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For those who may be interested.

I am at 173k on my 2012 Tacoma.

I bought this truck new in Vancouver, WA in July of 2012.

https://imgur.com/lR72Lim

https://imgur.com/xe40JCS

In 2013 I moved back to my home state of Arizona.

Off-road conditions were entirely different between the two States.

My tire experience is noted. ALL tires were sized 255 85 16

I bought my tires from Discount Tire and balanced and rotated them every 5k.

BFG KM 2 MT, 54k miles I put these on when I bought the truck. Excellent tires and performed great in all off-road conditions.
They gave me the most miles on my truck.

Toyo Open Country MT, 45K miles, A heavier tire, and gave me less gas mileage on the highway. Performed great off-road but were more difficult to keep aligned.

Cooper ST Maxx, AT 48K miles, A softer tire that gave me 48K.
Performed as well as the MT's off-road but wore out quickly in off-road driving because of the dry rocky road conditions. I drove them down to pretty much no tread.

BFG KM3, 25K miles, and on their last rotation. They are worn out and I am starting to look to replace them in a few more hundred miles. Disappointed in these tires as they are soft and wore out quickly in this arid rocky terrain.

I am seriously looking at the Toyo M 55's as my next tire and would appreciate hearing about anyone's experience with them. They are $90.00 more per tire.

Are they worth the extra cost? I want something that will be able to handle the dry rock experience here in AZ.





I have used several sets of M55, along with one set of Toyo R/T. Then two sets of Nitto EXO. All were 10-ply equivalent. Am now using P-series Toyo AT3 on my wife's SUV but don't have enough experience with them and it is a different application even though the SUV weighs as much as your mini-truck.

I really like the M55 but the compound is hard, which allows it to get cuts, chips, and chunks on rocks. But, I also use a lot of throttle on the sharp volcanic gravel, so I would consider it hard use on my part. M55 is also an older design that followed rain grooves on the highway, for me. I also saw cuts in the sidewall using tight cable chains, and never saw that with the EXO even though that rig had quite a bit more power.

M55 is also louder and vibrates more than the R/T when compared on the same vehicle. I think the EXO was an improvement on the R/T. R/T was inspired by BJ Baldwin, and Toyo and Nitto are sister companies.

I am by no means against the M55. It is a GREAT tire, but there are always downsides. The upside is the incredibly thick gravel guard which I think gives that tire it's claim to fame against stone drilling and subsequent punctures. But once you wear the tread down to that level, you basically have a slick with lugs on the sidewall. Surprisingly, those lugs do great in snow, but the slick portion is horrible on ice as you can imagine. And at that point, the remaining rubber is hard with little siping and is sketchy even on wet roads.

Unless you need that much gravel protection, I would look at the EXO or possibly the Toyo AT3. Just realize that in my experience, the EXO can also be sketchy once worn but it seemed better than the M55.

I am a big fan of replacing tires earlier than later. Use the best miles on them, then sell them to someone who is willing to use them for the worst miles. Never had a problem selling used tires, especially before they go bald. No sense being a cheapskate with the only thing connecting you to the ground, and affecting your ability to stop or steer.

ETA - thanks for your observations with those tires. I do value it, especially when many tire reviews/recommendations seem sparse with information and basically just, "This is what I use, you should too!"
Also consider the rock in AZ. I lived there awhile and never got a flat using standard AT tires. From what I recall, it was mostly sandstone and nothing sharp that required something like an M55. Where there is a lot of volcanic rock, obsidian, etc, then yes a tire with tough carcass and stone ejectors might be a good idea.
Great information and I really appreciate it!

Thank you for taking the time as it gives me a lot to consider for my next purchase of tires.

Where I live the rocks are very sharp and volcanic, and hard on tires.


Btw, I like your idea of selling tires when they start to go south.
One warning on the heavy duty type of tires from Toyo and Nitto. They have really stiff sidewalls. I value the M55 and EXO for resistance to punctures, but the sidewalls are really stiff due to their construction and they aren't good for airing down where you need a lot of floatation. I don't know if that is important to you, but something like a KO2 would be better for that use even though it seems like the sidewalls are more prone to punctures. And the KO2 is now becoming an old design and I wouldn't be surprised if BFG came out with something new.

