Narrowed Tire Choices, Would Like Opinions

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nick0789

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I am right at the wear bars on the tires that came with my tahoe ('05, Z71): some junk Maxxis P rated highway tires.

I've narrowed my choices down to three:

1. Michelin Defenders
2. Cooper Discoverer AT3s
3. BFG KO2

Looking to remain stock (265/70R17). Biggest factor for me is handling in wet and dry conditions. I do not plan on doing any towing, either. Likely to remain ~90% of travel on the road, ~10% on light trails but probably not as extreme as some logging trails can get. In my area we usually get a few inches of snow every winter but the biggest issue for us is ice since the NCDOT likes to drag their feet during inclement weather advisories. Eastern NC is pretty flat, though I would like to take a few trips through the mountains in cooler weather: not sure if this is enough to justify one tire over the other.

Has anyone had experiences with more than one of these on their Tahoe?

The Defenders seems to be the most reasonable for me since the vehicle stays on the road >90% of the time: the caveat is that I can either get P rated or E load, no middle ground for the occasional off-pavement trek and peace of mind.
I currently have the Coopers on my Jeep XJ. Tread life has been reasonable for me and while they behave well on dry roads, I cannot give a great review of them in wet conditions due to the nature of the XJ. If you've ever driven a non-ABS version of these vehicles, you will know that if you have to hit the brakes somewhat hard, the back end likes to slide since there is no weight in the back. Good thing is that I can get a C load.
I like the idea of the BFGs as an all-purpose tire especially for the occasional snow/ice storm, and I can get them in a C load if I prefer. Biggest drawback to these is the weight and ride quality. They are also probably overkill for a vehicle that spends as much time on pavement as the Tahoe does.
 
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nick0789

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Thanks for the reply, Danny. As far as selecting which load rating to choose, am I better off with just biting the bullet on ride quality for the extra durability of the E load tire? I'm only looking at a difference of $15-20 per tire between the ratings.
I have never run LT tires on a full-size SUV before so I am unsure that it is necessary / worth it especially if I am not towing.

Thanks again!
 

CountryBoy19

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I had Defenders on the Buick Enclave that was replaced by my Yukon XL... they're a good highway tire and for the vast majority of off-road use you should be fine.

Unless you're pulling loads on the trails, or you're hitting muddy trails I'm not sure that you'll encounter a whole lot that justifies sacrificing road-way comfort/drivability for that chance you'll need the aggressive tread... that's purely my opinion though and my opinion is just as different as my use of the vehicle. The limit of off-roading with mine is driving through flat or slightly rolling dry fields, occasionally pulling a trailer/wagon (though rarely off-road), or driving through a side-ditch to get out into a field or something. It's our family car so passenger tires are where I will stay unless I get a REALLY good deal on LT tires.

As far a brand, I'm biased, my FIL works for Goodrich and I get a 30% discount on all Michelin, Uniroyal, & Goodrich tires so I don't even try others. Although, my wife's grandfather worked for Cooper before retiring so of those on your list I don't have anything bad to say about the brands themselves...
 
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nick0789

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Got to love the family discounts!
As far as my "off-road" driving is concerned, it sounds similar enough to yours, but with some typical NC soft ground / mud mixed in here and there.
It sounds like you're sticking with the price as the major driving factor between passenger and LT tires, but have you had many issues (punctures, etc) with the passenger tires where you've said "I wish I went with a stronger tire"?

I'm just a little skeptical of passenger tires given the [biased] experiences I have had with tires on my Jeep. Pieces of a stick, a random screw in the road, whatever it may be, I have yet to hit something strong enough to ********* through the tread lugs. Granted all it takes is some random construction debris and the tire is gone anyways, but it makes me second guess myself just enough to wonder if the LT tires are worth the stiff ride. Not sure where you live, but NC roads are terrible for debris so that's something else I need to consider.
 

swathdiver

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There's a Defender that is B-Rated tire, PN# 62115. The KO2 in that size comes in two Cs and an E. One with black lettering the other with raised white lettering. The black lettering is hard to find. The C-Ply is 66255 and the E-Ply is 29668.

I love the KO2s for the rain and what little time I've spent off road with them. Some folks get 60K miles out of them, I'll be lucky to see 40k. Now some of that was my fault, not running them at 50 psi until they wore down a few 32nds. Maybe the rest is because our roads are made of crushed shells and that busted sway bar bolt. Anyway, they are a great tire but if I wanted a highway tire, it would be the Defenders.
 

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