Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 285/70R17 Tires

So after weeks of thinking of what the first set of aftermarket tires that will go on the new 2012 Jeep we decided on Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac.  Why?  

We decided to take a different approach with the new Jeep and keep it like most Jeepers do.  A daily driver that sees weekend trail use, not of the extreme kind, but rather fun weekend getaways that even the family will enjoy.  See What Tires for the jeepfan.com 2012 Rubicon to see where we started.

The Duratrac has been around now for a while in the tire market and is an interesting in-between tire.  It features mud type tire characteristics as well as all-terrain tire ones.  Large lugs for digging into mud and grabbing on to rocks are present as well as a lot of siping to allow fine grip in the rain and snow.  The lugs are closer than most mud tires to keep the noise down and there is a lot of overlap in the lugs to help with traction on the street.

Size, what size already?!

We stewed on the size to get for the new Jeep.  In the end we decided on the Duratrac 285/70R17 size, here’s how.

Facts:  The Jeep..

• is a daily driver
• needs to perform well in the rain, snow, and ice
• is a weekend trail machine that does not see extreme use
• has 2″ TeraFlex leveling kit which is only good for a 33-34″ tire
• we don’t want wheel spacers or the need for lower gears
• will keep the factory Moab wheels
• will use D or C rated tire

What fits the above conditions?

There are several varieties of 33-34″ tires available for Jeeps running 17″ wheels.  Unfortunately tires made to fit 17″ wheels often come with an E rating or 10 ply.  These tires are designed for heavy vehicles like full size SUV’s and trucks which brings heavy tire weights due to the extra plys and strong sidewalls.  Often these tires need to be run at lower air pressures on lighter vehicles to allow a softer ride.  This can cause uneven wear and tire pressure warnings from the Jeep’s TPMS system.  The heavy weight of the E rated tires kill gas mileage, engine performance, and stopping distance.

Tread widths can play a big part in what fits a Wrangler JK.  There is 5.5″ of backspacing on a JK and if you are going to run stock wheels an 11.5″ width is about the maximum tire size that will not rub on the suspension without wheel spacers.  Many tires come in the 33×12.50 size but the 12.50 width will cause rubbing.  Several tire makers have a 295/70R17 size which is a good in-between 33 and 34″ size but almost all of them are E rated.  Note: we ran this size on the jeepfan.com 2007 Wrangler.  They were good tires and fit well but were heavy.  See: Toyo Open Country M/T.  The 285/70R17 size was perfect for this Jeep.  It’s slightly larger than a 33 but not as wide as a 33×12.50.

Many makes and models exist in this size.  Some E rated but most were D rated.  As for snow and ice, the Duratrac is one of the few tires of this type that carry a snow rating.  From what we have heard from others these tires perform better than any of this type in winter conditions.  The Duratrac even has stud provisions.

So the specs are as follows.

• Size – 285/70R17
• Height – 33″, Width – 11.5, Rim 7.5-9
• Weight – 53 lbs

The factory Rubicon BFG Mud Terrain tire weighs in approx 50 lbs and the Moab wheel is approx 25 lbs.   This new combination will only add about 3 lbs of unsprung weight to each wheel.  The ~33″ size will allow the Jeep to still perform well with the factory gearing and not drastically affect gas mileage.

The install

We ordered the tires from OK Auto and scheduled a visit to get the tires mounted and balanced.

Above is the Jeep fresh off the Teraflex Leveling Kit installation still sitting on the factory BFG Mud Terrain tires.

Mounting, balancing, first impressions

A few days after the tires arrived at OK Auto we took the Jeep to get the Duratracs mounted and balanced on the Jeep’s Moab wheels.  We also took the opportunity while the Jeep was on the lift to look over the underside of the Jeep  and check for pulled tight brake lines, wires, hoses, etc.

Below are some comparison differences between the factory BFG Mud Terrain tires and the Duratracs.  We chose not to go with a much larger tire which made the 285/70R17 size perfect.

The tires were removed from the Jeep and the air was let out of the tires to allow them to be unmounted.  Today’s tire mounting/un-mounting machines make for a relatively effortless process.

After a Duratrac was mounted and balanced we took a few more comparison pictures.  These show the tires in equal conditions, mounted and unmounted off the Jeep.

The tires were all mounted and ready for installation on the Jeep.  While still on the lift we checked for rubbing.  The drivers side rear is a known problem spot for the tire rubbing on the rear sway bar.  The suspension extended will make the gap grow smaller since the track bar makes the axle shift toward the passenger side.  On this Jeep the Duratrac just fits, any wider and it would rub.

After all the tires were on the Jeep was lowered and the wheels were torqued to 90 ft lb.  We were very pleased with the Jeep’s look and stance.

Impressions

The new Duratracs were inflated to 35 psi for the initial trip.  The noise of the tire was immediately noticeable – more like the lack of noise compared to the BFG tires.  There was a hum typical to all tires of this kind but the hum was less noticeable and of a different tone.  The Jeep drove the same as before and there wasn’t any noticeable loss in power.

Comparison Pictures

UPDATE – Rain Driving

A nice fall rainy day fell upon the northeast so we hit the street to see if these Duratracs lived up to their reputation and to say it frankly, they sure did.  The increased grip over the BFG tires was very noticeable.  Stomping on the gas and allowing the 285HP of the new Pentastar engine did manage to spin the rear wheels but only briefly.  The Jeep’s new tires quickly managed to find traction and have us on our way.  Cornering and stopping were very impressive too.  Winter is quickly approaching..we can’t wait to dig into some snow.

UPDATE – Snow

The northeast weathered an unexpected freak snowstorm in late October.  This storm wreaked havoc in several states due to heavy snow and leaves still on the trees.  Through all this we got a chance to put the new tires to the test in the new fallen snow.  There was packed roads to slush all of which the Jeep handled exceptionally.  The Duratracs dug in and stuck to the surface much better than most mud type tires.  The special tread pattern and generous sipes allow the tires to maintain grip. We tested the Jeep in both 2wd and 4wd.  Stopping performance was exceptional too.