For my Tundra, the EXO was a big improvement in terms of handling and cornering on pavement. The stiff sidewalls helped a lot. That said, I still saw a lot of cuts in the tread but I also ran them hard in 4WD with full throttle in gravel, rocks, and even in snow with chains. But no serious cuts or chunking like I saw with the M55 on a less powerful truck.

And when it comes to tires, for trucks or dirt bikes, it seem counterintuitive. Hard treads work well in mud and sand, as paddles, but can chunk on rocks. On rocks, softer treads get better grip and are actually less likely to chunk. Being able to deform and flex seems to help.

I ran a set of toyo 255/85/r16 m55's on a dodge w350
Cummins truck and a 2002 f-350 7.3 powerstroke. For $1500, they are steaming piles of sht. Loaded down with 6000 lbs of green birch, they slide everywhere in the mud, you have no directional control. You get stuck in ruts, and can't turn out. Tires with side wall tread are way better.

They balance like sht.

They get extremely noisey as they wear

They wear quickly

The tread blocks damage easily.

I punctured one of the m55 tires on a sharp rock loaded heavy with firewood.

They are WAY too stiff with all those plies, to be using on a fluffy Tacoma. My neighbor ran them on a 1st Gen tundra, and promptly took them off

I have run toyo observe snow tires, toyo mt, Cooper st's, BFG all terrain, BFG mud terrain, BFG rugged trail terrain, BFG all terrain ko2, Michelin all terrain, falken wild peak, Goodyear durataks, bridgestone all terrains Probably forgetting a few.

Anyhow, the m55's were the most disappointing, overpriced, and left me with severe buyers remorse.

Pros: they were the tallest narrow width tire I've ever found. New, the we're almost 34 inch tall:

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]
Forgot to add, the most surprising tires on any of the dozen different Toyota 4wds I've owned was a set of 35 inch tall Bridgestone dualers on my right-hand drive hdj81 turbo diesel landcruiser. Thousands of miles of gravel.

I towed a 1976 dodge 3/4 plow truck on a 24 ft twin axle trailer with that hdj81 for about 90 miles round trip. The tires were overloaded beyond their rating and never showed any wear.

They were amazing on ice.

Fully locked front and rear axles, even cleared mud ok.

They handled like car tires and were quiet. They always balanced with minimal lead weights.

They were made in Japan, and I believe the updated models still are. Anyways, sleeper of a fkn tire, for looking so bland.

I puncture and chip every tire. Dent and scratch the sht out of any 4wd ive ever owned. I routinely brake axles, differentials, locking hubs, u joints, drive lines, leaf springs, steering systems and have gone through a few tranmissions.

I was not easy on the hdj81. Never did get a puncture or lug damage with those bland looking Bridgestones.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Quote
the sidewalls are really stiff due to their construction and they aren't good for airing down where you need a lot of floatation.


I also drive technicals like Black Bear Pass in Co every August so airing down is a must!

Quote
Anyhow, the m55's were the most disappointing, overpriced, and left me with severe buyers remorse.


I think my question has been answered about the M 55's.

Mainer, thanks! great reports here from you and thanks for taking the time to give some great feedback!

I will be checking out those Bridgestone dualers.

I'm hard on my truck too, just put $7,500 into it last week repairing some stuff after hard use. But then, that is why I bought it. Love the truck and will drive it till it cain't anymore.



Originally Posted by mainer_in_ak
I ran a set of toyo 255/85/r16 m55's on a dodge w350
Cummins truck and a 2002 f-350 7.3 powerstroke. For $1500, they are steaming piles of sht. Loaded down with 6000 lbs of green birch, they slide everywhere in the mud, you have no directional control. You get stuck in ruts, and can't turn out. Tires with side wall tread are way better.


