Why no love for Duratracs?

[InvertedLogic]

I had them on my TJ back in 2011. They're kind of an ancient design at this point in need of a compound update or at a minimum, a price drop. The brand new Toyo ATiii, Falken ATs, and General Grabber ATs are all newer and more affordable.

I liked them on my TJ alright, but as they aged, their performance fell off a cliff to the point where they were downright dangerous in the rain despite plenty of tread left. Additionally, while I never had issues with shredded sidewalls, I saw about 8 of them shred between various friend's jeeps and that did not instill confidence.

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[AverageOverlander]

been happy with mine 45k miles i think on them now. still got plenty of life.

for those of you with them what PSI you running? i was running 32 like my old JK liked now im running 50 and its SO much better im going to try 45 here i a week or two just for fun

31 PSI seems to be working for me. That’s what they chalk tested at too. Dealer had them at about 38psi and I bounced around the road like I had steel tires.

 

[DesertDog]

I’ve had 3 sets of KO2s on JL/JLUs which I think are the best combination for on and off road but my Gladiator is running 35 inch Dura Trax and I love them. A little bit more aggressive off-road and the on road ride is pretty good.

 

[Alans17]

I think I’m going to go ahead and order a set of Duratrac 35s. The price and the weight are really doing it for me. Since I don’t plan to regear my 4.10s, a lighter 35 is really appealing to me. What I REALLY want is some Baja Boss ATs, but they’re probably close to $400 more after USAA discount and 7 lbs heavier per corner.

The money savings will likely be put towards some sort of step sliders for my family since they can barely get in as it is with 33s.

I reserve the right to change my mind, though. I’ve already done it several times. ?

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I think I’m going to go ahead and order a set of Duratrac 35s. The price and the weight are really doing it for me. Since I don’t plan to regear my 4.10s, a lighter 35 is really appealing to me. What I REALLY want is some Baja Boss ATs, but they’re probably close to $400 more after USAA discount and 7 lbs heavier per corner.

The money savings will likely be put towards some sort of step sliders for my family since they can barely get in as it is with 33s.

I reserve the right to change my mind, though. I’ve already done it several times. ?

I wanted Duratracs. Couldn't get them when I wanted them, they were on national backorder.

I went with Ultraterrains instead. I have about 15k miles on them and I'm really happy with them so far. A little less aggressive than Duratracs, but probably a little better on the road and I think they will wear a little better.

 

[Kirk*Mojave]

I've never had any luck with Goodyear tires either they wore out prematurely or had sidewall issues. Bfg ko2 are my goto

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I've never had any luck with Goodyear tires either they wore out prematurely or had sidewall issues. Bfg ko2 are my goto

I’ve had at least 6 different sets of Goodyears on Jeeps and Fords and I’ve been very happy with them. Very good wear and never a sidewall issue.

 

[Alans17]

WELL WELL WELL!!! I just finished my just-under-the-wire 2021 tax return and the refund was significantly larger than expected. Maybe I will spring for those Mickey Thompsons after all! (just kidding... sort of...)

 

[AverageOverlander]

I’ve had 3 sets of KO2s on JL/JLUs which I think are the best combination for on and off road but my Gladiator is running 35 inch Dura Trax and I love them. A little bit more aggressive off-road and the on road ride is pretty good.

That was my exact reason for going with them. I think they'd be a little better off-road than a lot of other less aggressive AT's like KO2's, but still not a pig on-road like a mud tire. They also got better snow reviews than most AT's

 

[AverageOverlander]

I had them on my TJ back in 2011. They're kind of an ancient design at this point in need of a compound update or at a minimum, a price drop. The brand new Toyo ATiii, Falken ATs, and General Grabber ATs are all newer and more affordable.

I liked them on my TJ alright, but as they aged, their performance fell off a cliff to the point where they were downright dangerous in the rain despite plenty of tread left. Additionally, while I never had issues with shredded sidewalls, I saw about 8 of them shred between various friend's jeeps and that did not instill confidence.

I'm curious to see if the performance drop is that aggressive with age, I've seen this mentioned a few times. If that's the case I will have to ditch them with our icy Canadian winters.

I get people can just like a different tread design after a while, but I found in the ATV world, there were a couple gold standard tires that just worked... brands would come out with copy cats or new designs, but ultimately the gold standards still won out and many new designs came and went because they just wouldn't perform as well.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but overall I view an old tread design as a certification badge, vs experimenting with some brand's latest marketing attempt at a new tread that could actually have flaws and will only be around a few years.

 

[InvertedLogic]

I'm curious to see if the performance drop is that aggressive with age, I've seen this mentioned a few times. If that's the case I will have to ditch them with our icy Canadian winters.

I get people can just like a different tread design after a while, but I found in the ATV world, there were a couple gold standard tires that just worked... brands would come out with copy cats or new designs, but ultimately the gold standards still won out and many new designs came and went because they just wouldn't perform as well.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but overall I view an old tread design as a certification badge, vs experimenting with some brand's latest marketing attempt at a new tread that could actually have flaws and will only be around a few years.

I'll curious to see your experience as well. They were fantastic for the first two years, then seemed to decay quick after that.

My gripe with them is less about tread design, and more about the rubber compound. To your point, several competitors have make copycat versions of the duratrac tread design. The design seems to work very well. What I am more interested in is new rubber compounds from other manufacturers with high silica, for example, that wear well and remain soft when cold.

 

[Discount Tire]

@Alans17, If we can help in any wan please shoot us a PM.

 

[Minty JL]

I think this leaked slide affected Goodyear's tire sales.
?‍ Could be a reason ?‍
I know when it occurred, a bunch of car enthusiasts that support Law Enforcement swore they would never buy tires from them again on a wide variety of car forums and social media.

The last set of goodyears I had on my jeep had 3 sidewalls bubble, so I won't use them. Those did not handle airing down and being flexed on rocks

Get woke and go broke LOL. Not getting political, but as consumers we have a choice. If a brand wants to take a stand or belief...............that does not align with you.....there are plenty of vendors in the sea.

 

[Alans17]

@Alans17, If we can help in any wan please shoot us a PM.

PM sent

 

[Discount Tire]

@Alans17, pm returned, Thank you.

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