MikE2
04-26-2007, 02:35 AM
Every so often I'll get asked how these tires work, and I'm tired of typing it out again and again so I'll put my thoughts on them here.
The tires I get my experience from are 36x14.50-16's. Please note these are 10-ply rated, Load Range E tires. You will not be able to get these same E rated tires on a Bronco unless you are running a 16" wheel. I don't know how the 15" C-rated tires are or if they are any different.
I bought these tires new over 3 years ago, and I think I have about 30,000 miles on them. Maybe 35,000...
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/490983/fullsize/100_2624.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/490984/fullsize/100_2625.jpg
The tread looked different when they were new. There is different steps to the tread, and they look less agressive as they wear.
First thing I noticed with these tires is they are very heavy for a tire of this size and rating. I weighed them on the wheels when I installed them, and I don't remember exactally how much they weighed but for some rerason 164 pounds sticks in my head. However much it is, they are the heaviest set of 36's I have ever lifted.
Also like anything by Interco they take a lot of weight to balance out. Its not really a problem though since once they are balanced they are fine. The first balancing when they were new I had 12 to 16 ounces on each wheel. I just had them balanced again last month and there is now 18 to 25 ounces on each wheel.
Also like anything by Interco they tend to "flat spot" when parked overnight. Its not much of a problem either since after one mile of driving they run smooth. Also I'll mention the more miles I put on the tires the less of an issue the flat spotting is. Now with about 30,000 miles on them I can't even remember the last time I started it in teh morning and had the "bump...bump...bump..." when first driving it.
I also noticed when I first had the tires installed the rubber compound is VERY soft. At first I thought the tires were going to be bald in no time, but that has proven to not be the case. A guy I know that is an engineer for a rubber company has also told me with certian rubber compounds just because its soft it doesn't mean it will wear fast, and like in this case, soft rubber and wear actually have nothing to do with eachother. One big advantage to the soft compund is this tire takes a hell of a bite on any paved road or concrete. No matter how hard I try, I can not get these tires to squeel or even break loose under the most stupidist driving conditions. With the exception of rain...I'll talk more about that later. They also work awesome on rocks.
So when I finally got the tires mounted, I determined 22 PSI was the optimum pressure for my tire size, wheel size, truck weight, and on-road handeling preference. Once I started driving with them, the tires were a little rough at first. Any little bump in the road and I felt it significantly in the drivers seat. Another thing that was sometimes an issue is when driving on a rough road that was also banked, the tires were very squirrley there. It pissed me off at first because if I had known it was going to be like this I wouldn't have bought them. But then after a few months of use, I guess the tires "broke in" and all that squirrleyness and rough riding stopped. After that they were actually great on any road, and the roads I dreaded at first (the slow lane headed east on Madison Ave in Sacramento between Date and Sunrise for example) were no trouble at all.
At higher speeds, like 65-85 MPH, these tires are smoother and better handeling then any other tire of this size that I have used or ridden in. If I was looking for tires of this size for something where all I was going to do was high speed interstate driving, I'd get these and wouldn't even consider anything else. Its actually a real pleasure at those speeds. There is no tread noise at all either, even on concrete which is normally really loud with any tire.
In the snow:
In deep snow, like the "wheelin" type of snow driving, they suck. On plowed roads or where there is less then 2" of snow they worked pretty well. I'll say they are not near as good as my BFG All terains, or my ProComp All Terrains, but that may also be because this is a much wider tire and ran at a much lower pressure. Its also on a lighter vehicle. All that is a disadvantage to making the tires work well in the snow. If I had these tires on my other truck in the same size and pressure of the BFG All Terrains, I think they would still work very well. But still, I have driven it in the snow a lot and it has never once let me down. They are easier to spin and skid then the tires on my other trucks (mostly due to the reasons I stated) but its not like they are dangerous. If I was in the snow every day, I don't think I would choose these. They do accept studs though, if you wanted to install a set.
In the rain:
They drive just like they do on dry roads with one exception; they are very easy to spin. Much easier then any other tire I have driven with. They don't skid or slide around corners at all though so I'd still say they are very good in the rain. You just need to be easy on the gas when accelerating. I can actually break the tires loose just by stepping on the gas if I'm already at 20 MPH and in 2ng gear.
In the mud:
they suck. If its wattery mud its not as bad, but in gooey mud they do not clean out at all unless you can get some very high wheel speed. If you do a lot of your driving in the mud, look for a different tire.
On dirt and hard pack dirt they get great traction. Many trails and logging roads I normally drive that are commonly passed in 4 wheel drive I can do in 2 wheel drive with very little to no tire slippage.
