Next best option to Wildpeak's and KO2's now that the Wildpeak's are made in China?

You're right, it was a rather bold statement.

For the general population, they're great no doubt about it.

For those that want a little more, whether it's better traction in the mud, snow...off the beaten path so to speak, KO2's don't live up to the same old reputation as the original (discontinued) KO's.

They're popular because they're cheap, and a lot of vehicles come with them in stock form IE Jeep Wrangler's and I'm sure plenty more.

But I'll leave it at that.

 

The 4th gen Tundra that was just shown by Toyota runs Wildpeaks. Is there something that you know, but Toyota doesn't, about these tires?

They aren't some off-brand tire from your local Walmart. Falken is a well-known and respected tire brand. Despite where they're made, it's a damn good tire.

Anyways, to help with your question, Goodyear Duratracs get a lot of praise for their snow performance. It's literally perfect for what you described you needed.

 

What's interesting to me is that the people I know who use them do use them off the beaten path.

I'll agree they're not mud tires, but no AT is really good in mud.

And, yes, their snow performance was "good" but not great.

But, they're popular because they work. It's a small percentage of people who have actually used them and not been satisfied. The biggest complaint is generally wet traction.

And, any tire will have some complaints.

The Coopers you mentioned have caused some vehicles to pull to the right. And, I've heard of uneven wear as well, in spite of proper rotations.

And, Wildpeaks have had balancing issues as well. Aside from that, and being heavy as hell, I have only really heard good things.

Those Toyos are supposed to be great, but they're mud tires, so not really a good option for the OP. I looked at them as well, but went with Yokohama as they were lighter and cheaper, and had similar reviews. EDIT: And, because I had 2 sets of Yokohamas on my previous 4Runner and both were fantastic.

 

One example where some of the comments in the forum are BS.

 

I use the Toyo Open Country AT3 in Grade E. I have about 2000 miles on them, and it's been working really well. Mine are made in Japan. I agree that I won't trust Chinese tyres on my vehicle.

Cheers,

Sean

 

Cooper AT3 XLT. I have them on my Tundra, and will be putting them on my Pro R4 when the stock Nittos wear out.

Quietest, smoothest, longest lasting AT tire I’ve ever used that still performs in all conditions. They also are 3 Peak rated in a bunch of sizes.

 

I'm not a fan of stock Nitto as well. I wish I could sell them now. No 3pmsf rating, noisier for an a/t tire.

 

BFGs are “Baja champions” for a reason. They wouldn’t be used for those races if they were garbage. That’s all you gotta say.

 

I have two sets of falken at3w in 285/70r17 that were made the same month and year. One set made in China and second set made in Thailand.

I’ve ran three sets of KO2s, one set of duratracs, one set of Yokohama mt, one set of general atx, and one set of km2.

With that said I think the falken has been the best all around this far. Great in snow, rain, gravel, and anything else the PNW throws at them.

Second would be the Duratracs traction wise but the sidewalls made me uncomfortable.

KO2s and the general atx were very similar.

 

I agree. I don't think I'm gonna be running In Baja. At least in this lifetime anyway.

 

To be honest I’ve been impressed with the Nittos on my Pro, I think anyhow.

This is my first 4R after having two Tacomas and 2 prior Tundras (on my 3rd Tundra). So not sure if it’s just a function of how well the 4R does on snow / ice, but as a life long Alaskan I have never had a truck perform so admirably on snow and ice. I drive on snow / ice for half the year and I rarely had to switch the 4R into 4x4.

As far as noise goes, I don’t hear them over the loud and annoying Pro exhaust / roof rack / engine noise, lol.

With nothing to compare the stock Nittos to, I am happy with how the 4R performs in all conditions. I just have had great luck with Cooper tires, and am a fan of them, so I’ll be using them going forward.

Which will be relatively soon. The Nittos have 25k on them, and don’t think they will last much past 40k.

 

I purchased Wildpeaks yesterday from Discount tire in 275/70/17 size. All 4 were made in Thailand. They were not in stock, and were brought over to my local shop from the next county. I did not pay for anything until after they were installed. There was no cost/risk to me for them to transfer it over.