Great point about mud and the M55. Even with shallow mud, and not gumbo, the M55 struggled. I was surprised how poorly they did compared to other AT tires that I have used. Luckily, I don't deal with much mud.
thanks for the shared info....Mainer, nice cruiser!
I had a set of the M55's on my 2003 4Runner and wasn't that happy with them. Not that they where a bad tire but for that rig they where just too heavy of a tire. I ran them a lot on gravel since that was my hunting rig and drove it to Wyoming 3 times to hunt antelope. On one trip it snowed then melted and as everyone knows the roads turn to snot but I was really disappointed on how they performed in the mud, and as I recall they didn't do great in the snow either since they are a super hard tire. They did seem to last but I doubt I'd ever get another set unless I was really needing them for a specific off road need.

I now have a 2011 4Runner and just put on my 2nd set of "E' rated Goodyear DuraTracs - they are stock size just the E rating. I ran the first set to about 44k and they still had a decent amount of tread but wanted to get a new set for this hunting season since I was expecting a trip to Wyoming and the old set was getting a bit worn.

I'm usually not a huge fan of Goodyear but the DuraTrac tires for me anyway have been great. Reasonable quite when on the road, pretty darn good when its wet and great in the snow and mud. I've run them in Eastern Oregon on some pretty nasty gravel roads and so far no issues with punctures. At least not with the "E" rated tires.

I think cost-wise they are about the same as any so might want to take a look at them.
My buddy uses the Duratrac on his Taco, and likes them on snow and ice. He has a steep road to his house that can get icy, and doesn't want to deal with chains or snow tires.

He did get a stone puncture near Joseph. That was an E-rated tire. He switched back to C-rated and hasn't had a puncture since.

Good example where different people have different requirements. He's willing to deal with punctures, for the snow performance. I hate punctures, and drive fast on gravel, but I rarely deal with snow or ice and when I do, I typically use chains. My trucks have also been heavier than a Taco.
I guess I’m the odd man here. I had a set of 255/85/16 M55s on one of my old 3/4 tons. They were outstanding on everything but ice I thought. Plus they lasted forever and I never had a flat with them.

I looked for them last month when my new 3/4 ton needed skins but they aren’t available in the size I was looking for. I ended up with a set of Toyo Open Country CTs, similar tread pattern to the M55 but larger blocks and more siping. They took about 500 miles to settle down and quit squirming but I’m starting to like them I think. Off-road traction seems pretty good so far, mud and gravel, and they are pretty quiet for a fairly aggressive tire. Time will tell I suppose, I had a set of Toyo MTs on my last truck and they were terrible, noisy, poor traction off-road and worn out in about 20k.
I've talked to countless people in Eastern Oregon that will run nothing but M55. Ranching, logging, forest service, mining, etc. Mostly for puncture resistance. If not an an M55, then the Toyo M/T, but I also think that Les Schwab has cornered the market in some of the smaller towns, and their premium brand for light duty trucks is Toyo. For those that don't know, Les Schwab has a stranglehold on Toyo tires here, and has shops in small towns that other chains don't, but Discount Tire can get them delivered from their NV warehouse, and maybe others. They just aren't located in the smaller, more rural areas. I tried using 4WheelParts once, and they cancelled my order since they couldn't sell Toyos here.

Anyway, one of my friends is in a hunting club/organization with a bunch of Les Schwab higher ups. He told me about a "new M55" a few years ago. Turned out to be the new C/T. Seems like an improved M55. A bunch of those club guys apparently carry two M55 spares when they go out into the high desert, but some say the new Open Range is a good tire.

Never used the C/T or Open Range, but I see the later on a lot of rigs here. Sumitomo makes the Open Range, and I think they make the Falken as well. I'm not sure if the Open Range is a good tire, or good for the price. Or where they are made. Some of the Falkens are made in China, and some in Thailand.
"BFG KM 2 MT, 54k miles I put these on when I bought the truck. Excellent tires and performed great in all off-road conditions.
They gave me the most miles on my truck."

I think you answered your own question.
Originally Posted by LFC
"BFG KM 2 MT, 54k miles I put these on when I bought the truck. Excellent tires and performed great in all off-road conditions.
They gave me the most miles on my truck."

I think you answered your own question.


I didn’t think he had a question on KM2s


I ran a set of 255/85/16 km2s for 63,000 miles on my Tacoma , great tires but good luck getting another set .. they gone .


