Another View:

Goodyear RT/S Wrangler tires are very good tires for what they are designed to handle: highway and light off roading. It will be tough to find a tire that enjoys such long tread wear. How do I know: Our 98 XJ has 236,000 miles and this is our 3rd set of RT/S Wrangler tires, with another 30,000 miles or so on this set. You do the math.

Since I drive 50 miles to work at 3:00 AM, in one of the heaviest snow belt areas in the country: the South Bend, IN, southwest Lower Michigan, and most roads haven't been plowed, the RT/S has handled any snow situation without any problems. Of course, some of that has to be attributed to the vehicle and driver's skill and ability--not soley on tires.

If the SR/A even comes close to the performance and tread life of the RT/S, I would be very happy. Of course, if one wants to be an off-road warrior, they would want to upgrade to a more aggressive tire. However, if one wanted to be an off-road warrior, wouldn't one want a more capable vehicle than the Patriot?

When we go to the backtrails in Colorado next summer, we will probably upgrade to the Wrangler Silent Armor. It is supposed to be one of the best tires on the market.

One needs to have experience on a particular tire and not rely SOLEY on surveys. Remember, most people will share negative experiences more often than people who have positive experiences with a product or service.

 

goodyear Fortera Silent Armor tires

Goodyear Fortera Silent Armor are heavy tires (31 lbs) and hard on fuel economy.

 

Have you read this thread?!?

 

Would the Wrangler Silent Armor be a more efficent tire overall is the question you need to ask yourself. Will it last longer, will it have less repairs, ect? Again, don't base a decision on one aspect of owning a tire. BTW, I don't know those answers, but if I was concerned about the true cost of ownership of a particular tire, I definately would be asking those very questions.

BTW, the Fortera Triple Thread and Wrangler Silent Armor are two different tires.

Most tires, regardless of manufacturer, are decent tires, if they are used for the purpose they were manufactured. When I hear reports of how bad tires are, I have to question the driving styles of those who make the comments.

Driver's skill and abilities are more important than ANY tire on the market. Tires won't make up for driver stupidness.

 

EVERYONE AROUND YOU IS AN IDIOT!!!

Driver's skill and abilities are more important than ANY tire on the market. Tires won't make up for driver stupidness.

X2

If you don't know how to drive (or you were never taught how to drive in the first place) tires can't make up for that.

Tire maintainace is extremely important. Not only does tire maintainance prevent tire failure and accidents it extends tread life and helps maintain fuel economy. I rotate my BFG ATs every 3000 miles (w/ oil change). I check my tire pressure EVERY time I fill up. I also visually inspect my tires EVERY time I fill up. Sure that might sound a little overly causous. I have my reasons. I have about 45000 miles on my BFG ATs and still have at least 85% of the tread left. The longer my tires last the less money I have to waste replacing them early. My main reason, I was driving a buddy's car when it had a front tire blow-out at night going 70mph. Poor tire maintainence was the cause.


For the Patriot I would recommend an all-season light truck/SUV tire overall.

If your Patriot will be your daily driver, stick with all-season tires from BFG, Goodyear, Michelin, General, etc. Just because a tire company says it has the best tire in its class (Goodyear Silent Armour) don't go out and buy 4/5 tires. Wait until you wear out your stock tires. If you like stock stick with stock. Otherwise do some research and talk to other Jeepers BEFORE you buy. New tires are a $400-$800 INVESTMENT in your vehicle. All-season tires are best for fuel economy.

If your Patriot is going to go offroad on the weekends go with all-terrains like BFG AT, Goodyear AT/S, etc. (Stay away from Dunlop AT, they were on my TJ when I got it, they're kinda loud and they kinda suck.) I've run both the Goodyear AT/S and the BFG AT (30x9.50r15) on my rigs. Both are great tires. The Goodyear AT/S is decent offroad and is more daily driver friendly. These would be my choice for stock replacement on the Patriot. The BFG AT is great offroad (except mud), great in snow, quiet, and wears well. The next set for my TJ will, more than likely, be bigger BFG ATs (31x10.50r15). All-terrain tires are decent for fuel economy.

