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Goodyear Duratrac Wear Update

43K views 51 replies 28 participants last post by  Bartman432 
#1 · (Edited)
I haven't been on in a while and wanted to give everyone an update on my Duratrac's purchased this summer. For the record I have 265/75/16 on my truck. They are the AT version not the mud terrain.

I purchased them 12k miles ago and have rotated them 3 times in the 12k miles (purchased 04/09). I have done a lot of city driving, highway in high heat and winter snow conditions. About 2k miles towing a 30ft travel trailer with a weight of about 9500 lbs. I have also spent some good time in the mud with them as well as a lot of winter driving ie snow, slush and ice.

My impression of the tire to date is they are the best tires I have bought for any truck and especially for a HD pick up. They have been perfect in all conditions from dry pavement, mud, rain and snow. They where great to tow with as well.

I would say they are pretty quiet for a tire as aggressive as these. A little louder then the Bridgestone dueler at revos they replaced. But they seem to ride better and out perform the Bridgestone in every other way! I have run Dunlop, Michelin, BFG, Goodyear, Cooper, Bridgestone, Toyo, and a few others I can't think of right now and I have never been happier with any tires more then these. I have run AT's and a few mud tires and these are by far the best performers. I also get asked a lot who makes the tires, they look really good and very aggressive just like a Toyo but at a lower cost.

They are also made in the USA which is huge!

After the first 12k miles they are pretty much the same noise level, as best as I can tell they haven't changed since the first 1k miles. They ride great and have kept their balance perfect. In fact discount tire has kept checking them and hasn't had to adjust them at all. The ride is the same and traction is the same as when new.

So far the tread seems to be wearing very well. At this rate I would suspect 40-50k plus miles on a set. Most others I am lucky to hit 30k with so if I can hit the high 30k mark I will be thrilled! I don't expect them to last as long as a Michelin tire but I have a much better tire in respect to anything non highway.

If you have been thinking of getting a set I would highly recommend them!

David
 
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#2 ·
I have had them for only 1500 miles, but I am very happy with them.
They are a little LOUD, but they will go anywhere you point them.
 
#4 ·
almost 500 miles on mine (took the wifes truck on vacation).. Glad to hear they wear well.
 
#7 ·
Have any of you guys that are running the Duratrac's also run the BFG Commercial T/A Traction tire too?

Any comparisons you could make for highway driving? Rain? Snow? Ice?

I've been looking at the BFG's as a winter tire but the Duratrac's also have my eye and they are a very good looking tire too!
 
#8 ·
I have 30K on my set and they have been the best tire I have had yet. A bit louder than I want but will deal with it. I will post pictures tonight.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the update!


You must get winters like we do up in Wisconsin, how do the Duratracs do on adverse conditions (snow, ice, slush, etc)?

Any issues with balancing (ie out of balance, out of round, etc) the tires during use?
 
#10 ·
Thanks! Roscoe. Well I have been running the Pro Comp extreme mud terrains (285/75/16) on the stock wheels for about 2 years and got about 40K out of them. Now it is time for new ones and I Have been eyeballing the duratracs but cant decide if I want to get the 265's or 285's...
 
#37 ·
Now it is time for new ones and I Have been eyeballing the duratracs but cant decide if I want to get the 265's or 285's...
I've had a few sets of ProComp and BFG A/T's in 285/75/16 on my truck. Most recently went to a decent used set of 265/75/16 General Grabbers which I got almost two years out of and was reasonably happy with. The 265's seemed to give me a small bump in fuel mileage too. They were finally worn out and I really liked the look of the Duratracs. I was also looking forward to going back to a 285 tire from a looks standpoint, but the Duratracs are so chunky looking that I went ahead and fitted the 265/75/16's. They look great, and are quieter than I thought they'd be. Definitely a little squishy during quick lane changes compared to the Generals or the BFG's but not nearly as squishy as the set of Goodyear MTR's that I had on it a long time ago. I've been running them at 70psi so I'm going to bump them up to 80 where I ran all the other tires and see if that stiffens them up just a bit. I'm very happy with the ride. I will admit that I talked a client into putting a set on his truck a few months back, and gave him a call for an update before I pulled the trigger on a set for myself:) He couldn't be happier so far. I wasn't looking for a full on mud-tire but love the look of them, so the Duratracs are a nice compromise. I call them an aggressive all-terrain tire. Works for me. Hoping for a long and happy relationship with them.



Gar
 
#12 ·
Tire Wear

How in the :eek:*%^% :eek:do you guys get 30K or 40K out of set of tires.. I have 147K on my 05 and have had at least 6-7 sets.. I get 20K tops. I drive 100 miles a day and 95% of the day is interstate.. I rotate them and check pressures.. Any insight for more tire wear would be wonderful.. Thanks lfosbri
 
#13 ·
How in the :eek:*%^% :eek:do you guys get 30K or 40K out of set of tires.. I have 147K on my 05 and have had at least 6-7 sets.. I get 20K tops. I drive 100 miles a day and 95% of the day is interstate.. I rotate them and check pressures.. Any insight for more tire wear would be wonderful.. Thanks lfosbri
Nice truck, almost identical to mine. :cool:

It would help to know what brand(s) / model(s) of tires you're running too.
 