You should be able to easily ask for COO, and if they have to transfer them in and they're not the ones from the manufacturing plant that you want, there's no risk to your checkbook. I would think the only time you'd truly run this risk is if you're purchasing them online sight unseen with no way to verify. Local tire shops should not be an issue.

*Also, Discount price matched me to the lowest online price I could find, no questions asked, gave credit for my stock tires, and gave me a bonus $50 rebate that I wasn't expecting. Overall, out the door I paid $480 less than I would have without negotiation. They are great at working with prices, just gotta ask! I know so many people who just blindly accept the higher costs....i'll get off the soapbox now haha!

 

Great experience! How many miles did your stockers have on them? Ive got 900 right now and am considering new tires here pretty quick. Thanks!

 

It truly was a great experience! I had about 900-1000 miles on the stock tires. They gave me $45/ea on a trade for them. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough!! Haha!

 

Before switching to 285 Yoko Geo - MT's I had 2 of my Thailand made 265 Falken Wildpeaks replaced. The replacements were made in the USA.

Discount Tire had them.

Easiest thing to do would be to call your local Discount Tire and ask them what they have in stock and where were they made.

 

Kind of like a Asian person with a tramp stamp in English that says "Lovely Princess"

 

Kudos to the Original Poster for this post..............I do my best to not buy anything made in China and sure wish the trend would catch on not only in the United States but across the world.

Obviously it takes time and effort to research where products are made but personally speaking its worth the effort to me if I can avoid Chinese products.

 

Here's the reply I got from Falken today. I'm still not buying them if they are made in China.





Thank you for reaching out to us on your WildPeak AT3W question. While it is true that we have moved some production to China in order for us to keep up with the high demand for this product, much of the product is still being made in the United States (Buffalo, New York) and Thailand. While we are unable to direct you to where to purchase product made in a particular factory, as they are shipped throughout the United States, you are able to tell where the product is made by the DOT code on the sidewall. Regardless of location, our factories are all owned by our parent company, Sumitomo Rubber, and are held to the same quality standards you have come to expect with your prior set.

 

I'm also interested to know if tire production lacks on technology resulting;

1 These tires are heavy? (Eg - When I look 275/70R17 Wildpeak Load C tires are heavier 58lbs than KO2 Load E 56lbs or General Grabber Load E 53lbs or Mickey-thompson Load E 52lbs)
2 Having to include heat shield on the side wall? (I don't see big name tires don't have these needing to dissipate heat)
​

(This is a question not a statement)

 

I don't give a damn what a tire weighs in the big picture...what is the point??

 

Rotating mass affects braking performance as well as steering and acceleration.

 

Regardless of weight I’d still take the falkens over the other options. Just my experience. Amazing in snow, sand, gravel and highway.

 

Picky, picky...I don't give a damn! My OCD is not that bad!
I'm not into proffesional specs!

 

What is it with some of these people? A tire weighing 2 to 3 lbs more or less than another. What's the point?
Maybe they are very proffesional people that need to think that they are perfectly balanced. Don't get it. There are certainly more important things to consider and/or worry about.
Buy an airplane...then you won't have to worry.

 

I really don't care about the weight but you asked so I answered your question.

I do care that they are being made in China now which is why I won't buy them unless I'm guaranteed that the ones I receive aren't made there.

It is also interesting that a Load C tire could weigh less than a Load E tire in some cases.

 

Whatever... I personally have more important things to worry about. I am not a racer or Moab crawler. Let'ts keep things in perspective. I love my Runner and accept what it will, or will not do.

 

Tire weight affects acceleration, braking, handling, and fuel economy. These things are important to most of us.

I drive a lot, so anything I can do to improve fuel economy and ride quality, I'm all for it. Even with Mud tires, I looked at weight when comparing my options.

 

Tire weight also adds unsprung mass. It's not the most important factor for most people in choosing a tire, but it's also not insignificant. If you have two equivalent tires to choose from, one weighs 50 lbs and the other weighs 55 lbs, it should be an easy choice to make.

 

Great points.

 

BTW, please don't misunderstand. I'm not a Falken Wildpeaks hater. I'm use Wildpeaks on one of my 4Runners right now. I only share the info as it might help someone making decisions.