot of money.
if you off-road in a non full size vehicle, an E rated tire is inappropriate for the vehicle. Not only is it much heavier, and rough riding, you would have to let a lot more air out of them to conform over obstacles, which increase the chance of losing the bead. Most Jeeps and Toyotas should be looking at C or D rated.
Running tires with a higher load rating than what is actually “required” leads to bad tire wear patterns in my experience… specifically severe cupping. 🤷♂️
There are more numbers that change the price. How unique the tire is makes them price higher. Sometimes unique tires also have unique compounds for specific vehicles.
If you use the standard load or lower load range tire than the vehicle calls for you are supposed to downrate the load capacity 10% or so, forget the specifics, that's why LT load rated tires aren't that massive of a load increase, its larger of a difference than the rating appears.
I love this, but good luck. I have spent so many hours having this conversation with my customers I finally gave up. I think they just like to say "I have 35's" and the number on the tire corroborates them? And if you "need" an extra 1/4" of overall diameter to not hit a rock on the trail...I think you should just practice being a better driver.😮
The bigger scam is people thinking they want/need wide tires. Unless you’re operating in bottomless mud, snow, or sand, the performance of a narrower tire is far superior.
Nick all good points I’m in agreement with you on the Falken’s being the best AT tires for dry wet and snow (I’ve run the old style BFG’s AT and the newer KO2’s and the KO2’s are much better in the wet and snow than the older AT’s) but the falken’s are better I’m running the Falken AT3W’s in a 315/70R17 I prefer 17’s in wheel size which translates into cheaper tire cost mine measure in at 34.5 inches tall and 12 inches wide looks great on the truck I run factory steel basic silver wheels I like the utility look on trucks especially the Ram and everything fits inside the wheel well to keep stock geometry plus they are easy to balance and strong as steel because they are I run lower than factory spec air pressures for ride quality but due to the larger more capable tire size even at the lower tire pressure they have the same load rating as the stock set up a lot of people aren’t aware you can still run 17’s if that’s your liking and to your main point about size and cost that’s why I went 315/70R17 instead of 35/12.50R17 which that extra half inch in width of the 35’s would have stuck out some which I didn’t want and the height is basically the same and over all saved some coin win win.
37 pategonias m/t weigh less than all 35 m/t. Which is why I bought 37. But every decision has the pluses and negatives. Pateginias by design need to run higher PSI so ride comfort isn't always the best, at least in my setup. However traction off road is much better than a lot of the other tires in the market. My two cents!!!
My guess is it comes down to production numbers, and sales. The tire manufacturer sells many more of the metric than the inch tire. Therefore its gonna be cheaper
The 12 ply might hold up better off road (like not improved dirt road). For my needs... I doing the Metric size and still gonna bitch because it cost to much! Never understood that. My last set of tires I bought stock take off ATs with newer rims for only 150 more than it cost for a full set of tires and sold my stock rims that came with my truck for 350 dollars. Updated to a look I wanted ended up running out a new set of tires. Looking at some. I had some wild peaks and they didn't wear nice for me. I got under the mileage rating before they were done they were also loud a heck! I went with some other tires next time. This is will be the 6th set on this truck. For my last truck I ended up getting non metric tires because they were roughly the same size and cheaper! Interesting turn around.
This is confusing/misleading, because you keep saying "the 35 vs the 295", but the first number in metric tires (315, 295, 215, etc...) is the width of the tire in millimeters. The second number determines the sidewall height. The second number is a % of the width, so a 295/70 tire is 11.6 inches wide with an 8.1 inch tall sidewall. Meaning there is a 1 inch difference between a 295/70r17 and a 295/70r18, but in US standard form a 35/11.5r17 is roughly the same height as a 35/11.5r18, it just has less sidewall.
I clearly state at 1 min and 30 seconds the exact size of the tires I’m comparing. It’s not confusing or misleading. The video is 6 minutes long. I think you can pay attention for 6 minutes. Try hard.
I have 37" Toyo AT3s LTs with load E rating for my 2022 F250. Cost $400 Canadain pesos each in September. I think you need to find a better garage or something, or maybe the prices are inflated due to demand? I don't understand why you mentioned weight and cost when you have a solid steel bumper lying in that background. Availability is the only thing that matters right now, in my opinion. I remember this time last year MTs tripled in price due to shortages. Pay cash for tires, not credit if you want to save money. Privately owned tire business will do cash no tax in tire season.
P-Metric tires and floatation tires are more different than you're explaining. A Wildpeak 35" tire can support the weight of my Jeep at 25 PSI. The P-Metric version requires 35 PSI to support the same load.
All the folks claiming why 35s must suck and why their small factory tires are probably the best reminds me of the asop fable about the fox and the grapes 😅
Curious to hear your educated opinions on tires for 2013 F250 (6.7), in coastal NC (no snow), almost all on road driving, some towing up to 10,000. Currently have Dynapro AT2 LT325 / 60 R20. Priority is tire longevity (miles), MPG, road performance, towing, tire noise and finally off road performance.
Absolute gold! Great info and here I thought the 2 measures were the same. Didn’t realize you pay different based on US vs metric named tires. The weight difference on the mudders is huge!
