While the wife and I were at Sears doing a bit of Xmas shopping I wandered over to the tire section to check out their offerings. I looked at the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor since they come in a size that will fit the stock 17 inch wheels on my unlifted KJ, 245/65R17. I was surprized to see that they only have a 2 ply sidewall.
So, I thought, OK, let's check the BFG A/T's. I'd have the added expense of 16 inch wheels since the only size I can fit under a stock KJ is the 245/70R16. Again, only a 2 ply sidewall.
Later, I was talking to my neighbor who is running BFG Rugged Trails on his 3/4 ton Dodge P/U. He thought that in order to get 4 ply sidewalls from BFG you have to go to a load range E tire.
All I know is that after more than two decades of four-wheeling, as part of my job, two-ply sidewalls just don't offer enough protection from the occasional rock out on a trail. At least they didn't on heavier SUV's like Ramchargers, Broncos, Tahoes and Expeditions. When we were given 2-ply tires it was not uncommon to ruin 4 or 5 tires in a day due to sidewall punctures. The record, for one of my subordinates was 9 ruined tires in a 10 hour shift. Someone thought that they could save money by giving us "P" tires instead of "LT"'s. Even though our rigs carried two spare tires, many of the guys would toss two more spares in the backseat before they headed out. After the "9 tire shift" we were never sent "P"'s again.
Are there any All Terrain or All Season tires in a 245/65R17 or 245/70R16 that offer a 4 ply sidewall?
I didn't include Mud tires because they are not the best type of tire for my area. Some folks out here do run them but usually in VERY wide sizes so they can still get some flotation, much wider than I can run on a stock KJ or even with a 2 1/2 inch lift for that matter.
So, I thought, OK, let's check the BFG A/T's. I'd have the added expense of 16 inch wheels since the only size I can fit under a stock KJ is the 245/70R16. Again, only a 2 ply sidewall.
Later, I was talking to my neighbor who is running BFG Rugged Trails on his 3/4 ton Dodge P/U. He thought that in order to get 4 ply sidewalls from BFG you have to go to a load range E tire.
All I know is that after more than two decades of four-wheeling, as part of my job, two-ply sidewalls just don't offer enough protection from the occasional rock out on a trail. At least they didn't on heavier SUV's like Ramchargers, Broncos, Tahoes and Expeditions. When we were given 2-ply tires it was not uncommon to ruin 4 or 5 tires in a day due to sidewall punctures. The record, for one of my subordinates was 9 ruined tires in a 10 hour shift. Someone thought that they could save money by giving us "P" tires instead of "LT"'s. Even though our rigs carried two spare tires, many of the guys would toss two more spares in the backseat before they headed out. After the "9 tire shift" we were never sent "P"'s again.
Are there any All Terrain or All Season tires in a 245/65R17 or 245/70R16 that offer a 4 ply sidewall?
I didn't include Mud tires because they are not the best type of tire for my area. Some folks out here do run them but usually in VERY wide sizes so they can still get some flotation, much wider than I can run on a stock KJ or even with a 2 1/2 inch lift for that matter.