Good road tire without an aggressive tread pattern - recommendations?

[Gut]

Stay away from places with rocks. I've had bad luck with rocks going through Wranger side walls.

Wranglers have the softest sidewalls of all the tires in the warehouse.

I sold parts at the dealer and wholesale level. Walking through stacks of tires, poking the sidewalls with a finger, Wranglers are by far the softest of them all.

This not only bad for flat protection but it makes a truck handle like crap, as the tires wallow and deflect when changing direction.

As to the OP, front mud flaps are a great idea. Tires will spit gravel regardless of tread design, unless they are racing slicks. Even then, once warm, they will pick up cast off road debris at a significant velocity.

I am a fan of BFG ATs. They last 60k miles, are quiet and handle very well. I have had them on 5 different vehicles and never had issues, until this Bronco. I too have paint chips on the doors from gravel.

That is a Ford design issue, not a tire issue.

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[Brian_B]

Cooper Discoverer Road+Trail is a good one I see often. We’ve pretty well went almost all Falken Wildpeak at my place though - my Bronco is the only vehicle I don’t have them on.

I liked the Bridgestone Duelers as well - decent tire, used to run them on my Ranger back in the day. A version of that is what come stock on OBX trims.

Stay far away from Michellin Primacy.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

If you want a 17" wheel/tire package, look for Big Bend takeoffs. If you want a 18" wheel/tire package, look for OBX takeoffs. Both non-Sasquatch wheel/tire sets come with the Bridgestone Dueler AT. You can probably find a complete set for around $500.

I'd also recommend buying a set of OEM steps. They serve as fine gravel catchers for the gravel that does get slung.

Similar story ... the bridgestones that came from the factory on my Base (16" , unsure of the exact tire model ) have been great year 'rounders. They stick in the rain, do OK in the snow ... the gravel roads I get on, all tires end up throwing stones, so I don't know what to tell you about that.

Michelin has a LTX that gets very good real world reviews, one of which was out of Colorado that has always stood out to me. The guy really detailed his experience with those and other tires over the years. He was really impressed with the LTX's especially considering how mild the tread pattern looks.
As I recall, the guy posted the review on a Tacoma or similar forum.
I'm fairly certain it was the LTX M/S model, not the AT version .. either of which is still pretty mild.

 

[Brian_B]

Similar story ... the bridgestones that came from the factory on my Base (16" , unsure of the exact tire model ) have been great year 'rounders. They stick in the rain, do OK in the snow ... the gravel roads I get on, all tires end up throwing stones, so I don't know what to tell you about that.

Michelin has a LTX that gets very good real world reviews, one of which was out of Colorado that has always stood out to me. The guy really detailed his experience with those and other tires over the years. He was really impressed with the LTX's especially considering how mild the tread pattern looks.
As I recall, the guy posted the review on a Tacoma or similar forum.
I'm fairly certain it was the LTX M/S model, not the AT version .. either of which is still pretty mild.

That's a good idea, can usually get takeoffs from OBXs for almost free, and BB for not too much more (they are on the more popular 17" rims)

 

[23OBX2.7]

Firestone Destination XT's. Great all around tire. Light but pricey.

+1 an excellent tire on and off road thats quiet and great cornering.

 

[TruckCamper]

I run these on my RAM 1500 and absolutely love them. Super quiet on the highway, great all weather traction, and good traction on fire roads. I get them at Costco. A bit expensive, but worth every penny IMO.

Probably one of the best for fuel economy, traction, tread life and noise. Top tier

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