Technically it is 80Lbs of gold...
We ignored cost and weight and wear, all we cared about was the punctures and cuts resistance of the sidewalls, and how much we could fit. We went with KM3s because the Maxxis Trepador M8060 wouldn't fit, and there was no M/T Baja Boss Powerply XD at the time. BFG had a video out, I wish I could find it now, of the KM3 sidewall over a sharp edge of angle iron, loaded, not even a scratch. That sold us. The tread isn't as aggressive as Firestone's MT2, but everything else is better, no regrets. We have 285/75R16 on a '99 Suburban
Same deal with the Toyo MT's versus their AT111's. I had both. The MT has a really robust sidewall compared to the AT111 even though the weight's not a whole lot different.
@@davidanderson8469k
For road and light of road I believe this guy. BF muddy for off road before switching to bead locks.
bfg 35s are same size as other companies 295s. 34.3"
the difference in price is due to the overall production volume. it takes a lot to set up a machine to manufacture a tire, the more made on a particular run, the cheaper the tire can be. check out the price of a 225/60r16 vs a 225/55r16 or a 235/75r15 vs a 235/70r15 or a 205/55r16 vs a 205/50r16 or a 265/70r17 vs a 265/65r17. common sizes have lower prices. also, tires that are a stock size on a vehicle will be a much lower price.
My new-to-me RAM 3500 came with 35" tires. When it comes time to replace them, I'll go with 295s. Thank you for illuminating this subject! 🙏🏻
Just keep the middle number in mind, because that’ll be what dictates how tall your tire is
For tires like the Maxxis RAZR M/T the 315/75 R16 is 34.8" tall and 12.8" wide if you have 16" rims. The 295 is the width in "mm". The middle number is the height of the sidewall in "mm" essentially. It ALL depends on what size rim youre running.
Look at the 305. They'll keep your door handles clean.
@@jeremiahfiek5495 The second number is a percentage of the first number, not millimeters directly. Like a 295/70R17 for instance. The 70 means that the sidewall height is 70% of the 295mm. So you have 295 x .7 = 206.5mm for the sidewall height.
@@mmaaddict78 you're right. I knew it was percentage... i dont know why i said it was "mm". Idiot i guess
ASE certified mechanic that worked at a tire shop for many years and I can say this is some great info. Only thing not mentioned is you also GAIN off road traction from a skinny tire so if your rig is more than a mall crawler there is no reason to buy high flotation tires! Great video!
Yes! Wish more 255x100r16s were out there
I love this point, but I’m hoping you can clarify it a little more. It’s to my understanding that “skinny’s” are better in dry and shallow mud/water/snow because they provide a higher pressure per inch to the ground, and they also cut down into the mud/water/snow more and get you to the hard dirt/asphalt so you get better traction. I did however, hear that in really deep mud and snow you actually want the floaters so you don’t sink and belly out. Any say on this? Obviously there is no “1 tire is best in every situation” but I’m curious about this. I’ve also watched videos comparing “footprints” of skinny vs wide tires and while every brand will be different, the skinny’s actually gave a larger footprint and wrapped over items better.
skinny tires are great if you want deep ruts and you don't have very soft ground like we do in Louisiana. I"m a land owner (wooded tracts for hunting, pond and creek fishing and timber production" we do not allow skinny tires on any of our properties. They dig huge deep ruts and make bad spots become impassable or winch spots. 35" inch wide tires work best, I've seen it first hand. I have driven around skinny tired vehicles with my "floaters" as you say, they dig adn sink too deep and vehicles bottom out, at least on my place. 35" wide tries help keep you from sinking in what we call Gumbo mud.
Tires are not one size fits all, it depends on where you drive.
@@michaelcope23292" deep Powder sand where I'm at. Near Galveston.
Not all off-road is the same. Don't bother with skinny tires less than 54" in south Florida
You did a good job here and I don’t want to sound critical. My two cents…the height numbers the manufacturer give you from the catalog are not the the same as the “actual mounted height” on the rim in the real world. Thanks subscribed!
Tire Rack website gives mounted data for everything they sell.
My last work truck was a 2015 F250 diesel. It weighed 9700 lbs with parts and tools loaded. Had 80 PSI Firestone tires on it when I got it. I average driving 150 miles a day to and from work, Had 4 blowouts in 3 years going 75 mph down the highway almost flipping the truck twice. I work in mining, so the truck is subjected to loose rock, ruts and just all around bad conditions. I have never made it to 30,000 miles from Firestone or Michelin in the 80 PSI 10 ply tires.
My tire guy suggested I go with 12 ply's at 60 PSI, that was 3 years ago and those same tires are still on the truck with about 60k miles on them. I recently got a 2023 Ram 2500 that came with 10 ply, 80 PSI tires new. Switched them out at 50 miles to 12 ply. I'll never do 10 ply on a heavy truck again, it's just dangerous TBH.
What psi do you fill your tires to and do you fill both sets to the same psi?
It almost sounds like the dude is filling his tires up to 80psi which is terrifying. @@kraftzion
@@lawsonorsak8380the truck recommends you run 65 psi. You need an 80psi tire to run 65.