My favorite place to 'wheel at is on the sand, and I will tell you there is no better tire then this one for that. If you want something that will perform on the dunes this is it. The bead holds very well too, so they are well suited for running at low pressure. I have ran all the tires down to 4.5 PSI and then spun all four of them going up hills and never popped a bead yet. Many times I will run 2-HI and spin donuts in the sand with 40 MPH wheel speed and still never popped a bead there
For example:
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/491026/fullsize/100_0495.jpg
I will drive along and do that at every turn.
two wheel drive and no problem at all going right up these hills or even steeper ones. Spinning the tires is not even necessary
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/230010/fullsize/100_0497.jpg
4 wheel drive
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/229999/fullsize/100_0485.jpg
If you have a pick-up, these are an awesome tire for holding a lot of weight. I have had my F150 loaded with more weight then some F350's should have and even at lower pressures they handle great, and there is no sway at all.
Loads like this are a normal thing for me and this truck
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/494074/fullsize/100_2693.jpg
I will also say they are very puncture resistant. The sidewalls are very thick too. I have never once punctured a tire or even gotten a flat with them. And many times I have driven it in places where a flat is almost gauraunteed. I drive a lot of "cross country" through forrests and fields where there is many sharp rocks, and skinny, sharp, small diamater tree stumps are everywhere. Those will puncture a tread or sidewall like its nothing, yet with this tire I have never had a single issue. With other tires I have had I avoided places like that because I would always puncture one. I think part of the reason is the soft tread compound will conform instead of puncture, and with the tight voids in the tread a sharp object has less of a chance to getting to the thin spots.
The biggest disadvantage to them is they have a very high rolling restance. Much higher then any other tire I have had. I can have my truck parked on a 1% hill, in netural with the brake off, and still it will not roll unless I push it. If its 2% it will slowly roll, but its nothing like any other tire at a higher PSI will do. I don't know if its affecting my gas milage a whole lot, but I would guess I'd get another 1/2 mile per gallon with a tire with a lower rolling resistance. Or just by running more air in these. With the 14.50 on a 10" wide wheel that will give the tread a good bulge, but with a 12.50 I'll bet you could run them at 35 or so and have a lower rolling resistance. These are rated to go up to 65 PSI
So now I have about 30,000 miles on them and I'm very pleased with them. The tread is wearing like iron, with roughly 50% still remaining. I can't be happier with their performance in the sand when aired down, and how they handle at high speeds on the highway. Their toughness and durability is the best I have ever had too. I'd reccomend these tires to anyone thats looking for a tough tire that will work hard in these sizes, or anyone that spends a lot of time on the road and would like a bigger tire.
Please remember everything I have said and all my experience comes froma 16" 10-ply rated load range E tire. Load range C 15" tires will probably have many differences, and I'll bet the rolling resistance will be lower too. They will probably not be as tough either, and they will be much lighter.
The tires I get my experience from are 36x14.50-16's. Please note these are 10-ply rated, Load Range E tires. You will not be able to get these same E rated tires on a Bronco unless you are running a 16" wheel. I don't know how the 15" C-rated tires are or if they are any different.
I bought these tires new over 3 years ago, and I think I have about 30,000 miles on them. Maybe 35,000...
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/490983/fullsize/100_2624.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/490984/fullsize/100_2625.jpg
The tread looked different when they were new. There is different steps to the tread, and they look less agressive as they wear.
First thing I noticed with these tires is they are very heavy for a tire of this size and rating. I weighed them on the wheels when I installed them, and I don't remember exactally how much they weighed but for some rerason 164 pounds sticks in my head. However much it is, they are the heaviest set of 36's I have ever lifted.
Also like anything by Interco they take a lot of weight to balance out. Its not really a problem though since once they are balanced they are fine. The first balancing when they were new I had 12 to 16 ounces on each wheel. I just had them balanced again last month and there is now 18 to 25 ounces on each wheel.
Also like anything by Interco they tend to "flat spot" when parked overnight. Its not much of a problem either since after one mile of driving they run smooth. Also I'll mention the more miles I put on the tires the less of an issue the flat spotting is. Now with about 30,000 miles on them I can't even remember the last time I started it in teh morning and had the "bump...bump...bump..." when first driving it.
I also noticed when I first had the tires installed the rubber compound is VERY soft. At first I thought the tires were going to be bald in no time, but that has proven to not be the case. A guy I know that is an engineer for a rubber company has also told me with certian rubber compounds just because its soft it doesn't mean it will wear fast, and like in this case, soft rubber and wear actually have nothing to do with eachother. One big advantage to the soft compund is this tire takes a hell of a bite on any paved road or concrete. No matter how hard I try, I can not get these tires to squeel or even break loose under the most stupidist driving conditions. With the exception of rain...I'll talk more about that later. They also work awesome on rocks.
So when I finally got the tires mounted, I determined 22 PSI was the optimum pressure for my tire size, wheel size, truck weight, and on-road handeling preference. Once I started driving with them, the tires were a little rough at first. Any little bump in the road and I felt it significantly in the drivers seat. Another thing that was sometimes an issue is when driving on a rough road that was also banked, the tires were very squirrley there. It pissed me off at first because if I had known it was going to be like this I wouldn't have bought them. But then after a few months of use, I guess the tires "broke in" and all that squirrleyness and rough riding stopped. After that they were actually great on any road, and the roads I dreaded at first (the slow lane headed east on Madison Ave in Sacramento between Date and Sunrise for example) were no trouble at all.
