Kenda Klever M/T question.

[JeniorNV]

I read both reviews you linked. Neither was very helpful and it seems like they may have even been written by the same person. Both just basically say that the tires are quiet (which you don't care about), they look awesome (who cares), and "I like them" (more details please?). In your shoes, I would definitely want to get more feedback from people who have used them in mud, rain, snow and ice. They are inexpensive, but that shouldn't be the deciding factor. Not only are tires an important piece of safety equipment, you are going to be stuck with whatever decision you make for quite a while.

Originally Posted by sycofrontier

One other question I thought of... Is it possible/alright to link this thread into a new thread in the off road section, or is that considered a double thread post? I'd like to have the off roaders input as well, but they may not look in here. Thanks again!

Don't bother. Most of us click on the "New Posts" button when we log on and see all of the new threads in chronological order. I don't even notice which subforum something is posted in half the time, and I doubt most people do either. Multiple threads on the same topic just create clutter.

[sycofrontier]

I am pretty set on buying them, and in a way I guess you could say that I do want the forum's ok to buy them. This is my first truck, first time driving in snow, and first time going off road. I don't want to die, hurt my truck, or waste money. I'm trying to be as informed about these tires as I possibly can be. When someone says they aren't impressed, I'd like to know what they mean by that. When they say they aren't siped and won't do good on wet or snowy roads, I'd like to know why I have seen so many M/T reviews that say certain M/T do well in said conditions and why. When someone says they don't think they will do well on dry roads, I'd like to know why. I literally have no experience with these things. I've driven a motorcycle my whole life, and didn't get my first car until I was 23 years old. Now, at 31, I have my first truck, and haven't learned many of the important truck driving fundamentals yet. I'm really not trying to argue with anyone's advice, or seem abrasive. Like I mentioned, I've read many posts on here, and without any personal knowledge of the topic, its got me very confused. I do know that I need new tires, and I do know my wife will kill me if I spend more than $800 on them. I also know that I will be playing in the mud, so a M/T in this price range seems like the best choice. I also know that this brand of tire is very reputable in other applications, but is relatively unknown in the truck tire industry. I've been hoping that someone on here has used these tires and might see the thread and give me some firsthand feedback on them.

[ScottB1982]

That's what I'm confused about as well. They obviously haven't been used by members on here yet, so you will be the "guinea pig" for us if you decide to buy them. You are pretty sold on buying that specific tire due to function and price, so maybe you are trying to decide on the size? If you aren't lifting your truck, go with the 265s. Better yet, if funds are short, then use that size anyways: Cheaper tire, better mileage, less supporting mods required...

As far as experience with that brand by us, you most likely won't get that from this group, as most of us use brands that have loads of real-world experience. Me personally, I wouldn't buy them, simply because the brand is not well-known or tested with our trucks, and having any kind of warranty support will be a lot harder than any tire you can buy at a regular store.

How much snow and ice do you typically deal with? If its only a couple of days a year, then don't base your tire choice on snow performance. If its a lot of the winter that you see snow, then look for a tire with the M+S rating, better yet, find one with the snowflake on it... an aggressive AT tire might have better luck on snow, and still give some ability in the mud as well. Plus, they tend to be cheaper than a MT tire. I guess my best advice: Don't buy a tire for terrain you might see 5 times a year or less.

[JeniorNV]

Originally Posted by sycofrontier

I am pretty set on buying them, and in a way I guess you could say that I do want the forum's ok to buy them. This is my first truck, first time driving in snow, and first time going off road. I don't want to die, hurt my truck, or waste money. I'm trying to be as informed about these tires as I possibly can be. When someone says they aren't impressed, I'd like to know what they mean by that. When they say they aren't siped and won't do good on wet or snowy roads, I'd like to know why I have seen so many M/T reviews that say certain M/T do well in said conditions and why. When someone says they don't think they will do well on dry roads, I'd like to know why. I literally have no experience with these things. I've driven a motorcycle my whole life, and didn't get my first car until I was 23 years old. Now, at 31, I have my first truck, and haven't learned many of the important truck driving fundamentals yet. I'm really not trying to argue with anyone's advice, or seem abrasive. Like I mentioned, I've read many posts on here, and without any personal knowledge of the topic, its got me very confused. I do know that I need new tires, and I do know my wife will kill me if I spend more than $800 on them. I also know that I will be playing in the mud, so a M/T in this price range seems like the best choice. I also know that this brand of tire is very reputable in other applications, but is relatively unknown in the truck tire industry. I've been hoping that someone on here has used these tires and might see the thread and give me some firsthand feedback on them.