@@lawsonorsak8380the tires are rated for 80. To get max load rating you need that much pressure.
You shouldn’t be running them to max psi if it says 80 run 60-65
Big trick tires say 120 and everyone with a brain knows you run 95-105
Max pressure is cold pressure once they heat up you can expect 10-20% higher psi depending on load and ambient temperature
Thank you for pointing this out! I noticed this phenomenon a while back when comparing tire sizes for a potential prerunner build on my '94 Silverado. Nearly all offroad tires that were sized in inches were more expensive than their metric sized counterparts, and to varying degrees depending on rim size and width. It's definitely a scam to squeeze more money out of off road guys used to buying tires by the size in inches.
Thanks for this video bud! You are absolutely right! I was going to buy the Falken RT01 35x12.50r22 for $579 each. I researched and found the 325/50r22 for $413 each! That's like $700 savings in the set of four! Thanks again Nick!!!
I run 285/75/18 which is 34.8 inches in the Toyo tires I run. I just brought 285/75/17 for my JEEP truck which is 34.1 in tall tire. I got Goodyear Duratrac RT which is a “new” tire as the long running Dura Trac except now it has 3-ply sidewall where old Dura Trac was 2-ply. Great video. 👍
Same on my power wagon. You get the height without the width. Better in the mud I find.
Great info. Have a gladiator with 33's and wanted 35's. It's not so much the money for me as the weight. These things are dogs as it is. Cannot "afford" another 80'lbs of weight. By the time you add lights, bumpers and all the other stuff, these things are like farm tractors.
The weight quoted isn’t right. It may be a little lighter, but like 72lbs instead of 73.
I bought my MT tires after watching your video. The best info ever on youtube
I searched for 35's, but came across this video. All I have to say is wow. I never knew, and thank you. Hopefully BF Goodrich/Firestone hasn't off'd you yet
Excelente content; I was downsizing from 37s on my Gladiator due to front end parts wearing and regearing costs but mainly cause of fuel economy.. I could only find 2 choices on 35x11.5R17 as I also want to delete 1inch of width if possible.. after watching your video, I found that the 285/75R17 is almost equivalent to a 35inch tire for less the price, opted for BF ko2s as you cannot go wrong..
Once again, thank you for great information!
Patrick-
Edmonton Alberta
Canada 🇨🇦
I live in FL, I have these Falken Wildpeak AT3s in 33" on a F150 SC. They also work great in mud, sand as well as wet or dry interstate. First set I've ever owned & at 49 years old, the best set of ATs I've ever owned & will not buy any other brand since owning these. I've got over 40k miles on mine and they still look new. Best tire on the market imo
This isn't always true and can vary drastically depending on rim size, load, etc. For instance, a 315/60R20 (34.9x12.4) Geolandar G003 is $170 more per tire than a 35x12.5R20. The 315 is a 125 D load vs a 121 E load, but $170 more for metric. Long story short, everyone should do their research and see what their total options are depending on their size and requirements because there MAY be a cheaper option if certain characteristics (load rating,etc) don't matter to them.
Yeah I’ve responded to someone with a 20. I wasn’t really calling out 20” people in my video. More off-road Overlanding 4wd people. 20” + is confusing because it’s difficult to find both the us and metric sizes for a lot of tires. But yeah in general this is a 15-18” video. I didn’t think it would be getting this many views outside of what I usually do my videos on. Thanks
Crazy part is they don’t make a metric 37x12.5R17
@@NickMango20"+ don't have any reason to be on a truck. They're shit.
@@logantv14 nonsense.
Thanks Nick. I've been running 315/70 R17( basically 34.4) on my 2020 JLUR for years. The price difference is astounding and like you pointed out, the actual size difference is negligible.
I'm glad the algorithm switched things up because I'm about to go from 37s to 35s and this saved me some money. Thanks a lot, Nick. L&S'd this guy for this video alone.
Great info, the only thing i wish you had taken the time to explain is how metric tire sizes read COMPLETELY different. Everyone i meet thinks the first number (like 295) is the height.
Wow!!!! I didn't believe you at first, but you are correct!
Example nitto trail recon:
35x12.5 17 - 34.53 inches in height - $429
Same exact tire in
315/70r17 - 34.41 inches in height - $362
Thanks for the tip!!
You should make another video comparing alot of different tires
I had 35x12.5 and went down to a slightly smaller tire saved 800$ on 4 tires
The 35 I bought back in 2017 they were 505$ can for 1 tire and now the same tire is 560$ Hense why I went to a smaller size saved 50 lb and a pile of money 4 tires ready to mount were 1600$
Tires in Canada are insanely priced
I live in west Michigan where we also get a lot wet snow. I've tried almost every brand of AT tire on the market and always end up going back to BFG. I tried the Wildpeak because they were a few hundred bucks cheaper, and all the yt reviews praising it. I "saved" a few hundred bucks over BFG's to get a tire that worked the same in snow, better in rain, but wore out in half the amount of miles. This was on my 2006 silverado 1500 4X4 winter beater, 265/7017 load range E, because I like a stiffer side wall for trailering. When I say winter beater the truck is mechanical perfect, but has rusty rockers and rear wheel wells. I am a mechanic by trade and always replace any worn parts and do an alignment myself when ever I replace tires. I rotate them every 5,000 miles when I change the oil. To me the $200 bucks saved was not worth it, my BFG's always wear like iron. You results may very... On a side note I'm also a Jeep/ offroad fanatic. That 80lb " savings " on the BFG is rotating weight and not going to effect a truck or gladiator nearly as much as a sports car, but that extra rubber may mean the difference between getting a punctured side wall, or not. The only time I'm going to care about that extra 20lbs per tire on a 34" tall tire is when I'm mounting, balancing, and rotating them.
