Not loving the Duratracs

Tires like these remind me of buying front tires on my ADV bike (Tiger 800XC).

Big, blocky fronts are great for gravel and dirt, but squirm all over pavement and won't track a line worth a damn. Great for 80% off road, not so great for 20%.

Tires that do well on the paved stuff usually are shit in loose gravel and mud.

Finding one that is stellar at both is a Goldilocks adventure... you try a bunch and see what works for your riding style and environment. No one makes the perfect tire for everything, despite what the sales brochure (or paid internet shills) say.

I think the same goes for truck tires... basic design elements (tall treads, big blocks) have inherent flaws that many may not realize. Tall, relatively narrow tires with tall tread blocks like the Duratrac will have some wander until all the blocks are worn to the same level on the tire. I think this is why the lower pressures help the issue - increased tire compliance allowing the blocks to better conform.

This is basically customer service answer #1: "Yeah, they do that".

For the wet, 3PMS, and mud performance, that's the cost. You can replace with something more road worthy with those same ratings, but at $350 each.

Frankly, the GY Duratracs are about the best off road OEM tire you'll get on a truck today.
 
Mine drives fine after I adjusted the pressure.

I finally hooked a load up to it today for a fair distance of mixed driving. It wasn’t heavy. After hearing everything about the tires, lack of a rear sway bar, pressure, etc. I was curious how it would do. I pay attention to the truck when I try something new anyways. Truck did just what it was supposed to. No noise, squirm, blah blah blah. Perfect and predictable just like I wanted. I see no reason to switch tires.

20210526_103951.jpg
 
Tires like these remind me of buying front tires on my ADV bike (Tiger 800XC).

Big, blocky fronts are great for gravel and dirt, but squirm all over pavement and won't track a line worth a damn. Great for 80% off road, not so great for 20%.

Tires that do well on the paved stuff usually are shit in loose gravel and mud.

Finding one that is stellar at both is a Goldilocks adventure... you try a bunch and see what works for your riding style and environment. No one makes the perfect tire for everything, despite what the sales brochure (or paid internet shills) say.

I think the same goes for truck tires... basic design elements (tall treads, big blocks) have inherent flaws that many may not realize. Tall, relatively narrow tires with tall tread blocks like the Duratrac will have some wander until all the blocks are worn to the same level on the tire. I think this is why the lower pressures help the issue - increased tire compliance allowing the blocks to better conform.

This is basically customer service answer #1: "Yeah, they do that".

For the wet, 3PMS, and mud performance, that's the cost. You can replace with something more road worthy with those same ratings, but at $350 each.

Frankly, the GY Duratracs are about the best off road OEM tire you'll get on a truck today.
Maybe, if GY trusted their equipment enough, they would provide a warranty on Duratrac's in the LT. 50k Warranty is a a little behind the 65k Toyo offers. Granted, you said OEM, and these Toyo's are aftermarket. However, I think they are by far the besttires I have had.
Mine drives fine after I adjusted the pressure.

I finally hooked a load up to it today for a fair distance of mixed driving. It wasn’t heavy. After hearing everything about the tires, lack of a rear sway bar, pressure, etc. I was curious how it would do. I pay attention to the truck when I try something new anyways. Truck did just what it was supposed to. No noise, squirm, blah blah blah. Perfect and predictable just like I wanted. I see no reason to switch tires.

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2nd best looking color, in my opinion, but whenever I see the blue coming at me, my head is turning. Love your truck!!!
 

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I guess I'm the odd guy out when it comes to the Duratracs. After a few hundred miles break-in, I'm loving the OEM treads. I'm running 55 and 65 psi and I find the truck runs true and straight with no wandering. I have to believe that being accustomed to the driving habits of heavier trucks everything seems normal to me. I know a nice sedan or sports car feels worlds different than a one ton. Regardless I'm perfectly fine with the Duratrac performance and handling.
 
I guess I'm the odd guy out when it comes to the Duratracs. After a few hundred miles break-in, I'm loving the OEM treads. I'm running 55 and 65 psi and I find the truck runs true and straight with no wandering. I have to believe that being accustomed to the driving habits of heavier trucks everything seems normal to me. I know a nice sedan or sports car feels worlds different than a one ton. Regardless I'm perfectly fine with the Duratrac performance and handling.
Have you pulled with them? Most of the people I have talked with that are pulling above 15k like a little wider tire with the negative offset to give you more stability. I'm curious to know how they work for you if you are pulling heavy on the Duratracs?
 
I don’t. All of my current/recent past actual luxury vehicles do though. I am confident no Tremor’s are tracking like luxury sedans. ?

Completely believe they are better than Ram’s though. ?
I call BS on the Ram comment. I have both and my 06 3500 SRW Ram Diesel will outsteer, out handle my 2020 Tremor easily. Remember the Ram has a 1' shorter WB which makes a world of difference.
I didn't buy either one of these trucks for their handling characteristics anyway. THEY'RE HD 4X4 PICKUPS GUYS....jeesh.
 
Have you pulled with them? Most of the people I have talked with that are pulling above 15k like a little wider tire with the negative offset to give you more stability. I'm curious to know how they work for you if you are pulling heavy on the Duratracs?
I've not pulled with the Duratracs yet, but I've pulled about every kind of trailer with much less substantial tires than these Duratracs since 1978 and I doubt the Duratracs are going to perform any less than the cheap ass knock off brands I've experienced over the decades.

I'm not a designer brand guy, I use what works and always have. Most of the modern brands everyone flocks to these days didn't exist when I was driving hard loads for a living.

