Help me make a tire decision team! Falken Wilpeaks - 285 or 275, SL or C?

[Yotota]

Oh, and between the two tires, assuming that Toyos actually work well in Florida, your debate will be how heavy duty you want or need them to be.

If you'll be going offroad at all, especially somewhere with anything sharp or stabby (rocks, sticks, etc), some extra protection is worth the weight. If you'll just be driving on smooth sand, you can probably get away with a lighter tire.

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[bigd9247]

I live in Western WA State, where the roads range from damp to soaked with standing water for 60% of the year, and slushy/snowy for probably 10% of the year.

I've ran both SL and LT Falken ATs. I've never had a wet traction issue.

If someone were having such an issue, my first question would be about their tire pressure and how they determined that pressure. It would likely be wrong.

I personally don't like Toyo tires in the PNW. They seem to work well in the hot/dry SW region. Maybe they work in Florida... Maybe not. I can't speak to that.

Agreed. Falkens have done great for me in the wet weather. Both the older AT3W's and the newer AT4W's.

 

[tacorancher]

Falkens crush the Toyos in almost every way. But the Toyos will ride softer and be lighter. Feel the sidewall thickness/stiffness with your hands on both — you’ll be shocked the difference - Falkens WAY beefier. When I felt the sidewalls on the SL vs E load Falkens they were almost the same (and the C load 3 ply - are even crazier). The SL Falken struck the right balance of durability off-road and practicabilty / comfort on road for me.

 

[Pappy]

Agreed. Falkens have done great for me in the wet weather. Both the older AT3W's and the newer AT4W's.

Here in the intermountain west the issue is also snow. The Falken AT's are the preferred tire for many of us. I run the AT3 on my old 4Runner, and now the AT4 on my Tacoma. That said, I have needed to replace two AT3's on the 4Runner due to sidewall gashes. In snow, you can't avoid what you can't see.

 

[delek]

 

[delek]

RRW RR5-H Bronze wrapped in 285/70/17 Toyo Open Country AT3 SL

 

[tacorancher]

This is what the Falken AT4W SLs look like on my truck.

 

[Mtnbikes]

Looks awesome! It’s good to get perspective from others people’s trucks and builds.

I’m still deciding between 285/70/17 or 255/80/17 wrapped around Method 705 matte black.

 

[delek]

Update for anyone wanting to know:

Ride quality : just as smooth as stock. Maybe a touch stiffer, and a little more hum. Very happy

Performance: Feels a little sluggish but not terrible. I’ve actually noticed the biggest difference in breaking performance. It’s taking me a few days to adjust. Might get the tune next to help pep her back up.

Mileage: *Note, I have a 2 wheel drive that had the 245 Toyo HTs*. Big hit here so far. Down from 22.6 average to 16.5 currently. I reset it when I got the new tire, so hoping this continues to creep up. Was hoping for a couple mile loss, not 6. Would be really happy to see it get back in to the 20s. Happy I went with the Toyos

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