Not just 80 pounds, but 80 pounds of unsprung weight!
If I remember correctly 10lbs unsprung weight is one horsepower lost so 80lbs would be 8hp lost basically the same as having a second AC system or a heavy duty alternator in addition to your normal one.
Great video! I’ve helped people pick tires and I’ve learned that for the most part, people want to see the number 35 on their tire more than anything else! I’m Canadian and I know metric. Duratrac 285 75 R18 come in at 35.1” actual diameter 5:17 . I’ve had arguments with people who tell me it’s not a true 35” tire compared to their 35 X 12.5 x 18” that has an actual diameter of 34.5”. It’s nuts!
295mm = 11.61”. The tire would read 11.5 of course. They can’t write 12.5 can they?
Metric isn’t magic just like writing 35” on something doesn’t mean it’s true
Appreciate the comment Chris. Thanks 👍
Thanks for the info I had been looking at 35’s for my ‘06 Armada now I know what I’m getting instead of spending so much!
0:45 I'd have to disagree with you on those. I've ran those after hearing how well they perform only to be underwhelmed 🤷♂️. If you can afford 400+ a tire Cooper STMaxx have been hands down the best traction in wet snow and rainy conditions plus has armortek sidewall. Doesn't hydroplane. Falken wild peaks are definitely decent and worth the $
I purchased 33x12.50 R15 once, I figured out that metric is way cheaper than inches in 2009. Ever since its always been metric sizes soley for the price. And I do not regret it at all.
I discovered this a while ago, but without as many crunched numbers. I run essentially a 34.2, rather than a 35. Saves me (in 2024) nearly $135 a tire.
Can you share the actual size? Thanks!
@@RedBeardDevelopmentshould be like a 275-65x20
I ran the AT3W for one summer wheeling season and had so many sidewall cuts they had to be replaced at only 8k miles. People who don’t actually use their trucks off road seem to love them though 😂
Tire sizes are more of a rough guess than an actual measurement. It varies by manufacture. Cheap inexpensive Chinese tires are much smaller, coopers are generally smaller Goodyear is pretty accurate, and Toyo / nitto are generally larger than listed. It gets noticeable above 31 inches roughly. This is why any tire store and manufacture will tell you not to run different brand tires or even different model tires on four-wheel drive vehicles but especially all wheel drive vehicles. They aren't trying to rip you off they're trying to save your vehicle.
The 295 sizes were popularized within the last decade by nitto/Toyo. As new manufacturers enter that sales market their prices are going to be lower to try to get recognition and compete. As time goes on I'd wager that their prices will normalize.
Fuel economy and power is greatly reflected by a tires rolling resistance. The larger the tire the greater the footprint on the ground the greater the rolling resistance. Yes the weight has an effect but not nearly as much as rolling resistance. I would assume The extra weight my play into brake life more but that could also be because of the angular momentum of both the extra size and weight, but I can't say for certain.
Hey I’m in total agreement with you on this. I rather have metric size which can be taller than a standard size. Your better with a narrower tire. I’ve had large mud tires on numerous trucks but years back I switched to metric. Excellent video
Yup a 295 was actually taller than my 35”
In general I agree. I like the 285/75r18 size personally. Actual diameters of these 285s is larger than the actual diameters of “35” inch tires. Same with your 295s.
Unslung weight is a good thing when you build a real 4x4. OVERLANDING being as much about highway and smooth level two track and gas milage, I can totally hear your argument. I think every build should start with a purpose.
#1 what’s the purpose of the vehicle:
#2 what’s the best tire to do that purpose:
Ground clearance is pretty importance for soft sand driving. A diff hitting a dune will act like a anchor. But yes, people that sell 35s know their buyers will pay that much for them.
This is a great video!
3 years later, watched this again.
Solid info- when I get tires again, I’ll need to give credit where credit is due
The 35 is not meant to be a heavy load tire, it’s got a heavy sidewall to drop pressure real low and conform to the terrain where as the 295 is meant for flat ground and maybe a yard, not big rocks and rough terrain. You only show one part of the situation but not the main point of the 35. The point is you don’t buy 35s to haul things which is pretty much common sense, you buy them to do the serious off-roading and I’m not talking about getting unstuck from a ditch
I have wheeled the absolute hell out of a 285 size tire through rock and all and never had an issue.
What are you talking about. Both tires are offered in different load ratings.
Yup. Been running small tires for 20 years.