Try pulling 6 horses in a sleeper trailer half way across the country on the old nylon belted bias ply Kelly Springfields mounted in split rims and you'll appreciate how nice the Duratracs are. Hell I never heard of a ten ply rated tire unless it was on a commercial truck. Besides, I think the Duratracs were designed to perform moderately well on both ends of the spectrum, that being off road and heavy highway load. That's a tall order to fill in one tire.
 
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I’ve noticed the same. Gravel drive then when hit pavement a few pings as gravel goes flying. Which mud flaps did you install? Wirth it?
I got the weathertechs. I like them. They were easy to install and inexpensive and they don't stand out so they look like they are just part of the truck. My only complaint is that they don't stop the gravel flying up as much as I thought they would and that complaint isn't because the flaps are bad. The trajectory of the rocks must just doesn't hit them. I would buy them again.
 
I’m lovin em... now. It took a good 2500 miles before they came to. With 9800 miles on em, she rolls like a Lincoln, so comfortable and easy to drive. Seems to just be getting better as the miles go
 
Redzilla, after my 1050 mile break in I pulled my 9000 lb trailer all
over the Redwood Coast and the Trinity Alps. The Duratracs were
excellent. I loved seeing the looks on those retards' faces when
they putter through a '40 mph' curve in their Mazda hatchbacks
and suddenly see 8.5 tons in their mirror that went around the
same curve at 50!
 
Redzilla, after my 1050 mile break in I pulled my 9000 lb trailer all
over the Redwood Coast and the Trinity Alps. The Duratracs were
excellent. I loved seeing the looks on those retards' faces when
they putter through a '40 mph' curve in their Mazda hatchbacks
and suddenly see 8.5 tons in their mirror that went around the
same curve at 50!
Lol. My Mother in law worked in Garberville and they lived in Weott, Miranda, Fortuna and Ferndale. Love driving those roads in NorCal
Redzilla, after my 1050 mile break in I pulled my 9000 lb trailer all
over the Redwood Coast and the Trinity Alps. The Duratracs were
excellent. I loved seeing the looks on those retards' faces when
they putter through a '40 mph' curve in their Mazda hatchbacks
and suddenly see 8.5 tons in their mirror that went around the
same curve at 50!
 
Redzilla, after my 1050 mile break in I pulled my 9000 lb trailer all
over the Redwood Coast and the Trinity Alps. The Duratracs were
excellent. I loved seeing the looks on those retards' faces when
they putter through a '40 mph' curve in their Mazda hatchbacks
and suddenly see 8.5 tons in their mirror that went around the
same curve at 50!
I put new Dunlop E4 radials on my touring bike today. These are about the heaviest rated all weather tires you can get for a touring bike. Break-in is critical for motorcycle tires, you don't just head into the mountains on new tires. The first 100 miles they feel a little squirrely under you. After that they are golden, especially on wet curvy roads.

Tires can be kind of funny this way. Give them a chance to break in and they become something totally different.
 
I have almost 12k on my 20 and my duratracs will not make another winter. I use my truck for work and have a cap with about 2000# in it at all times. I would have thought I might get more, but it’s not going to happen.
I’m thinking of keeping the same size and switching to Nitto trail grapplers. I’ve had them on a 11 and 15 SD. I’ve had 5 sets in 35-12.50x 20 one set ( that held up best) 295-65-20. The last set was the ridge grapplers in 35-12.50. I know lots of guys love them, but on our roads they slick up with mud and suck. Hell I got stuck in 2wd in a dooryard on a job site, I had to use 4wd just to move the truck. I never had that problem with my TG s .
I put duratracs on my wife’s Gladiator and there holding up well. I think they are great on a light duty pick up but not on a truck you work and haul with. Yes I rotate every 5k!
Sorry Goodyear , no future sales here for my Tremor! To bad I do like them even with the funny characteristics they have initially. I too have lowered the pressures down to the factory low limits.
I should try Toyo’s but Nittos have served me well!
 
I guess I'm the odd guy out when it comes to the Duratracs. After a few hundred miles break-in, I'm loving the OEM treads. I'm running 55 and 65 psi and I find the truck runs true and straight with no wandering. I have to believe that being accustomed to the driving habits of heavier trucks everything seems normal to me. I know a nice sedan or sports car feels worlds different than a one ton. Regardless I'm perfectly fine with the Duratrac performance and handling.
No, I'm with you. After break-in, they are on par with the BFG A/T KO2 I had on my Sierra, with better mud and wet performance (snow is TBD as I haven't driven the Tremor in it yet). We'll see on mileage, but I doubt I can get the 80,000 miles I did from the KO2.
 
I have a '22 F350 on order and plan on calling Discount Tire as soon as I get a shipping notification (in December :rolleyes: at this point) to order a new set of the Falken Wildpeak AT3W's.

They will do a trade in credit for the Duratracs. I plan on stopping there on my way home from the dealership. I can't say enough about these tires, they are where it's at. Better than Duratracs in snow, quieter, better handling, pretty much just better.

I’ve had three sets of falkens and I’ll never buy another set , worst wearing tire and crap in any kind of light mud. Duratracks are pretty good but there’s better that’s for sure. I currently run

Discoverer S/T Maxx​

And they are about the best I’ve found so far and do good in rocks and mud so far.

Discoverer S/T Maxx​

 
Have you pulled with them? Most of the people I have talked with that are pulling above 15k like a little wider tire with the negative offset to give you more stability. I'm curious to know how they work for you if you are pulling heavy on the Duratracs?
I've pulled 19,600 from California to Missouri twice now and I thought their performance was fantastic. I have had them in the snow without a trailer and again they performed flawlessly.
 
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Coming up on 3000 miles my tires are finally feeling good. Did a bunch of towing this week and it felt planted and confident.

Night and day from first towing experience with this vehicle.

Fox steering stabilizer probably contributing to the feeling here too. A must have mod.
 
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