Forum Discussion

emcvay's avatar
emcvay
Explorer III
Apr 29, 2025

It's 2025 and I need Dually Tires!

It's that time and my experience with Dually tires is they wear out quickly no mattery who, what or where and getting the right tire can make that less painful.

At work we ran Les Swabb tires and they did ok under heavy use but I'm trying to see who's got a decent tire that won't cut too deeply into my summer plans (ie. won't cost me an arm and leg).

I'm looking at the Firestone Transforce AT2 since it seems many recommend them for a dually and I do have a knarly 3 mile stretch of rocky trail/road I drive to my cabin in the truck now and then and we do some dirt road driving to camping spots when carrying our ArticFox990 which we all know weighs in around 4500lbs fully stocked and ready to go for a couple weeks (maybe slightly less but I figure erroring on the heavy side is smarter).

So, $1500 for Firestones either the AT2's or the HT's

I've got about 45k miles on my OEM tires and they are not slicks yet (even the boys at Swabby's said "they've got life in them yet" but my wife is looking to retire so we figure, renew the tires now while she's working (we're paying cash but easier to spend bigger chunks now than later).

What's your recommendation?

Ford F350 Lariat FX4 CC DRW with ArticFox990 pulling a Jeep Wrangler

 

10 Replies

  • emcvay's avatar
    emcvay
    Explorer III

    Thanks all -- got the Firestone Transforce AT2's at Corwin Ford -- they beat everyone else prices, picked up and delivered my truck and more :D

    Now, on to another question (and thread)...

    • Grit_dog's avatar
      Grit_dog
      Navigator

      Nice! About the only thing I occasionally use car dealers for aside from warranty work on my POS 2023 F150 company truck is oil changes and tires. 
      if you catch a dealer using tires or oil changes as a loss leader to bring suckers, I mean customers, to upsell a bunch of overpriced services and chit, you can catch a good break on the promotional item. 

  • Discount has Transforce HT for $202 and Cooper AT3s for $211 in your stock size 
    seems like a good deal. 
    Also look at 265-70-17s maybe a deal on those. They’ll fit but a bit bigger. 

  • Weird, thought I had another reply from earlier….

    For new tires, I’ve found Discount to be the most competitive price, short of internet tires and sometimes discount is about the same. 
    Brand and tread?  Obviously highway tires are the smoothest and generally longest lasting (don’t feather as bad on the front). 
    I’ve had great luck with Fstone Transforce for everything but good traction in the snow. 
    I usually compare Discount, Amazon and other internet sites.  Find the cheapest name brand or semi name brand that has a decent treadwear rating and let er rip. 
    Lucky, those are small tires, not too expensive. 

  • so first of all 45000 miles on a tire that is on a 1ton dually that hauls close to max all the time is actually pretty good. for most tires.  while my truck isn't a dually the same thing applies, a 1 tone diesel loaded up that has the power to accelerate pretty hard off the line is hard on tires period.  I used to run BFG all terrains and I never even got 40000 miles out of them, but since I have switched to sailun terramax AT's and I have never got under 55000miles out of a set,  I find them way better than the BFG's in all ways, and they honor there 50000 tread life guarantee were BFG won't in our trucks.  look for tires that have a tread life guarantee that is in the range you expect a tire to last.  more than 50000 miles on a 1 ton diesel is a pipe dream though and you will find most of the big brands done offer them on LT tires anymore

  • emcvay's avatar
    emcvay
    Explorer III

    Let me rephrase the above:

    Dually Owners:  what are you running?  What would you recommend?

    Thanks :D 

  • emcvay's avatar
    emcvay
    Explorer III

    Perhaps you misunderstand.

    The tires are showing wear at about 45k miles on them and 6 years.  Could I get another year out of them?  Probably, if I were willing to run them to the wear marks all over.  They are cupped a bit, poorly worn and well, typical of dually tire wear.

    The money is set aside now.  

    • valhalla360's avatar
      valhalla360
      Navigator

      Sorry, you implied they had life in them yet. If they are shot, discussion of retiring and what the shop felt isn't really relevant...you buy new tires.

  • I don't have a dually but I've found off brand tires last just as long, so I generally pick the cheapest tire that meets the size and load ratings. I typically get about 50k miles out of a set.

    If the current tires are still good and you are worried about cash flow in the future, I would just set the money aside now, so when the need comes up, you have the money. Same financial impact but you get the full use out of the current set of tires.

    • Grit_dog's avatar
      Grit_dog
      Navigator

      Aside from tire prices going up, I agree. The OPs rationale is quite strange. Either you want/need tires now or you don’t. 
      This is not a major life financial decision. Especially not, if you’re rolling in $100k+ worth of truck and camper.