I pull 12k behind my Dodge 6.7 diesel running 35x12.50 r17 load range E mud tires and have hit speeds that in excess of the interstate speed limits in Colorado by 25mph ...LoL ... "You can't tow on 35"s"...😅 If I get these 4.30 gears installed before my next set of tires I'll be running 37s towing the same weight .
Was looking at tires bigger than 33 but smaller than 35 for my sierra 1500. My dealer gets the best prices on BFG so I went with KO2s. 17 inch rim, they make a 34x10.5 17! I thought I would go for that, when I found they make a 285 75 17, which measures out to about 33.9x11 or so. They were about 75 dollars less per tire, and just like you said they are 80psi rated, not 65. Metric is the way to go!
A higher load range is not always better, at all.
enjoy your harsher ride!
been doing this for years, its the same scam for any tire with a inch label, 33,35,37,39 its the same scams glad its being made into a video to expose cooperate markup
I bought four 35x12.50-15s for $777 delivered..that was pre covid though.
I run the 295/70R-18's and love them. I may try 285/75R-18's next though. Narrower and taller then 35's and better fuel economy.
When the Wildpeak 35's that came on my JK finally wear out, I'm moving down from a 12" width to a 10 inch width. These things I have now are massive, and stick out past the fenders. They fling mud and gravel all up the side of my Jeep. I have no use for wide tires.
37’s from military humvee is the way to fly.. bit heavy but come with bead locks.. $200 a wheel! 90-96% tread been using them on my dmax for 2.5 years.. a guy in wi sells just the tires for $100 a piece..
I also found that most all terrain tires have a very limited or no warranty lesson learned after 3 sets of Goodyear wranglers belts breaking for no reason
My brain broke
Info overload haha
I don't have a truck why I'm here
@@NickMangoon mine I ended up with the opposite scenario, the 35-12.50-17s were cheaper than the 315-70-17s, so it pays to check the prices for both.
@markasread4349😮 Chill it's only $2,000 worth of tires 😮🤯😵💫
And that’s why they’re able to rip you off lol.
The E load tire at 65 psi will carry as much as a E load tire at 80 psi . You can’t compare the load range of two different tire with two different load ranges. Compare apples to apples. Plus a 315/70r18 is 35.4” tall which is a true 35”. The 295/70r18 is 34.4” tall not a 35”. The load range D, E and F has zero on the mileage a tire gets. It’s referring to the side wall, not the contact surface/ tread that meets the road. The higher content of silica in a tire gives it the mileage. More information can be obtained through TIA and RMA it’s a school about tires .
You’re 💯. The tire that came on my truck is a 285 70 R18, cheaper than a 35x12.50 and has a higher load index.
I can't do 35's on mine anyway. For the LT285/70R17 wrangler duratrac, this size is an even 33 according to their website. I may upgrade to this size later on! Thanks for the information!
The wrangler duratrac tire is garbage and ridiculously overpriced. Just my opinion.
YES! They have us by the Short and Curly's because we don't know the Metric System. Dammit. 🤬🤬🤬
I went from a 295/65/20 Nitto Trail Grap to a 35” Mickey m/t and the 295’s were taller by a half inch 😮
For full sized work trucks being loaded heavy the master race size is 285/75r18. Right at 35" Diameter and a load range of 129 for 4057s lbs. 35" tires are usually softer and have less load range for jeeps and offroad rigs who needs the flexibility
Was just pricing tires for my old square and this video certainly rings true. I just wanted 33s but a 33x12.50r15 which was actually a 32.2 vs the equivalent which was a true 33 but it's a 10.50r15 had higher load range higher speed and weighed less. In addition it was about $50 cheaper per tire. While the wider tire is preferred I couldn't overlook the differences. Especially for a truck that will be going into storage in another month until next summer.
Ok, I am currently running the 35x12.50r20 BFG KO2 on my F-250. The reason I went to the KO2 was to get more miles on the road. I was running Firestone MT 35’s but was only getting 20,000 miles out of them. Now I ran the firestones at 32psi cold & now the BFG’s at 32psi. So when they warm up, they’ll be at 38. I pull trailers & a lot of weight down the road. My main concern is how these will perform in the mud. They’ve been great so far. Those MT’s would beat you to death & the noise was terrible.
I don’t care about looks. I care about performance & the cost. I don’t want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere because of crappy tires. So I won’t know until the wet season gets here but happy so far. If you’re carrying weight & want to air down, 35’s are the way to go.
Why would you air down carrying weight
@@robertdahle7216I had to air down because I drive around ranches that are very muddy. That was with the Firestone MT’s. Both the 275/65r20 (factory) & the 35x12.50r20. Now I put the BFG AT KO2 35x12.50r20. I’ve been able to keep them at 60psi & haven’t had to bag down yet driving in the same conditions. I’ve got 30k miles on them now & still have 9/10 of a tread. They still look new. I love this video because next time I’m thinking of getting the 296/65r20 so I can get the BFG AT KO3. I just don’t want to be stuck in the middle of a pasture in the middle of nowhere.
