Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend....

HotChicken

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Hey everyone everywhere. Looking to upgrade to some A/Ts on the Big Bend. Primary goals are:
  • Tires that actually look like they belong on the Baby Bronco; the factory tires are boring and dull and uninspiring.
  • Enough meat on the tread so that every other month I can roll over medium-rough trails without excess anxiety, roll through Atlantic beach sand twice a year, and still drive like I mean it around the mean streets of Washington, DC in drought, rain, or snow.
  • Since I'm 80% block-by-block city driving, I don't want to lose more than one mile from my MPG.
  • Adds as little highway noise as an AT can - unnoticeable would be ideal.
  • Fits on the stock Big Bend wheels (which I quite like) without any mods or lifts and does not require any additional speedometer or odometer calibrations.
Been sniffing around for a minute and I think I've got my heart set on the Falken Wildpeaks. These 235 Wildpeak A/Ts seem to be the best option. Good price, too. My heart wants the 235 A/T3WS (because looooook at those sidewalls), but I get the sense they'll be a bit nosier for my preferences. I don't have any experience upgrading tires, so please advise if I'm misthinking anything here.

I'd also appreciate any clarity on the advantages of 235 vs. the 225 Wildpeak A/Ts. I understand the 235s will be just a bit wider which can slightly decrease performance in the rain, but improves off-road traction and is better for sand. Is that right? Is there going to be a vertical size difference I'm missing? And finally on the 225s, it looks like Falken does not make the A/TW3 in a 225 size, only 235. Anyone been able to source 225s?

Thanks in advance for any input!

Edit: I suspect it's best to get 5 tires all in one go so I have the same situation sitting on the spare. Yes?

And does anyone have tips on getting the best value out of the factory set of Continentals? Sitting at 4,000 miles on them. Would I get gouged by selling to the tire store that changes them out? Or is it better returns to try selling on Craigslist?
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aryus

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Following as I'm looking at upgrading my tires as well. Am considering Yokohama Geolandar G015 since I mostly drive streets as well.
 

Timsvtgen1

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I don't think you will notice the difference with 235's vs 225's. My Badlands has the wild peaks and I really like them. I cant give any snow opinions, but can tell you they handle well in everything else. You can hear them but they are not noisy. I did a trip where on the highway portion I got just about 26 MPG, as well.
 

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The day after I bought my Big Bend, I got these in the stock size: Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail
I don't feel particularly hard done by. They are amazing on gravel, and so far have been fine in mud and "off road" - here that mostly means zero maintenance roads. They are also 3 peak rated for snow but they will NOT be as good as a real snow tyre in the winter. That is simply not possible. I get about 8.1l/100km and have gotten as low as 7.5 and that is with bike racks on the roof. Not bad all things considered I guess. Grip on asphalt is good as well.
 

Timsvtgen1

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I noticed this is for the Trail and not the AT3w. I have the AT3w's and am very happy with them. FWIW
 


mooner44

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Hey there! Following up on your offer in the tire thread. Primary goals are:
  • Tires that actually look like they belong on the Baby Bronco; the factory tires are boring and dull and uninspiring.
  • Enough meat on the tread so that every other month I can roll over medium-rough trails without excess anxiety, roll through Atlantic beach sand twice a year, and still drive like I mean it around the mean streets of Washington, DC in drought, rain, or snow.
  • Since I'm 80% block-by-block city driving, I don't want to lose more than one mile from my MPG.
  • Adds as little highway noise as an AT can - unnoticeable would be ideal.
  • Fits on the stock Big Bend wheels (which I quite like) without any mods or lifts and does not require any additional speedometer or odometer calibrations.
Been sniffing around for a minute and I think I've got my heart set on the Falken Wildpeaks. These 235 Wildpeak A/Ts seem to be the best option. Good price, too. My heart wants the 235 A/T3WS (because looooook at those sidewalls), but I get the sense they'll be a bit nosier for my preferences. I don't have any experience upgrading tires, so please advise if I'm misthinking anything here.

I'd also appreciate any clarity on the advantages of 235 vs. the 225 Wildpeak A/Ts. I understand the 235s will be just a bit wider which can slightly decrease performance in the rain, but improves off-road traction and is better for sand. Is that right? Is there going to be a vertical size difference I'm missing? And finally on the 225s, it looks like Falken does not make the A/TW3 in a 225 size, only 235. Anyone been able to source 225s?

Thanks in advance for any input!
For your requirements, I think you picked the exact right tire brand and size. You could go with the 245/65/17 AT3’s, but I think it would uncheck a couple boxes, although it would check a couple more as well. You would lose 2-3 mpg’s with the 245’s and your speedometer would be off 1-3 mph depending on the speed you are traveling. No rubbing, very light road noise (I went from having zero and now it is very faint), you would gain 1 inch ground clearance, and more aggressive side walls. I still get 26 mpg combined with mine. So for the 235’s, you could cut all this information in half, and that’s basically what you would expect. The wider tire actually performs better in the rain due to more sipes for gripping. Although it would perform worse in hydroplaning or deep snow situations, as a skinnier tire can cut through easier. The 235’s will be a half of an inch more ground clearance than the 225’s. 245’s are a half of an inch more than the 235’s. If I were you, I’d either go with the 235 A/T’s or the A/T3W’s from Wildpeak. To me, I would go with the A/T3W’s as the losses in the areas you are concerned about will be zero or minimal compared the the A/T’s. Plus, they look freaking sweet and they have the least amount of road noise and awesome tread wear for an AT tire. 225’s are just to small for this vehicle, to me. I wanted you to have a 245 comparison too. Just to help out your decision process. Let me know if you have any follow up questions.
 