#14 ·
Type of tires used in the past

1 set - OEM Bridgestone 20K - 235/75/16
1 set - Firestone Destination AT 20K - 235/75/16
2 sets - Hankook DynaPro As RH03 - 20K - 235/75/16
2 sets - Firestone Destination AT 20K - 235/75/16
Current Set - Firestone Transforce AT 265/75/16..

Current mileage 147K

The Current set has about 12K on them and they look great.. Maybe changing the size and model of tire might do the trick.. Hoping..

Thanks lfosbri:cool:
 
#25 ·
1 set - OEM Bridgestone 20K - 235/75/16
1 set - Firestone Destination AT 20K - 235/75/16
2 sets - Hankook DynaPro As RH03 - 20K - 235/75/16
2 sets - Firestone Destination AT 20K - 235/75/16
Current Set - Firestone Transforce AT 265/75/16..

Current mileage 147K

The Current set has about 12K on them and they look great.. Maybe changing the size and model of tire might do the trick.. Hoping..

Thanks lfosbri:cool:
I think you might be happy with the Transforce AT's. I have a set of 26575r16 in E load range and currently have 27k miles on them. Only rotated/balanced twice in that timeframe. As of two weeks ago when rotated/balanced, all four had bwtn 10-11/ 32nd's left of tread depth with very little edge wear. That tire in that size starts with 18/32nd's accoridng to tire manuf literature. That puts these somwhere in the high 40's to low 50k range if wear continues at similar rate. Much better than BFG T/A KO's on the truck before.

For the $$ I am very pleased with these tires so far. Did great in fairly hard winter last year and have had off road a few times during hunting season. Wont' be a very good "deep mud" tire, but that it not what I was shopping for.
 
#15 ·
lfosbri, just as a side note when you put on your new Firestone Transforce AT's did you notice any drop in MPG? acceleration off the line? towing capability?

I'm looking at LT265/70R17's for mine, but I don't want to give up too much in other areas.
 
#17 ·
Transforce

MTL_DMAX....

They seems to wander for the first 1000 or so miles and since then they have been great.. I haven't had them on for snow yet but maybe this weekend I'll give them a try.. The DIC shows the same numbers but if you calculate the MPG it's a litttle less and I think that's because the DIC doesn't know about the size change in tires from 235 to 265.. Overall pleases with the transforce.. The destination's seemed soft meaning better ride but not long lasting..

I wish tires lasted as long as the brakes.. Still original..:):):)

Hope this helps..
 
#18 ·
MTL_DMAX....

They seems to wander for the first 1000 or so miles and since then they have been great.. I haven't had them on for snow yet but maybe this weekend I'll give them a try.. The DIC shows the same numbers but if you calculate the MPG it's a litttle less and I think that's because the DIC doesn't know about the size change in tires from 235 to 265.. Overall pleases with the transforce.. The destination's seemed soft meaning better ride but not long lasting..

I wish tires lasted as long as the brakes.. Still original..:):):)

Hope this helps..
I would think the DIC would show lower mileage if you hadn't programmed the ECM for the larger tire size. Good to know there's not much change overall. I've got the stock size (245/75R16) Bridgestone R265 V-steel's on there now and they ride good but I'd just like the look of a larger profile tire.
 
#19 ·
Well Im going to buy some Duratracs this weekend hopefully. Thanks for all the help!
 
#20 ·
Mine are being installed as I type (285-75-16). Had BFG AT KOs on prior so am interested to see the difference.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Mine are being installed as I type (285-75-16). Had BFG AT KOs on prior so am interested to see the difference.
Definately let us know, very interested myself as well (esp since your up north too).
 
#24 ·
Just saw the new Michelin's last week, looks to be a very good winter tire. They will definetly be quieter but, the Duratrac's are not too bad. As far as the cornering, unless your Mario Androusey they corner fine even with weight.
 
#26 ·
I have had the transforce tires for two years now on my 3 axle toyhauler and they are awesome!
 
#27 ·
do you rotate every 4k miles? i am running bfg ats right now rotating every 6k and i doubt i will hit 30k miles on them. i barely got 20k out of my nitto ats.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Put the Duratrac 315-70-17s on last week - so far I am happy. Compared to the Michelin LTX MS/2s here are my observations:

1) Comfort/Ride going straight - same
2) Cornering - amazingly close - I was expecting more tippy
3) Noise - they have a definite "whir" but not too awful
4) Looks - they look awesome compared to the Michelin 285s!

If I change my mind after a few thousand miles I will report back.

We shall see how they wear. My intent is to put the Michelins back on after the Winter.
 