EXCELLENT video! Thank you! I never would have known. I have a '22 Diesel Rubicon JT, and am almost ready for a new set of tires. This is great information.
You can buy a set of 4 Falken A/T 4 Wildpeaks of that size any day of the week for $1100 shipped.
Great video but I think that the extra plies are worth the trade offs if it saves your tires from objects on trail.
(1) KO2 have been the best in wet/snow for me, live in WA where it rains 9 months out of the year, make sure to get the softer tread ones, not the DT. (2) The KO2 has a higher load rating (126/123) than I should ever need for the size I get with my 3500 . (3) the KO2 is lighter than about any other in the same size, 57#. (4) 275/65r20 are a 34” tire and cost $1100 at Costco.
I have a 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon. When I bought it (used) it had a set of those same Falken tires on it (brand new tires) instead of the original Goodyear Duratracs that the Wagon comes with new.
Now mind you, I’m not rock crawler and currently since my wife is in the military we are stationed where it’s congested traffic and basically 100 percent urban. Yeah, currently the Wagon is a “mall crawler” until she finally retires (in just a couple more years) then it’s back to NW PA for us where we will be in the sticks in the middle of nowhere with lake effect snows and barely an urban location anywhere to speak of, I’m talking peeing off your front porch at lunchtime in full view of the road middle of nowhere. Hopefully then, these tires will show me what they got. I don’t drive much where we are currently, but the few times I have driven, of all places I got kinda “stuck” was in an unfinished (think mud) parking lot next to a muffler shop. When it happened I didn’t even realize the truck was spinning really. It wasn’t even that soupy. I was in 2wd, put it in drive to go pick the wife up at the front door after dropping off our other vehicle and it wasn’t moving. I wasn’t hammering on the skinny pedal, I had just eased off the brake and was going to just let the truck slowly start moving before adding anything to it. It didn’t move at all. Confused, I braked and put it in park. I got out and along with some mud on the side of my truck and caked in the wheel wells those Falken’s (just like what you have beside you in the video) were PACKED with mud and were smooth. I admit, I was kinda shocked. It was cold enough outside that the “mud” was pretty stiff, nearly frozen. It was more on the dry side than the wet side of being mud, as I said….not soupy.
I have a ‘52 M37 sitting on 37” NDT’s that would have lurched from that spot with ease. So, I think the Falkens just aren’t as suited to handle somewhat (read: barely) muddy situations as I’d hoped. I think the original Duratrac’s would have done better in that situation.
Aside from that one instance they seem like good tires. Time will tell I guess.
Most people that have vehicles like that can't afford to drop $2,000 on a new set of tires. Or they just don't want to. Falcon tires should be listed as cruel and unusual punishment under the Geneva convention. The saddest part is when you think about the longevity of the tire and break it down to cost per mile between a cheap and expensive tire versus the Goodyear dirt track which is in my opinion the best tire out there, The More expensive tires like your toyos your nittos your good years your BFGs always work out to be less expensive in the long run. Hell I've seen people go through two sets of cheap tires in the same mileage that an oilfield driver would go through one set of good tires.
The last 35’s I bought were Kanati trail hogs. $870 installed. They were the longest lasting at/mt I ever had
I had a set of 33” Kanati Mud Hogs and they were great!
There is SOOO much more to this conversation that the oversimplified numbers you’re focused on. Bottom line is that the 35’s aren’t for everyone, but you’re wrong if you think they aren’t for anyone.
Right over your head lmfao. Metric and flotation sizes can be exactly the same.
@@NoSmileification Many times the load range will differ as well as the make up of the sidewalls and what they can withstand for abuse. A higher price is usually justified though not always. A lot needs to be taken into account when considering your build.
I purchased a set of Cooper AT3 XLTs 295/70/18 - 34.3” / 61 lbs
Great looking tires, quiet, great wet weather handling, 60k mile wear warranty
Great stuff, I ended up getting metric more so for fitment and rubbing but good to know it's cheaper. Lots of stuff to learn for sure!
It’s not a $100 difference, it’s over a $500 difference for that fraction of an inch bigger. What’s an even bigger rip off tho, is the larger the hole is for the wheel, the less rubber is needed, yet tire companies charge more for that extra air. They must have learned that shady BS from the government.
I bought wildpeaks AT3Ws before they became popular. 33x12.5-18 were $800 out the door. They were a great buy but now they're almost double...just because they're popular. Falken wildpeaks are good, but they're still Falkens.
Liked your video so much I weighed my stock F150 265/65/17 Ford aluminum wheel with tire 63lbs. Next a 285/60/20 Ford 20x8.5 aluminum wheel Michelin defender 91 lbs. Then 285/55/22 Ford 22x9 aluminum wheel Yokohama GO15 110lbs !!!....wheel 47lbs tire 63lbs 34.75". Alot of wheel, alot of tire and if I didn't have 4.09 gears would suck the life and gas right out of this 5.0. Love the ride and handling. I will say the steering feels alittle heavier and the brakes more normal as with stock w/t's a bit touchy.