At higher speeds, like 65-85 MPH, these tires are smoother and better handeling then any other tire of this size that I have used or ridden in. If I was looking for tires of this size for something where all I was going to do was high speed interstate driving, I'd get these and wouldn't even consider anything else. Its actually a real pleasure at those speeds. There is no tread noise at all either, even on concrete which is normally really loud with any tire.
In the snow:
In deep snow, like the "wheelin" type of snow driving, they suck. On plowed roads or where there is less then 2" of snow they worked pretty well. I'll say they are not near as good as my BFG All terains, or my ProComp All Terrains, but that may also be because this is a much wider tire and ran at a much lower pressure. Its also on a lighter vehicle. All that is a disadvantage to making the tires work well in the snow. If I had these tires on my other truck in the same size and pressure of the BFG All Terrains, I think they would still work very well. But still, I have driven it in the snow a lot and it has never once let me down. They are easier to spin and skid then the tires on my other trucks (mostly due to the reasons I stated) but its not like they are dangerous. If I was in the snow every day, I don't think I would choose these. They do accept studs though, if you wanted to install a set.
In the rain:
They drive just like they do on dry roads with one exception; they are very easy to spin. Much easier then any other tire I have driven with. They don't skid or slide around corners at all though so I'd still say they are very good in the rain. You just need to be easy on the gas when accelerating. I can actually break the tires loose just by stepping on the gas if I'm already at 20 MPH and in 2ng gear.
In the mud:
they suck. If its wattery mud its not as bad, but in gooey mud they do not clean out at all unless you can get some very high wheel speed. If you do a lot of your driving in the mud, look for a different tire.
On dirt and hard pack dirt they get great traction. Many trails and logging roads I normally drive that are commonly passed in 4 wheel drive I can do in 2 wheel drive with very little to no tire slippage.
My favorite place to 'wheel at is on the sand, and I will tell you there is no better tire then this one for that. If you want something that will perform on the dunes this is it. The bead holds very well too, so they are well suited for running at low pressure. I have ran all the tires down to 4.5 PSI and then spun all four of them going up hills and never popped a bead yet. Many times I will run 2-HI and spin donuts in the sand with 40 MPH wheel speed and still never popped a bead there
For example:
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/491026/fullsize/100_0495.jpg
I will drive along and do that at every turn.
two wheel drive and no problem at all going right up these hills or even steeper ones. Spinning the tires is not even necessary
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/230010/fullsize/100_0497.jpg
4 wheel drive
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/229999/fullsize/100_0485.jpg
If you have a pick-up, these are an awesome tire for holding a lot of weight. I have had my F150 loaded with more weight then some F350's should have and even at lower pressures they handle great, and there is no sway at all.
Loads like this are a normal thing for me and this truck
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/494074/fullsize/100_2693.jpg
I will also say they are very puncture resistant. The sidewalls are very thick too. I have never once punctured a tire or even gotten a flat with them. And many times I have driven it in places where a flat is almost gauraunteed. I drive a lot of "cross country" through forrests and fields where there is many sharp rocks, and skinny, sharp, small diamater tree stumps are everywhere. Those will puncture a tread or sidewall like its nothing, yet with this tire I have never had a single issue. With other tires I have had I avoided places like that because I would always puncture one. I think part of the reason is the soft tread compound will conform instead of puncture, and with the tight voids in the tread a sharp object has less of a chance to getting to the thin spots.
The biggest disadvantage to them is they have a very high rolling restance. Much higher then any other tire I have had. I can have my truck parked on a 1% hill, in netural with the brake off, and still it will not roll unless I push it. If its 2% it will slowly roll, but its nothing like any other tire at a higher PSI will do. I don't know if its affecting my gas milage a whole lot, but I would guess I'd get another 1/2 mile per gallon with a tire with a lower rolling resistance. Or just by running more air in these. With the 14.50 on a 10" wide wheel that will give the tread a good bulge, but with a 12.50 I'll bet you could run them at 35 or so and have a lower rolling resistance. These are rated to go up to 65 PSI
So now I have about 30,000 miles on them and I'm very pleased with them. The tread is wearing like iron, with roughly 50% still remaining. I can't be happier with their performance in the sand when aired down, and how they handle at high speeds on the highway. Their toughness and durability is the best I have ever had too. I'd reccomend these tires to anyone thats looking for a tough tire that will work hard in these sizes, or anyone that spends a lot of time on the road and would like a bigger tire.
Please remember everything I have said and all my experience comes froma 16" 10-ply rated load range E tire. Load range C 15" tires will probably have many differences, and I'll bet the rolling resistance will be lower too. They will probably not be as tough either, and they will be much lighter.