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HotChicken

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You could go with the 245/65/17 AT3’s, but I think it would uncheck a couple boxes, although it would check a couple more as well. You would lose 2-3 mpg’s with the 245’s and your speedometer would be off 1-3 mph depending on the speed you are traveling. No rubbing, very light road noise (I went from having zero and now it is very faint), you would gain 1 inch ground clearance, and more aggressive side walls. I still get 26 mpg combined with mine. So for the 235’s, you could cut all this information in half, and that’s basically what you would expect.
Extremely helpful, thanks. Sounds like that'd be 0.5-1.5 ding in mph on the speedometer. Is that even worth recalibrating the speedometer for? Will it affect the odometer at all?

The 235’s will be a half of an inch more ground clearance than the 225’s. 245’s are a half of an inch more than the 235’s. If I were you, I’d either go with the 235 A/T’s or the A/T3W’s from Wildpeak. To me, I would go with the A/T3W’s as the losses in the areas you are concerned about will be zero or minimal compared the the A/T’s. Plus, they look freaking sweet and they have the least amount of road noise and awesome tread wear for an AT tire.
They do look freaking sweet and raw without getting too far into "look at my rubber testosterone" territory. After doing a little trail situation in Tennessee a few weeks back, the peace of mind of more rubber and more clearance on non-lifted Big Bend would be worth the price.

And I just updated the original post with some other questions. Any thoughts on getting the spare in the same model and how to maximize dollars from my factory tires?
 

mooner44

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Extremely helpful, thanks. Sounds like that'd be 0.5-1.5 ding in mph on the speedometer. Is that even worth recalibrating the speedometer for? Will it affect the odometer at all?



They do look freaking sweet and raw without getting too far into "look at my rubber testosterone" territory. After doing a little trail situation in Tennessee a few weeks back, the peace of mind of more rubber and more clearance on non-lifted Big Bend would be worth the price.

And I just updated the original post with some other questions. Any thoughts on getting the spare in the same model and how to maximize dollars from my factory tires?
Haha. I agree. They are just aggressive enough without going too overboard for a daily driver. I don’t not think it is enough to get recalibrated. It’s hard enough to stay 1-2 mph within your desired speed that you won’t even notice it. Now if it was 5 mph, that’s a different story. And as far as odometer, if my math is correct, it will show you have traveled less miles. Probably not enough to effect when you might perform a service on your Bronco. If anything, hey, less miles! Haha. As far as a full size spare, I’ve test fit a standard 235/65/17 tire and it fits with raising the rear deck one level. That was not mounted though. It could still work mounted. But if you did a AT tire, might be too high and raise the deck to high as well. I would get a cheap spare just for an emergency as it will not be visible. For my factory tires, I’m eventually going to buy some cheap rims and will alternate the tires/wheels when my others wear out or for different seasons. That’s the plan anyways. They are pretty crappy tires though.
 

13MikeH

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I have the factory upgrade 235AT and they do not make any road noise so far as I'm concerned and I've traveled 35MPH and 80MPH extended trips they are factory spec (this is what my college teammate used to do for Ford, spec tires for their vehicles. He sold me on the 235s. Said it's the best tire for the ride.) they fill up the wheel space
Ford Bronco Sport Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend.... PXL_20210803_185648498
 


christopheru

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Glad they're working out. How audible are they on the highway?
I don't even notice them to be honest. They feel like normal tyres - almost like snow tyres when it is cold out but less draggy - until you hit gravel etc, then they are amazing.

Any cyclists out there? The BS with these tyres feels like a good mid level gravel bike with panaracer gravel king tyres on it.
 
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HotChicken

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Thanks everyone for all of the input. Happy to report that I went with the 235 Wildpeaks from - of all places - Amazon cause I couldn't pass up the $154/tire price. Bizarrely, they qualified for Prime delivery. Loaded them up and went to a local tire shop for a $20/tire install. Turns out one of the stock tires had a nail nestled 2 inches up the sidewall, so glad I went for something with more meat on the bones.

So far, it's the opposite of regret. I took a 150-mile round trip this weekend to a friend's farm for camping next to the Shenandoah river behind the back pasture and my primary concerns of road noise and MPG reduction were assuaged. Even at 75+ MPH, the wind noise was more vocal than any low hum coming from below and it was about a 1 MPG hit on the highway. A bit more in the city, it seems, but it's worth the trade off for an even smoother ride over potholes and other city street nonsense.

TL;DR - Get the 235 Wildpeaks for your BB and be happy like me.


When you order tires to your house, you get to be the kind of person that keeps tires inside:

Ford Bronco Sport Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend.... IMG_8204.JPG


Love the black-on-black with high-raise lettering:
Ford Bronco Sport Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend.... IMG_8208.JPG


All four fit in the back, NBD:
Ford Bronco Sport Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend.... IMG_8234.JPG


Think globally, change tires locally. Before w/factory shoes:
Ford Bronco Sport Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend.... IMG_8236.JPG


After, with new hiking boots:

Ford Bronco Sport Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend.... IMG_8242.JPG


Down by the river:
Ford Bronco Sport Feedback request for A/Ts for Big Bend.... IMG_8321
 
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HotChicken

HotChicken

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I wanted to do a little different than most and went with Pirelli Scorpion AT+ in 225. Went on a drive through a mountain trail over the weekend and they performed great. Also look really aggressive.
So jealous of your real mountains in the other Washington. Love the look, too.
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