I just purchased a 2021 Defender 110 P300 with 18” steelies. It came with the Michelin highway tires off the lot, but I’m wanting to put on all terrain tires. I’m not super familiar with tires, so am hoping for a little guidance. In general I’ll be on road 95% of the time, and off road driving will mostly be around forest roads - not planning to do anything too aggressive. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so am on a lot of wet roads, with snow a few times a year.

Is maintaining the XL load range from the OEM tires a must? I don’t plan on doing much, if any, towing.

In the OEM size (255/70R18), the two AT tires I’m finding with the higher load range are BFG KO2s and Goodyear Wrangler Adventure (which I think are the OEM AT tire option). The KO2s seem like they might be overkill for my purposes. Do folks have opinions on either of these options based on my driving circumstances?

If I go up to 265/70R18 (which seems to fit based on other threads) there are a lot more options with the higher load range, but these mostly come in the form of LT tires. Would moving into a truck tire have a significant impact on ride quality and MPG?

Thanks for any input!

 

I went with Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015, 275/65R18. I had these before and was very impressed for the cost. I went with the 275/65 because I could get those in a 10-ply tire. At only $205/ea, it is a hard deal to beat. (Discount. Tire)

The other:
Terrafirma 18x8 steel. wheels (TF152, Lucky 8)
Terrafirma 300mm wheel spacers (TF3038, Lucky 8)

P300 with Terrafirma 18" steel wheels

 

To me, it sounds like the standard GY Wrangler Adventures would be the perfect tire for your stated mix of driving conditions, both on road and off. The Adventure is actually an excellent choice for mostly dry/wet roads with only occasional snow and maybe 5 to 10% of easy off-roading on forest roads.

An extra aggressive and tougher AT or MT tire would jlbe 3xpensive to buy, weigh more, put more strain on the car, use more gas, worsen your ride and handling on pavement, be noisier and probably wear out faster, in exchange for better traction and resistance to punishment and punctures off-road, neither of which should be important considerations for you at all, given the type of off-roading you plan on doing. Unless you are doing it strictly for the looks of course, in which case the words "sensible" and "appropriate" usually go out the window, lol.

Stick to XL load as a minimum though, like LR recommends. Besides the fact that - even if you don't tow - this is still a heavy truck and you may need that extra load capacity under certain conditions off-road, there are also possible insurance and warranty implications by fitting a tire that doesn't meet the minimum specs that the manufacturer recommends. If they say you need XL tires, they have done their homework. Don't second guess them and mount XL tires (or better.)

FYI, BFG is not an OEM / LR recommended tire. Goodyear Wrangler Adventure and the more aggressive Wrangler Duratrac (the latter only available as dealer accessory, not as factory fit) are.

 

I already blew 2 OEM wrangler tires and another buddy blew one in Death Valley last week. For 95% highway, they may work for you, but I cannot recommend them at all for any trails. Sidewalls are soft.

BFG KOs have very good sidewalls and the tire I would recommend for limited trail duty. Another buddy blew 2 Geolanders in Death Valley on his Range Rover that same trip.

I bought General X3 mud terrains 265/70r18 but I need a serious tire for offroading. It does hurt MPG a bit, but my roof top tent hurts that more. My size does not require spacers and doesn't rub in access mode.

 

@spikemd your rig is my inspiration — getting my Steelies powder coated gloss black. Great look. Just can’t decide if I’m going to put dedicated winters on these and use my existing 19s with the stock AT Adventures in the warmer months or go with the KO2s and run them year round on the steelies.

 

Has anyone put Nokian Rotiiva ATs on the 18s yet? People rave about these tires... Nokian has a cult-like following in NE.

 

I tried responding to the private message but they say your mailbox is full. The tire I went with was a 275/65R18 and it was a LT. It fits perfect and no rub

 

The Wrangler Adventure AT Tires suck..........driving to Vegas, with less than 700 miles.........tiny hole, in the thickest part of the tire, had the PSI go from 50 to 21 in about 2 miles. I couldn't believe how small the hole was, where it was and how much air was released in such a short time. At least the tire pressure warning system worked well!!!!

 

Thanks all for the input. I ended up putting on Nitto Terra Grappler G2s in 275/65R18. I liked that they are slightly lighter than some of the E rated truck tires, but still carry the XL rating. I haven’t gotten off road yet, but no noticeable noise increase compared to the Michelin tires. Plus they are snow rated. So far I’m happy with them. And no rubbing, even at access height.

 

Post a pic when you can! I'm starting the search for something a little more than the stock Wrangler AT's.