Now if you are going balls out offroad get the BFG MT, Goodyear MT/R, Dunlop MT or Super Swampers. MT tires are LOUD. If you want a quiet ride do not buy MT tires. These tires are outstanding offroad. They can have problems on wet pavement. They are expensive and wear quickly. I would not recommend these tires for a stock replacement. Mud(Maximum) Terrain(Traction) tires are not the best choice for fuel economy.



Back to driving skills and ability. No piece of equipment can make up for driver error and ignorance. Even with high speed traction stability control and the best tires money can buy, if you don't have the skill or ability, you are still going to wreck.

The best thing you can do for yourself is practice. Take your vehicle to a big empty parking lot. Go on a rainy day. Get up to about 15-20mph and slam the brakes to the floor. Do that a few times at different speeds. Then drive around the lot making turns at gradially increasing speeds. Try to get your vehicle to skid. Remember to turn INTO the skid to recover but don't oversteer. Don't go too fast or you will roll your vehicle. You want to play around and get a real good feel for your vehicle. If you live were it snows, go out after a good 2"-3" of snow has fallen. The more snow the better. Do the same manuvers as with wet pavement just go a little slower at first. You will notice that you need a lot more distance to stop. You will also notice how much easier it is to get into a skid. Again remember to turn INTO the skid to recover but don't oversteer. Don't go too fast or you will roll your vehicle. You want to play around and get a real good feel for your vehicle.

You maybe able to driver 45-55mph in rain or snow in a Jeep b/c of 4wd/awd but can you stop? Are you going to skid into a ditch? Are you going to do something stupid and roll your vehicle? Practice in a parking lot, leave yourself plenty of room, and slow down so you don't find the answers the hard way.


Following distances are extremely important. You should leave a...

2sec gap between you and the car in front of you during the day.
3sec gap at night.
4sec when its raining or foggy.
5sec or more in heavy rain or snow.

For you window-lickers who tailgate, let me give you some numbers. Every second at 60mph is equal to 88'. Most vehicles require 120'-180' to come to a complete stop from 60mph on dry pavement. Every inch increase in tire size requires at least 10 additional feet in braking distance. If you leave a 2sec gap you have 176' to stop. Tailgating or drafting is not only illegal it is extremely dangerous. If your following distance is less than 2sec you WILL hit the vehicle in front of you or WILL lose control trying to avoid hitting it.


SLOW DOWN! Not only will you save money in gas... Your brakes will last longer. Your tires will last longer. Your engine/drivetrain will last longer. It greatly reduces your chances of being involved in an accident or getting a speeding ticket. I'm not saying go speed limit, no one does that. Go 5-10mph over.

The most important bit of advice I can give you:

EVERYONE AROUND YOU IS AN IDIOT!!! Drive assuming that the drivers around you will do the stupidest thing possible. This helps reduce surprises that cause accidents.

 

With respect to tire sizes....

Stock 205/70R16 = 27.3"x8.1"
Replacement 215/70R16 = 27.9"x8.5" or 225/70R16 = 28.4"x8.9"

Optional 215/65R17 = 28.0"x8.5"
Replacement ?


If the Partiot is anything like the XJ... Get some 15" rims and stuff a set of 30x9.50R15 tires under those fenders!!!

Thats what I ran on my XJ. 30x9.50R15 and NO lift. It rubbed a little but not enough for me to care.

 

Great and thorough post, xjtke611.

I agree with most of it. I have owned a few sets of the BFG T/A ko's, while a great all around tire, they have a couple weak points. One being ice, snow is not an issue for them. Sheet ice is a real bear with them on your 4x4. The other thing which doesn't usually factor in on 4x4's is their weight. These are some of the heaviest tires out there. With a little 4 cyl pushing them down the road, the heavy tires are a disadvantage.

I loved the Yokohama Geolandar M/T+ that I had on a full size 4x4. Quiet, killer looks, great in snow/sand/ice/rock/mud/wet roads. I really liked them and will get them again on a vehicle capable of more hardcore trails. I might get the Yokohama Geolandar A/T's. It's a nice tire for all around and some light trial running. It will come down to cost and weight. There are some others I am researching, too.