I read most of the tire threads and your thread is the first time I've even heard of these tires. I've obviously never run them personally, but if you want input from an off roader... I off road my truck at least once or twice a month. It sees snow, ice, mud, rain, rocks, shale, you name it. Tires are CRITICALLY important for a truck's performance off road, as well as in inclement conditions on pavement. As has already been stated, mud terrains typically do great on mud, deep snow and on rocks, but not very well on ice or plowed snowy roads. All terrains are exactly the opposite - good on ice and paved snowy streets, but not so great in mud or deep snow. There are mud terrains that do better on snow and ice than others, but it's a compromise either way so make sure you know what your priorities are. After having put my truck through a number of different situations, and witnessing others putting their trucks through the same situations, tires are not an area where I would want to be cheap. Plus, like Scott said, I would want to choose a tire that was a proven performer.

Consider Duratracs before you make a decision: Tire Details - Discount Tire. If you have a Discount Tire or America's Tire nearby, you can get a killer deal on them right now. This is the tire that I plan on running next - they seem like the best compromise as far as being a good all terrain/mud terrain hybrid tire, and they look awesome too. $197/each plus a $60 rebate plus $50 off for Cyber Monday (it says it CAN be combined with other offers) should keep the wife happy. Tons of reviews on this tire all over the internet too. Even if you don't have a store nearby, you could probably order them from Discount Tire Direct.

[zoomzoom]

Also take into consideration that once you receive the tires, you still have to take them to a tire shop for mount and balance. for simplicity, round that figure off to $100 though it is usually less. so now your $600 tires are $700. when buying tires at a shop, you can easily have them do the mount and balance for free which frees up money for you to possibly get better tires.
Have you taken a look at Treadwright tires?

https://www.treadwright.com/c-15-265-75r16.aspx

[sycofrontier]

Wow, these last three post are what I have been looking for!

Zoom: I did take the mounting and balancing into account. I've found a place that does it for $18.50 a tire. They didn't say if they charged to dismount the old tires though, so I will have to call and ask about that. The place I was going to buy tires from, before the price got jacked up, charged $51.62 for that same service. If I were to buy these tires and have them mounted, I'd be saving over $162. I had not considered the treadwright tires until you posted this. They do look good, and I like the walnut shell/crushed glass mix they add in. What is your experience with these tires in various applications?

Junior: You are certainly right about how important a tire is, which is why I am stressing myself out so much! Those duratracs do look pretty nice. I'll do some reading on them too. Thank you for the advice and suggestions!

Scott: This is my first winter here, so I am not really sure how much snow and ice to expect. My neighbors told me that it only snowed a couple of times last year. I'm not sure if that means this year will be worse or not though. I would think that I will be in more mud than snow overall, by a good bit. I have decided to go with the 265s for now. They are cheaper, no matter what tire I settle on, and I don't have to do any modding. Once I have saved enough for a nice lift, then I can save for bigger wheels and tires, but for now, stock is what I'll do. I will do a very detailed review of these tires if I do get them, I'd want to get the word out on these tires either way!

[07 600rr]

I am confident that you won't find a better all around tire than the Duratracs. Just do some reading on this forum and almost everyone has had great experiences with them.

[JSutter]

Truck tires are not cheap. Show your wife how much the stock tires cost. Then tell her how much more tire you get when switching to brand x.

Duratracs are going to be your best bet. They do great in winter with all the siping. They also have large lugs so they do well in the mud. I know a few guys with them and they love them. My only gripe is how fast they wear. Get an alignment first. Rotate them regularly and check your air pressure. Get them re-balanced from time to time.

There are other tires based on the Duratrac; the Kelly Safari TSR, Dunlop Fierce Attitude, and dare I say the Walmart Wrangler Authority? Also the General Grabber AT2 may be worth looking into.

Stick with LT265/75r16. 285/75's are just too much work to fit correctly.

[BCBrian]

[QUOTE=sycofrontier;1158516]When someone says they aren't impressed, I'd like to know what they mean by that. QUOTE]

Some of these points have already been made but let me clarify my comment.

1. If you are going off road on a regular basis, go for 3 ply sidewalls or carry 2 spares.
2. The lack of siping is a concern, especially in wet or snowy conditions.
3. Consider an aggressive AT rather than an MT and you'll get longer life, a quieter ride and better handling in the rain and snow. GY DuraTrac, Cooper ST Maxx, Hankook ATm and even the Toyo ATIIs

Tires are a personal decision based on your specific needs. I agree with Jen that choosing the correct tires is crucial, make sure to take the time to get it right.

Good Luck!

[redv6]

Another person for duratracs, I got 25,000 miles on mine and just at half tread they're awesome they clean just as good as some of my friends that have bgf km2's. they are awesome in snow and wet, dry pavement. They get loud over time but you don't care and nor do I! By far I will by these tires for life! I've put them in deep mud, trails , 6" of sloppy wet road snow then played on my land in powdery snow . That's when and the only time I got stuck. ( Was on my land)But the snow was compacted up to the bottom of my body cuse I was stuck in a pretty deep drift and only way was up hill which had two big factors against me . Plus I wanted to see how much I had todo to get the truck stuck I didn't care I was 75 yards from my house. They've seen sand and did just fine . Only thing I haven't done is rock crawled . So tires are definitely perfect for your application