#30 ·
tire wear

It has been a long time since I have been here and it is nice to be back. I have a February 09 GMC Sierra and I am looking to replace my original tires. Stock truck with alot of highway miles plus towing a bay boat of about 5k lbs. Tires turned 53k on them today and i have about another 5k left in them. My problem was at low tide on a ramp spinning my tires. first time that has happened so i know they are not sticking. I will post what I finally get and thanks for all the insight.
 
#32 ·
I have the 305 70 17s. I went from Michelin LTX MS/2s. The Michelins are about twice the tire with regards to everything except snow traction.

Other thoughts:
1) The Duratracs look awesome
2) I don't have enough miles to know how well they wear
3) They are noisy enough that they bother me

All in all, if they weren't as noisy, I would like them and buy another set. As it is, I am just in my truck too much to tolerate the whirrrrrrrr
 
#33 ·
Comparing the DT to the MS2 is like comparing Black Sabbath to Matchbox 20.
The michelin is a highway tire that gets overwhelmed by anything beyond rain.

I've had both and currently have the DT.
About 2k on them now, mostly all snow and ice (6' in last 6 weeks).
Needless to say they still look new.

Amazing in winter conditions.
No issues with handling/tracking/sway. They are solid.
Hum is worst around 30mph. I am in my truck all day, every day and while I prefer a quieter tire none of my passengers have even mentioned it. I'll report back as the miles climb and they get louder.
Took very little weight to balance and have zero vibration @ 85mph.
 
#34 ·
Michelin MS/2s better in the snow & ice than you might think

All in good fun:

Well, I agree, the noise and general ride discomfort of the Duratracs made me feel a little like Black Sabbath was trying to get into my brain and drive me mad! I remember feeling like when listening to them in high school! And, in fact, I quite like Matchbox 20, as I do the MS/2s! So, for what it's worth (very little) I in fact kinda agree with your comparo of tire performance to musical groups!

Seriously:

Please keep in mind that I drive about 2,500 miles per month and ride comfort and noise is a HUGE factor for me personally. However, safety in snow and ice is also VERY important to me. I take issue with your calling the MS/2s a highway tire.

Please keep in mind that I live in Colorado and this Winter I took my precious family up in the mountains numerous times skiing and I would not risk my family to a tire that performed like a highway tire.

The Michelins "look" more like a highway tire but don't let appearances fool you - as many things are in life - things aren't always as they appear.

I put the MS/2s back on and have went over Berthoud pass 4 times now (12,000 feet) in 4 - 10 inches of snow with many stretches of 100% hard pack and sheer ice - the MS/2s were very very good! Yes, I know, they don't look like a snow or ice tire but it is all in the design. I did this with the Duratracs as well - they are excellent too. They were better than the Michelins in the snow (particularly deep snow) but not by a huge margin. But on sheer ice the Michelins were better.

And the MS/2s are, according to Michelin, an all season tire - they are not a strict highway tire. In my opinion, they are better on snow and ice than any all season I have ever driven.

Even Tire Rack rates the performance of the MS/2 vs the Duratrac as follows:

Light Snow
Duratrac - 9.3
MS/2 - 9.0

Deep Snow
Duratrac - 9.3
MS/2 - 9.0

Ice - the Michelins beat the Duratracs on ice - I agree with this assessment!
Duratrac - 8.1
MS/2 - 8.4

Rain - (I would also give the MS/2s this same rating on ice and slush)
Duratrac - 8.7
MS/2 - 9.3

Hydroplaning Resistance
Duratrac - 8.7
MS/2 - 9.4

But here are the ones that made me get rid of the Duratracs and put the MS/2s back on:

Ride Comfort
Duratrac - 8.5
MS/2 - 9.4

Noise
Duratrac - 8.1
MS/2 - 9.1

Cornering Stability
Duratrac - 7.6 - ugggg, they felt like this around corners too!
MS/2 - 9.1

You called the MS/2s a "highway tire" - this is simply not the most accurate classification and neither does my experience nor do the reviews at the Tire Rack.

I am not saying the Duratracs are not a good tire for some people and their driving conditions and styles - they just don't fit my needs and the MS/2s do.

But keep in mind that I live in Colorado and we get more than a little bit of snow and I take the Duramax up in the hills in the winter and I will keep my MS/2s on!

Best regards, Steve
 
#35 ·
Good info..

But I would like to see some results between the 2 when they are in mud/sand
 
#36 ·
The Duratrac's rock thru mud with ease, but sand traction is about the same with both as long as the tire size is the same.
 
#38 ·
Having real good luck with my Transforce 265`s. Around 21,000 on them and still have at least half tread left. Ride good and handle good and no noise at all. Rotated a couple of times and no problems at all with balance. Would buy again for sure. Think they were around $650 for the set. Firestone may have had some problems in the past but they have their act together now. Can`t really comment about mud and snow cause my truck never sees it. Thats what the ole 97 is for.
 
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