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Old 10-27-2018, 02:57 AM   #1
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Best Tire/Tyre for Ford E350 4x4 Sportsmobile

Hello,
What do you consider is the Best Tire for Ford E350 4x4 diesel/Gas Van, considering they are a very Heavy vehicle?
Currently have Cooper Discoverer 285x70x17 ST Maxx, am very happy with wear and performance, but am concerned about the weight.
What are your expeiences with Yokahama, Bridgestone, Toyo, etc?
Have you had pucture problems or blowouts with certain brands?
What is the best brand for Sand or Gravel?
Cheers, looking forward to some lively discussion!

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Old 10-27-2018, 06:50 AM   #2
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Been running Toyo's for more than 20 years and never had an issue. Will say for some reason wear on them is a shot in the dark; Have had Toyo M/T's last all of 25k miles, and then have had some last 45k. Alignment is key!
Many good brands out there, so decide first what you want them to accomplish. For many, driving to the destination is mostly paved road so you need to decide on tread preference (a more aggressive tread usually equals more noise & less wear mileage, but the trade off is "traction" capabilities). Less aggressive nets a better & quieter ride on pavement (probably 70%+ of your trip), and work very well on most off-road uses.
***Know the weight of you vehicle before shopping. In my case, For peace of mind & safety (with 11,500lb Van) the first thing I take into account is the Max Load rating - The Load rating can differ greatly between tires with an "E" classification (EX: for 35x12.5x17 Tires the Toyo M/T's are rated at 3640, and the Nito Trail 3195). Rim size will also change load ratings on same size tires.
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Old 10-27-2018, 08:23 AM   #3
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I'm a huge fan of Toyo M55. They are by far the best for rocky gravel roads. They were developed originally for the Pacific Northwest logging industry. I get better life out of these than any of the mileage-rated all-terrains.

They make a little noise on the highway, but not as much as the M/Ts. They are far more stable than the Toyo M/Ts. Downside is they aren't as good for mud, they are very heavy (double the comparable A/Ts), and sizes are limited to pretty much OEM pickup sizes, since they're made for the commercial market.

They do tolerate overloading very well.
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Old 10-27-2018, 08:25 AM   #4
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G'day TwoXentrix,
Appreciate your honesty on van weight at 11,500lbs/5.2 tons.
I believe my van would weigh about the same.
My road use to offroad is about 70/30 as well.
And my Cooper Discoverers ST Maxx have a load rating of 3750lbs/ 1700kg.
Currently done 21,000 miles since van 4x4 build in June 2014, further builds across the US, New Zealand & Australia to get to final Right Hand Drive build and final Australian Licensing, 12 months ago, and local tweaking of front and rear suspension.
Very happy with Yellow Sportsmobile now.
Long process.
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Old 10-27-2018, 09:01 AM   #5
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I'm a big fan of the S/T Maxx's. Mine current set has over 30K on them and they're still going strong. When they're done I'll get another set of them.
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Old 10-27-2018, 09:29 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheriffdoug View Post
Currently done 21,000 miles since van 4x4 build in June 2014, further builds across the US, New Zealand & Australia to get to final Right Hand Drive build and final Australian Licensing, 12 months ago, and local tweaking of front and rear suspension.
Very happy with Yellow Sportsmobile now.
Long process.
Quite aware of your accomplishments - followed your progress, it was all very interesting. Undertaking such an extensive build must have taxed your patience & sanity.
I like your van also!
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Old 10-27-2018, 09:54 AM   #7
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My experience encompasses only two brands so that's all I can speak to. The van came with LT285/70R17 BF Goodrich All-Terrain (E rated). After rock breaking 3 of them I went to the Toyo Open Country Mud Terrain in the same size, mainly because that's what all the mines around here were shoeing their trucks with. No rock breaks, no flats yet with the Toyos and its now been several years. Best of all - my rig is a Quigley conversion and with the Goodrich tires it always gave me the disquieting feel that it was about to go into a death wobble. I don't know if it was the super-stiff sidewalls or what, but that feeling of a wobbly front end went away completely with the Toyos. I run the tires at ~ 45psi in all four tires (I'm not as heavy as you guys); the tires are louder than the Goodrich on pavement but then most of my time is spent on dirt and on dirt these tires excel.
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Old 10-27-2018, 11:15 AM   #8
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There’s lots of threads about tires. Very subjective and depends what you’re looking for, I’ve run several sets on my rig-BFG A/T, Toyo M/T’s (loud and harsh ride but tough) currently have Wrangler Duratrac in a 315 E, really like them and will probably get another set.
I’m running 16” rims, if I had 17”, I’d consider running the Nitto Ridge Grappler, heard good things.
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Old 10-27-2018, 11:28 AM   #9
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I never had any issues with the BFG's but also switched to Toyo after hearing about all the trouble with the BFG's. With 16" rims the 285's I was running gave me better handling than the 315's Toyo MT I've switched to but the 315's are more forgiving on washboard. Wish I would have installed the 315's on 17's but that would have been too costly being I have a SMB trailer (8 tires and wheels). I think all terrain tires are better for slick rock, sand and snow. I have had some issues with MT's in heavy snow but when it's time to chain up, you just got to do it.
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Old 10-27-2018, 12:25 PM   #10
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I have been running the BFG K2’s on my last two vans and have not had any issues. My last van came with Nitto AT tires but they rode rough and did not track well. Currently I run the BFG K2’s LT285 70R/17 E rated max 80 psi so I don’t have to deal with the low tire pressure light. Would have preferred the 315’s size but max air is 60 psi and my 2010 Ford E350 the illumination for the low tire pressure is not ignorable. I air the tires up to 80 then drop them down to 65-70 based on how loaded we are and the light does not come on.
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