Almost went km3 for the new set but ended up with Toyo OC MTs and like them . Obvious differences with the much stiffer sidewalk but so far so good
I just ordered Falken Wildpeak AT3W's for my 2014 Taco. They're highly rated on Consumer Reports.We'll see.
Originally Posted by Brad
I just ordered Falken Wildpeak AT3W's for my 2014 Taco. They're highly rated on Consumer Reports.We'll see.




Let us know country of origin. Quite a few Chinese Falkens recently.
And tire compound change starting last year, that apparently negatively affects their previous good ratings. Search for Joe Bacal's comments online and in the UTubes. He's a professional test driver and has consulted for various manufacturers. The Falken was one of his favorite tires, until the compound was changed.
Biggest problem I have with Falkens is country of origin. There are so many made in the USA tires out there, I just can’t justify buying Falkens.

I try to support US companies or US manufacturing when I can. sometimes you don’t have a choice, but there are lots of US made tires to choose from.
Originally Posted by Kodiakisland
Biggest problem I have with Falkens is country of origin. There are so many made in the USA tires out there, I just can’t justify buying Falkens.

I try to support US companies or US manufacturing when I can. sometimes you don’t have a choice, but there are lots of US made tires to choose from.


But none as highly rated as the Falken (which is also why I drive Toyota).

I put performance over national loyalty since buying tires is one of the least rewarding things I do every few years.

Got the Falkens installed yesterday - "Made In Thailand."

The Hankooks at the shop were from Indonesia.

We'll see...
Originally Posted by 4th_point
And tire compound change starting last year, that apparently negatively affects their previous good ratings. Search for Joe Bacal's comments online and in the UTubes. He's a professional test driver and has consulted for various manufacturers. The Falken was one of his favorite tires, until the compound was changed.


Good to know... guess I'll find out over the next few years.
Originally Posted by Brad
Originally Posted by Kodiakisland
Biggest problem I have with Falkens is country of origin. There are so many made in the USA tires out there, I just can’t justify buying Falkens.

I try to support US companies or US manufacturing when I can. sometimes you don’t have a choice, but there are lots of US made tires to choose from.


But none as highly rated as the Falken (which is also why I drive Toyota).

I put performance over national loyalty since buying tires is one of the least rewarding things I do every few years.

Got the Falkens installed yesterday - "Made In Thailand."

The Hankooks at the shop were from Indonesia.

We'll see...




Yeah, 4 out of 6 of my Toyotas were made here in the US, so I don't feel too bad about supporting American labor to buy Toyota. Tires on the other hand, there are just too many US made tires to choose from for me to go overseas, especially just because of subjective reviews. Sometimes there is no choice but to buy abroad, but sometimes it is just a choice. We can support American manufacturing, or not.

Anyway, hope the tires and your Toyota do well.
Falken wildpeaks on my 09 Tacoma also. Love these so far . Great handling, good on trails and dirt , obviously not a dedicated mud tire but they clean ok for an AT.
Probably late to the party.... I've been running Hankook RF 10 AT/2. They resemble the Toyo Open Country I had on my 4 Runner before hand...got a lot of miles on my 88 4Runner with the Toyos... like 75K, and sold them to someone else to put on his Toyota... I think a set of 4 (245 x 75 x 16, E Load rating) were like $1250 out the door.

I replaced them with the Hankook RF 10/ AT/2 at about half the price, thru Discount Tire Direct on Line. Walmart carries them also, but on line mainly.
Pull then off my 4 Runner at 85,000 miles. With Discount Tire Direct, on line, you can also pay $15 for a no question asked warranty. I've had to use them a couple times on my Pilot, but just called them up and they sent a new tire at no cost... Just mounted and balanced them over at the local Community College Automotive Program.

just acquired a 2011 Tacoma 4WD, 4 door, and it needed tires. Put Hankooks on it also.

on the 4 Runner, they see a fair amount of PNW Forest Service roads, and some are pretty rocky in Southern Oregon, they are 10 ply rated or E rated... but they have sloughed off any potential problems with the rocks....I am a happy Hankook Customer for their truck tires and their winter tires.

They are a Korea Company, so not American, but certainly not Chinese. I don't run Chinese stuff if I can avoid it at all.
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