What tires are yall running on your CUCVs?

[sgms18]

I was hoping to get a conversation started about what tires yall have on your trucks, both size & type & your experience w/them. Off road performance & tread wear on the highway. I have 315/75r16s on my m1028a2. It's a hodgepodge of 3 buckshot radials, 2 nitto mud graplers & 1 mud claw. All except the mud claw is old & full of dry rot cracks so I'm in the shopping phase. I've been outa the mud tire market for quite a while & it seems alot has changed. I really hate that I can't just buy another set of the radial Buckshot Mudders but apparently they only make the bias ply version now & what I'm reading on tread wear is pretty pitiful. I'm not totally against bias ply if its a tire like the old Ground Hawgs that were hard rubber & lasted forever. I have no use for a tire that will wear out in 15k miles though. That buckshot tread pattern was my go to years ago but apparently no one makes that style in a radial nowadays. Its a real shame. There used to be several different makers putting out that same tread pattern. I had Regul Trailblazer MTs on an 87 K10 that were awesome. Great in the mud & good tread wear on the highway. Most of what I've been looking at for this truck has been in the 2-300 dollar range. Tires on my short list are, Mulit-Mile Mud Claws, Federal Couragia MTs, Pro-Comp Extreme MT2s & Maxxis Buckshot Mudder II. I've thought about the surplus tire route but have zero experience there. Most of the ones I see are on 2 peice wheels & im not sure if they will mount up ok on normal wheels. Really stiff sidewalls? Again I really hate that Gumbo type tread pattern in a good lasting radial isn't available anymore. That's really what I want but dosen't seem to be an option. So let's hear it. What yall running & how do ya like em?

 

[cucvrus]

Goodyear Duratrac and Goodyear MTR. Love both of them and they hold up well. I use my CUCV's hard on and off road. Mud, snow and ice. Never checked mileage but they are great all around tires. I think if the Goodyear MTR was made in 1984 that would have been the tire they put on the M1009's and all the rest (M1008/M1028/M1031/M1010) would have been equipped with Goodyear Duratrac. IMHO the stock 31x 10.5 x 15 Goodyear MTR tire makes the M1009 look like a military vehicle. Be Safe.

 

[ehuppert]

2nd the goodyear duratracs! Wear is minimal, traction (mostly snow) is outstanding, road noise is minimal.... 285 75 16's on mine.

 

[Sharecropper]

Initially, after obtaining my M1028 and installing a 5" lift, I ran my custom Firestone split rims and 11.00/20 NDT's. After I had my back surgery, I took off the 20's and installed a set of HMMWV wheels and tires to get the truck a little closer to the ground to help me getting in and out. I have run both types/sizes of tires on and off road. Now that I have recovered from back surgery, I plan on re-installing the 20's. I am using 16 ounces of Dyna Beads in each 20" tube and they run smooth as silk on the highway. They also (in my opinion) are superior off road due to their 12-ply Load Range F rating and non-loading tread design. I never could get the HMMWV wheels to balance the way I like. And I rebuilt the HMMWV wheels as good as possible with new everything. I just like the 20's better.

My recommendation to you is to think about what you want to achive in a tire/wheel for your CUCV. If you want something to run smooth on the highway as a daily driver, I don't believe the HMMWV wheels/tires would be the ideal choice. I would instead mount a good quality radial mud & snow on a good quality steel wheel. This will give you a good highway ride while still providing adequate traction off-road.

Hope this helps.

 

[sgms18]

Initially, after obtaining my M1028 and installing a 5" lift, I ran my custom Firestone split rims and 11.00/20 NDT's. After I had my back surgery, I took off the 20's and installed a set of HMMWV wheels and tires to get the truck a little closer to the ground to help me getting in and out. I have run both types/sizes of tires on and off road. Now that I have recovered from back surgery, I plan on re-installing the 20's. I am using 16 ounces of Dyna Beads in each 20" tube and they run smooth as silk on the highway. They also (in my opinion) are superior off road due to their 12-ply Load Range F rating and non-loading tread design. I never could get the HMMWV wheels to balance the way I like. And I rebuilt the HMMWV wheels as good as possible with new everything. I just like the 20's better.