Thank you great info 👍
When he was done talking about the short format educational videos and then went right to the point of this video I subscribed 😂
My understanding as explained to me from an off road guy is the wider KO2 35 with 123 load index is good for beadlock and airing down while 129 load index thinner tires is too stiff for good air down, but better wear for highway use. I off road only 1-2 times a year so I went with the mm version at 34” and 129 load index KO2
Nice break down … so have you research which brand and model of metric 18 inch diameter tire is closest to a true 35… I’ve been searching and I’m thinking it’s Nittos … what have you found.. because your right the price difference is substantial…
Tire sizes very by manufacturer. Anything above roughly 31 in is just an approximation not an actual measurement. The cheaper Chinese stuff is always much smaller, a 35 will measure out to 33". Cooper is a little bit small not as small as a Chinese stuff. Goodyear and BFG are fairly accurate. Toyo and nitto are generally oversized. A quarter to a half an inch but still oversized. Just because a tire lists itself as 35 or 33 does not make it a true 35 or 33.
If you get the opportunity put a 35-in toyo/nitto up next to 35-in off-brand tire and you be shocked.
Appreciate the info, I was actually pricing them earlier today I'm definitely going for the 295s 👍👍
I get what you are saying but in 20 inch wheels you can't get 70 series All Terrains, you can go 295/65 x 20 but that is only an 11.5 inch tire, not as wide as most run with the 35/12.5 x 20. So if you want the width and height you are going to pay no matter what no way around it. plus if you go for the width in the metric size with a 325/60 x 20 then you will be paying more than a 35/12.5 x 20 tire.
Facts
My LT295/65R20 Maxxis RAZR MTs are .9 inches taller than the 35" offering and I'd rather get that extra height than width any day.
This video is excellent.
Looking today - Tires are now 15% more since this video and there is no 50-100$ savings between the tires anymore.😢
This video is helping me keep my eye on all categories of the tire spec.
What site are you looking at and what tires?
The difference is off road when you air down. Sorry already tested. Thicker sidewall on 35 means less chance of puncture and less chance of losing your bead seal when air downed. It all depends on what your gonna use tire for.
So you think a 35” tire has thicker sidewalls than its equivalent in metric?
Us tire nerds love doing this type of research and comparison. Love it!
Been researching the same for my burb for six months. A 315 metric is the equivalent to 35"across most wheel/rim sizes, the load difference is per brand as is weight dependant on ply on top and sidewall. Most 35" tires vary between 34.+ To exactly 35". Compare a 35" to a 315 and they are almost identical. 295 equates to a 33.3" tire. You actually have to factor in wheel/rim size and brand.
A 295 70 r18 is 1/4” smaller in height. A 315 is bigger than a 35. I read off the exact sizes of the tires in the video.
It isn't a ripoff, it's just a production volume thing. They produce many thousands of 295s and a fraction of that number in 35s so naturally the more common size is going to be cheaper. I agree with everything else but the price isn't a scam.
It's simple listen 5/8mm times the $103 per tire minus the 12 ply dived by the width maybe add 50 buck but the ko2 was was less if you count the psi.
This might be the case for that tire specifically, but it is not always the case for every tire in general. Every tire brand and model is different, but in this case it is also cheaper because a 295/70R18 (equivalates roughly to 34.3x11.5R18) is smaller than 35x12.5R18. A 305/70R18 (34.8x12R18) is closer to an actual 35x12.5. I don’t believe Falken makes a 305/70R18 wildpeak at3w, but other brands that do, the prices will be similar to their 35x12.5
I put 315s on my gladiator and I love them. Absolutely the same height as a 35 and they are a tiny bit narrow compared to a 35 but the weight difference is huge! Factory rims and it didn't change the way it runs or drives!
I just saved like 500 bucks… 295/65/20 vs 35/12.5/20…
The metric is only 1” narrower and actually 1/2 bigger.. and with the load rating I needed to go up in ply So in order to get a 80 lb tire it needed to be a F with the 35. This guy just saved me a lot of money.
Oh.. and I like the narrower tire to begin with. 2011 ford F250
Glad I could help out!
20 years a go I worked for a tire shop. Tire rep constantly said ppl will pay more for imperial b/c they can't do the math for metric.
It would have been great if you mentioned and compared tire tread depth! Thanks 😯😏
Just move to the west coast and all tires are cheap at the Lanteras shops! I paid under $700 for my set of 35’s
if you off-road in a non full size vehicle, an E rated tire is inappropriate for the vehicle. Not only is it much heavier, and rough riding, you would have to let a lot more air out of them to conform over obstacles, which increase the chance of losing the bead. Most Jeeps and Toyotas should be looking at C or D rated.
Yep, spot on. My research pointed me to sticking with the Metric tires when going bigger.
Running tires with a higher load rating than what is actually “required” leads to bad tire wear patterns in my experience… specifically severe cupping. 🤷♂️
Calculations for Measurements
Tire Width: Section width divided by 25.4 (Ex: 225 / 25.4 = 8.86")
Section Height: Tire width times aspect ratio (Ex: 8.86" x 70% = 6.20")
Overall Diameter: Section height times 2 plus rim diameter (Ex: (6.20" x 2) + 15 = 27.40")
I’ve always felt that info was there I was just too lazy to do the math. Thank you!!!!!!
