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BFG AT KO's LT275 vs Grabber AT2 P275

1938 Views 6 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  Priddle
I am looking at getting one of those sets of tires for a 18" rim. General has the Grabbers in LT and P, whereas BFG only has them in LT. I do light-moderate offroading on occasion but only as a recreational off-roader, not as a primary activity or anything. My problem is I know LT tires are stiffer and will reduce ride quality but the question is will it reduce it too much? My wife hated the ride in my old 03 Tacoma 4x4 that had BFG All Terrains but I'm not sure if it was the tires or moreso the truck and suspension itself. It was a rough ride but I didn't mind.

Note that I am getting 5100's in the front and Ride Rite airbags in the rear. Maybe that will help compensate?

Opinions?

The Generals are a cheaper tire too which is a plus. But nothing feels more secure than knowing I have LT tires on when going over rough terrain.
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What load range is the LT? If it is a C or D range then I would put them on. If they are an E range, I would look at a different tire as E is way too much for our trucks (10 ply and HEAVY). If you are doing any towing at all with the truck I would avoid a P series tire. If you are not then a P series tire would be adequate. You will also get better tread wear out of an LT tire over a P series tire on our trucks. My stock P rated Rugged Fails had less then 17k miles on them when I had to replace them due to tread wear!
I was going to go with General Grabber AT2's but the rim range on those are maxed at 8.5 and my Monsters on the way are 9's. TRDOFFROAD, you posted a question some time back that I found asking if a tire with a 8.5max rim fit would go on a 9" rim and the answer seemed to be no, at least not safely.

The Grabbers I was looking at has a max rim fit of 8.5...ugggg

Most tires I have been looking at are a load range of E unfortunately. I did find a Cooper tire, Discoverer SST with a low load range but its a mud tire.
I did post that question. No one came up with a straight answer. I decided to trust my local shop that has never done me wrong. I spoke to the manager who I have become quite good friends with....especially after buying three sets of tires from him in less than a year. He assured me I would have no issue running a tire that is recommended on a 8.5" rim on my 9" rim. And he would guarantee them just as he would any other tire. So needless to say I am running a 265/70/17 BFG AT on my Moto's which are 9" wide. The tire is only recommended for a 8.5" rim. I have seen no ill affects from doing this.

When you look at the numbers the side wall is only being stretched 1/4" further on each side than they would on the max recommended size, which is a minute difference

Based on my conversation with my shop manager and my personal experience, I can confidently tell you that you can run a tire that is only recommended for up to a 8.5" rim on a 9" rim. But, again, just take it for what it is worth. If you aren't comfortable doing it, then don't.
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I did post that question. No one came up with a straight answer. I decided to trust my local shop that has never done me wrong. I spoke to the manager who I have become quite good friends with....especially after buying three sets of tires from him in less than a year. He assured me I would have no issue running a tire that is recommended on a 8.5" rim on my 9" rim. And he would guarantee them just as he would any other tire. So needless to say I am running a 265/70/17 BFG AT on my Moto's which are 9" wide. The tire is only recommended for a 8.5" rim. I have seen no ill affects from doing this.

When you look at the numbers the side wall is only being stretched 1/4" further on each side than they would on the max recommended size, which is a minute difference

Based on my conversation with my shop manager and my personal experience, I can confidently tell you that you can run a tire that is only recommended for up to a 8.5" rim on a 9" rim. But, again, just take it for what it is worth. If you aren't comfortable doing it, then don't.
Interesting...I guess I'll have to run back up to my local tire shop and ask myself.

Thanks for your help.
Interesting...I guess I'll have to run back up to my local tire shop and ask myself.

Thanks for your help.
If your shop is comfortable with installing them, they will tell you!

My conversation with the shop manager was almost an hour long on two seperate occassions and he was very confident I would not have a problem. His exact words were "I wouldn't even shake a stick at it. You won't have a problem." And I figure should something happen after the fact, it is on them for installing a tire outside the manufacturer's recommendation.
I spoke to my tire shop and he said they'd have to put one on the rim to see how the sidewall looks. If it sticks out too far (the sidewall he said, perhaps he meant the lip), he said the tire would likely pop off when cornering etc.
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