My recommendation to you is to think about what you want to achive in a tire/wheel for your CUCV. If you want something to run smooth on the highway as a daily driver, I don't believe the HMMWV wheels/tires would be the ideal choice. I would instead mount a good quality radial mud & snow on a good quality steel wheel. This will give you a good highway ride while still providing adequate traction off-road.

Hope this helps.

View attachment 803280 View attachment 803282

Man them NDTs look awesome on the CUCV. I never even thought of that. Who made them wheels for you? Did you reinforce your frame at the gear box to run that big/heavy a tire? I know from 1st hand experience these squares body's like to break at the gear box if you run big tires and/or wheel em hard. Either way my truck will see the pavement a good bit so I probably won't go that extreme but damn good looking truck man.

 

[Sharecropper]

Man them NDTs look awesome on the CUCV. I never even thought of that. Who made them wheels for you? Did you reinforce your frame at the gear box to run that big/heavy a tire? I know from 1st hand experience these squares body's like to break at the gear box if you run big tires and/or wheel em hard. Either way my truck will see the pavement a good bit so I probably won't go that extreme but damn good looking truck man.

I had the wheels built in 1985 to run on a new GMC K30 civilian truck. Ran them for over 250,000 miles with no problem whatsoever. Glad I saved them when I sold that truck in 1995. It would probably be cost-prohibitive to built those 20's in today's market. I had 5 of the split rims built and spent $2000 in 1985. I did a write-up on them somewhere in my rebuild thread.

No problem with the frame. I am assuming you are referring to the steering box area. I recommend that you install the frame strengthener kit from ORD. If you plan to lift your truck, I also recommend that you install crossover steering also from ORD. These two items will substantially decrease the frame stress at the steering box area.

 

[sgms18]

Awesome. I'll have to look into that ORD stuff. I split the frame on a square body i had years ago running 38x14.5s. That was back in the good ol days when we were mud bogging every weekend.

 

[Sharecropper]

Awesome. I'll wave to look into that ORD stuff. I split the frame on a square body i had years ago running 38x14.5s. That was back in the good ol days when we were mud bogging every weekend.

Yeah I've lost track of how many Chevy trucks I ruint mud bogging since 1969. But then sometime in the late 1980's I bought some of them Smartnin' Up Pills from an ad I saw in the back of Outdoor Life magazine. Those things were amazing! Suddenly I realized what all that mud was doing to my trucks. So I quit mud bogging. My M1028 will never see mud. Heck I can't stand it when it gets rained on. I guess getting old has its advantages. All I do now is drive Ms Daisy around.

 

[sgms18]

So I'm looking online & keep coming across tires that are made by companies I've never heard of. Achilles, Kanati, Roadone, Nankang. Yall ever heard of any of these folks? Is it just Chinese crap or do they make decent tires? Some of them "look" pretty good as in i like the tread pattern but who knows bout quality.

 

[Sharecropper]

So I'm looking online & keep coming across tires that are made by companies I've never heard of. Achilles, Kanati, Roadone, Nankang. Yall ever heard of any of these folks? Is it just Chinese crap or do they make decent tires? Some of them "look" pretty good as in i like the tread pattern but who knows bout quality.

You now have a decision to make, to follow advice or to abandon it. You have two (2) replies to this thread, both of which recommend Goodyear tires. I will add my endorsement making it three (3) Goodyear recommendations. But you are now saying you are looking online at tire brands which I have never heard of? Does that mean you have decided to forego the recommendation of this forum's experienced members? If that is the case, I will unsubscribe from this thread and you are on your on. If you are not going to follow, or at least consider, the advice of this forum, then why did you post the question? The members of this forum have, in my opinion, more knowledge and experience than any other group of square-body enthusiasts on the planet, and are willing to share their knowledge and experiences with most anyone who asks for it. They give their time to reply and respond to most all questions, but when the original poster does not follow their recommendations, they shut up and you will not hear from them again.

As all of Rick's responses state, "To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. Thomas Paine: Founding Father Quote."