There are more numbers that change the price. How unique the tire is makes them price higher. Sometimes unique tires also have unique compounds for specific vehicles.
If you use the standard load or lower load range tire than the vehicle calls for you are supposed to downrate the load capacity 10% or so, forget the specifics, that's why LT load rated tires aren't that massive of a load increase, its larger of a difference than the rating appears.
I love this, but good luck. I have spent so many hours having this conversation with my customers I finally gave up. I think they just like to say "I have 35's" and the number on the tire corroborates them? And if you "need" an extra 1/4" of overall diameter to not hit a rock on the trail...I think you should just practice being a better driver.😮
The bigger scam is people thinking they want/need wide tires. Unless you’re operating in bottomless mud, snow, or sand, the performance of a narrower tire is far superior.
Nick all good points I’m in agreement with you on the Falken’s being the best AT tires for dry wet and snow (I’ve run the old style BFG’s AT and the newer KO2’s and the KO2’s are much better in the wet and snow than the older AT’s) but the falken’s are better I’m running the Falken AT3W’s in a 315/70R17 I prefer 17’s in wheel size which translates into cheaper tire cost mine measure in at 34.5 inches tall and 12 inches wide looks great on the truck I run factory steel basic silver wheels I like the utility look on trucks especially the Ram and everything fits inside the wheel well to keep stock geometry plus they are easy to balance and strong as steel because they are I run lower than factory spec air pressures for ride quality but due to the larger more capable tire size even at the lower tire pressure they have the same load rating as the stock set up a lot of people aren’t aware you can still run 17’s if that’s your liking and to your main point about size and cost that’s why I went 315/70R17 instead of 35/12.50R17 which that extra half inch in width of the 35’s would have stuck out some which I didn’t want and the height is basically the same and over all saved some coin win win.
315s are wider than 35/12.5/17
Looking for the largest 35/ smallest 37 - but light weight
Both of those prices are ridiculous.
Also. Did you make sure they were both light truck tires?
37 pategonias m/t weigh less than all 35 m/t. Which is why I bought 37. But every decision has the pluses and negatives. Pateginias by design need to run higher PSI so ride comfort isn't always the best, at least in my setup. However traction off road is much better than a lot of the other tires in the market. My two cents!!!
37's are significantly more than 35's in an 18" rim too. However,go to a 17" rim in 35 or 37 and they are significantly cheaper and easier to find.
My guess is it comes down to production numbers, and sales. The tire manufacturer sells many more of the metric than the inch tire. Therefore its gonna be cheaper
The 12 ply might hold up better off road (like not improved dirt road). For my needs... I doing the Metric size and still gonna bitch because it cost to much! Never understood that. My last set of tires I bought stock take off ATs with newer rims for only 150 more than it cost for a full set of tires and sold my stock rims that came with my truck for 350 dollars. Updated to a look I wanted ended up running out a new set of tires. Looking at some. I had some wild peaks and they didn't wear nice for me. I got under the mileage rating before they were done they were also loud a heck! I went with some other tires next time. This is will be the 6th set on this truck. For my last truck I ended up getting non metric tires because they were roughly the same size and cheaper! Interesting turn around.
Tread depth on metric tires is usually a little less than the non-metric equivalents.
This is confusing/misleading, because you keep saying "the 35 vs the 295", but the first number in metric tires (315, 295, 215, etc...) is the width of the tire in millimeters. The second number determines the sidewall height. The second number is a % of the width, so a 295/70 tire is 11.6 inches wide with an 8.1 inch tall sidewall. Meaning there is a 1 inch difference between a 295/70r17 and a 295/70r18, but in US standard form a 35/11.5r17 is roughly the same height as a 35/11.5r18, it just has less sidewall.
You are 100% right SIR...Not sure what these people are talking about..LOL
I clearly state at 1 min and 30 seconds the exact size of the tires I’m comparing. It’s not confusing or misleading. The video is 6 minutes long. I think you can pay attention for 6 minutes. Try hard.
I have 37" Toyo AT3s LTs with load E rating for my 2022 F250. Cost $400 Canadain pesos each in September. I think you need to find a better garage or something, or maybe the prices are inflated due to demand? I don't understand why you mentioned weight and cost when you have a solid steel bumper lying in that background. Availability is the only thing that matters right now, in my opinion. I remember this time last year MTs tripled in price due to shortages. Pay cash for tires, not credit if you want to save money. Privately owned tire business will do cash no tax in tire season.
P-Metric tires and floatation tires are more different than you're explaining. A Wildpeak 35" tire can support the weight of my Jeep at 25 PSI. The P-Metric version requires 35 PSI to support the same load.
All the folks claiming why 35s must suck and why their small factory tires are probably the best reminds me of the asop fable about the fox and the grapes 😅
Curious to hear your educated opinions on tires for 2013 F250 (6.7), in coastal NC (no snow), almost all on road driving, some towing up to 10,000. Currently have Dynapro AT2 LT325 / 60 R20. Priority is tire longevity (miles), MPG, road performance, towing, tire noise and finally off road performance.