We Tested A 35″ Set For 500 Miles On & Off-Road
Over the past 10+ years, I’ve run a lot of different tires. Everything from remolded tires, to premium brands like Falken – and whatever is in between.
With over 250,000 miles traveled I think I have a good grasp of what works and what doesn’t and what features you’ll get at the different price points.
The Wildpeak line speaks for itself, and I’ll admit, the Falken AT3W is probably one of the best all terrain tires ever made. Naturally, you expect a similar caliber of experience with their mud terrains.
Given the chance to run a set, I jumped on it! What’s better than a fresh set of 35s?!
We got them fast from Tires Easy, mounted them up same day, and two days later we headed to the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, IN. With almost 500 miles under my belt, I think I can provide a fair initial assessment.
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Features & Specs
If it wasn’t clear by the aggressive tread pattern, these tires are built for off-roading – which is why performance in those types of scenarios is emphasized. This is not a commuter tire.
Let’s run through some important details…
- soft tread compound (no mileage warranty due to application)
- from my research, you can expect around 30K+ miles – if you take care of them
- aggressive tread blocks with siping for better wet handling
- big sidewall lugs to help protect against sharp edges and provide more traction
- by design, the tires are supposed to be as quiet as possible
- raised sections beneath main tread blocks help to shed mud and prevent punctures
- internal tread supports help with rigidity and stop stone collection
Even just by looking at them, and knowing their reputation, I didn’t have to test much to know that the tires wouldn’t be a limiting factory in adverse conditions.
On-Road
As expected, these tires are not perfectly quiet. And no mud terrain ever will be.
For now, they will get louder with time, the noise is minimal. There is a hum when you drive, especially on the highway, but it’s not so loud that you cannot think. I’ve gotten used to tire noise, so it eventually just fades out into the background noise. And my truck make all sorts of noise due to the camper, etc. Not just the tires.
These are an E load, so they’re pretty firm, but the softer compound provides a relatively comfortable ride. I can’t say that it felt too harsh or jarring, even on impacts. I was pleasantly surprised here. They should soften a bit with time as the sidewalls get broken in as well.
One thing that is most apparent on the street, is the weight. Falken MTs run on the heavier side and I made the jump from forged wheels (which are lighter) back to cast wheels – in addition to the lighter 35″ RTs that were previously on the truck. This was the first time I felt the difference in unsprung mass. Even though I have the Powerbrake big brake kit, I could tell there was enough difference to impact the feel, especially while coming to a stop.
My MPG seems to have taken a small hit as well, but we’re not building for fuel economy. We’re building for performance. And with a heavy truck like mine, tires can often become the limiting factor in getting through an obstacle off-road.
Off-Road
The closest place to test tires by us is an off-road park in Indiana. I know, it’s not Moab… It is however, a good place to go in the meantime. They have sand dunes, narrow and densely wooded areas, mud pits, a rock quarry with several rocky obstacles, and even some areas to get your wheels wet.
In the sand, they did awesome. Aired down to around 18 PSI, I didn’t once feel bogged down or in jeopardy of sinking. They are super wide, but every bit helps. In the wet and muddy conditions, the grip was great, and the design worked really well to shed the debris that was building up in between the lugs. I was very happy with how well they self cleaned, even once the mud had dried a bit. On the rocks, the traction was impressive. This is really where I felt them shine, and was able to navigate through some tight sections.
After about 20-30 miles and 6 hours of messing around, I had no complaints!
Final Thoughts
I know this is a short review. But we hustled to put the tires through an initial test and I believe we did them justice.
I’ll continue to run these and aim to do an update once we put some more serious miles on. Thanks for tuning in!