 

[sgms18]

Easy man. I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers, just asking questions. That absolutely doesn't mean I don't value the advice of the members here. This form is a valuable asset to all MV owners. It's helped me out more than once. I'm a Goodyear fan. I run Wranglers on my 2wd truck. I'm not surprised people are recommending them as I'm sure they are good tires. That said I still want to explore my options. Its been a long time (15+ years) since I've bought any mud tires. I just want to see whats out there & talk about whats good, whats bad & whats "good for the money" thats why I posted this question. I may very well end up buying a set of Goodyears but I may end up buying something else too. I don't know yet. If I have somehow offended you I apologize. That was definitely not my intention.

 

[chevymike]

Not cheap but one of the best is Toyo Open Country M/T. I have these on my M1010 in 255/85-16. I am on a bunch of offroad and overland forums and Toyo's almost always end up at the top of the list, other than price. That has been the only negative item about them.

 

[Curtisje]

I run surplus HMMWV tires on my CUCV's. They ride ok. Sometimes I get one that has worn unevenly and it rides like crap. They are difficult to balance. I use Balance Masters and Centramatics to balance them and that works well. The tires only last about 10,000 miles but that may not be so bad.

 

[sgms18]

I run surplus HMMWV tires on my CUCV's. They ride ok. Sometimes I get one that has worn unevenly and it rides like crap. They are difficult to balance. I use Balance Masters and Centramatics to balance them and that works well. The tires only last about 10,000 miles but that may not be so bad.View attachment 803302View attachment 803303

So the hmmwv tires I've looked at are for 16.5in rim. In your 1st picture those look like the original dually wheels. Aren't they 16in wheels?

Ok, I stand corrected. Those aren't the same wheels on my truck. I had to go outside & look though. They are close. That brings up another question. What wheel is supposed to be on the 1028a2 16 or 16.5?

 

[Curtisje]

So the hmmwv tires I've looked at are for 16.5in rim. In your 1st picture those look like the original dually wheels. Aren't they 16in wheels?

Ok, I stand corrected. Those aren't the same wheels on my truck. I had to go outside & look though. They are close. That brings up another question. What wheel is supposed to be on the 1028a2 16 or 16.5?

The original wheels are 16 inch. I have 16.5 in dually wheels on my M1028A3 Wrecker and 16.5 in HMMWV 24 bolt wheels on my M1008.

 

[sneekyeye]

I use a set of POWER KING SUPER TRACTION LT tires on a second set of stock size 16 inch steel wheels for off road driving. They are only offered in size 9.00 r16. I needed to trim the inner fender lower corners a bit, but it is no trouble off road with no lift. They aren't perfectly round, and being a bias tire, the road manners take a little getting used to. They balanced heavy on the weight, but run fine with minimal vibration. Nine inches wide and about 35 inches tall is what they measured out to be.

My standard road tires are some 285/75r16. If i replace those tires, I'm going to change it to 235/85r16, because my tires hit the tie rod when turned hard right, and I'm tired of it ruining my tie rod boots.

 

[HeisenBob]

Anyone ever heard of Leap Lion Sport MT? I’m thinking about a set of these for $480.

Leao Lion Sport MT LT 31X10.50R15 109Q C (6 Ply) M/T Mud Terrain Tire

Leao Lion Sport MT LT 31X10.50R15 109Q C (6 Ply) M/T Mud Terrain Tire

www.prioritytire.com

 

[Curtisje]

Anyone ever heard of Leap Lion Sport MT? I’m thinking about a set of these for $480.

Leao Lion Sport MT LT 31X10.50R15 109Q C (6 Ply) M/T Mud Terrain Tire

Leao Lion Sport MT LT 31X10.50R15 109Q C (6 Ply) M/T Mud Terrain Tire

www.prioritytire.com

I've never heard of them.

Are running 15 inch rims?

 

[HeisenBob]

Yes. 31x10.5r15

 

[Curtisje]

Yes. 31x10.5r15

Roger. I didn't think 15 inch rims cleared the brake calipers on a CUCV.