Pirelli Scorpion ATRs on a 1997 4Runner

Pirelli Scorpion ATRs

Problems started to arise quickly.  I noticed my gas mileage was down, but didn’t really see the impact until I made my first road trip down I-10.  I averaged a little under 16.5 mpg while keeping the truck below 75 for majority of the miles.  I also noticed bumps and imperfections in the road much more than I did with my previous set of Dunlops. The suspension seemed to be very busy and the truck had issues regaining traction if I hit a pothole too quickly.  The weight of the tires (they are 50lbs at 265/70/17) also seem to impact performance more than other tires. A similar set of Revo 2s weights 42lbs which is a significant different.

In addition, the ATRs seems to hold onto gravel more than any tire I have used in the past.  Regretfully, this also means that the Pirelli ATRs threw more gravel then any other tire I have used.  Because I spend a lot of time driving on unfinished roads, this was a major problem for me.

Pirelli Scorpion ATRs

After 2,000 miles, I decided it was time to move on from the Pirellis. The combination of rough ride, fewer miles per a gallon and unfriendliness in gravel were just too much. The tires are great if you spend most of your time on the road and have a heavier vehicle (the third-generation 4Runner is a small SUV by most standards). They offered more grip than previous sets of Bridgestone Revo 2s in both wet and dry conditions, are quiet and are built extremely well.

Toyota will reportedly cover the cost to replace the frame of any affected Tundra, provided that the rusted holes are at least 10 millimeters in diameter and the powertrain is in working order. The rust-induced holes also have to be in certain strategic areas to be eligible, and the Japanese automaker will provide a loaner vehicle while your truck is in the shop. This frame replacement procedure reportedly costs up to $10,000. Toyota is offering to replace frames of the 2000-2003 Tundras until April of 2012.

Read the full story here http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/10/report-toyota-may-replace-rusty-frames-on-2000-2003-tundra-pick/ and make sure you contact your local dealer as soon as possible if you are worried about the condition of your frame!

The Revo 2 thread is actually less aggresive than the original Revo, but Bridgestone swears they provide better traction in dirt and on the road. In addition, they are supposed to be a quieter tire that wears well, which should address the two biggest complaints with the Revo.

I only put 5,000 miles on my REVO 2s before selling them, but they were some of the best performing tires I ever used on a truck. They offered exception grip in the dry, wet and even snow.  We have over 3-feet of snow in one weekend in Pennsylvania and the REVO 2s, with 4-wheel-drive engaged, were able to keep my family safe and on the road.   I saw a minor drop in gas mileage, but it only averaged out to 1.5 mpg. I believe the drop in gas mileage was due to the size increase (265/70/16 to 265/70/17) and not the tires themselves, which is impressive considering that they were much more aggressive than the previous Kumhos I had on the Tacoma.

While I can’t comment on how long they last or how the REVO 2s performed as they wore, I still feel comfortable recommending them to anyone who needs an all-terrain tire and is willing to spend a premium for performance and safety.

The Kumho Ventire SAT KL61 is an all terrain tire designed with a combination of off-road looks and on-road manners.  I picked up a set, sized 265/70/16, for my 2005 Toyota Tacoma after realizing that my Firestone ATs were not going to make it through another winter.  The tires are designed with a ‘flame inspired’ tread pattern, which sounds lame, but allows the tires to easily disperse water and stay clean when traveling through gravel, dirt and mud.  As an added bonus, the tires are also rated for severe weather and include the ever-important ‘snowflake’ which alerts people to this rating.

Because my Tacoma was a daily driver, it didn’t see extensive use off-road, but it was an excellent on-road tire with impressive handling and road noise qualities. While the Kumhos aren’t designed to be a pure AT tire, they did provide excellent traction when I was driving through several fields to go fishing and provided good control in the snow.  The tires ride quieter than other ATs I have used and while they didn’t have the pure grip that the Terragrapplers offered on dry pavement, they did a better job in rain than the Nittos.  I also noticed a slight increase in gas mileage after installing these on my truck,  with my highway average jumping to 20.1 after averaging 19.3 with the Firestones.

The tires wore evenly and slowly, showing that they should be good for at least 40,000 miles if they are rotated on a regular basis.  I had the Kumho Adventure KL78s on my truck for nearly 15,000 miles and was always impressed by how well they handled.  I eventually upgraded to a larger tire and was given a great deal on a set of Bridgestone Revo 2s.

1. How much money are you willing to spend?
2. Are you going to do the work yourself?  If not, you’ll need more money.

So if you really want to lift you truck, here are the right and wrong ways to do it.

There are several lift types and lifting the front of your truck is very different from the rear.

Front lift options:

• Coilovers
• Taller springs with a higher spring rate with new shocks
• New shocks with adjustable perches
• Spacer

Reear lift options

• New leaf springs
• Add-a-leaf (AAL)
• Spacer/block

Coilovers

Coilovers are custom shocks and springs that are mated together.  Usually these are adjustable, allowing you to increase or decrease the amount of lift.   Coilovers generally start off around $800 and can cost up to $1,400.  These provide you with a lot of flexibility and generally a good ride.  Please note, most coilovers use heavier spring rates (650lbs is the norm for Tacomas) so they will ride firmer.   King Coilovers have a softer spring rate (550lbs) so they’ll provide a softer ride.  Here are some good vendors that provide high-quality coilovers:

• Icon (used to be Donahoe)
• Sway-A-Way
• Camburg
• King

In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with any of the coilovers listed above.  I have personally run Icons and Sway-A-Way (which are the same as Camburgs) and was impressed with the ride quality and build of both.

Taller springs with a higher spring rate with new shocks

For Tacomas, their is only one real option for new springs and shocks and that is Old Man Emu. When you go with OME, you get beefier shocks and taller springs that have a heavier spring rate.  Since OME offers different spring rates, you can customize the ride to match your rig.  You can get anywhere from 1.5 inches of lift to 2.5 inches of lift depending on the spring you select.  You can see the different spring/shock combos for a 2005+ Tacoma here.

Eibach recently has come to the market with a lift spring they say works with factory shocks.  I haven’t read much about them, but initial forum reviews show people are generally happy with them, but they aren’t designed for extreme off-road use.

The good news is Toyota is treating customer’s right and buying back
1995.5 through 2000 model Tacomas with rusty frames and replacing
frames of 2001-2004 Tacomas if the rust is too bad. If your Tacoma
doesn’t have severe rust issues, Toyota is actually resealing your
frame to protect it as well, so make sure you contact your dealer as
soon as possible for more information.

Dealer Communication Letter (From Toyota Corp to all Dealers)
http://www.showstop.org/images/truck…munication.pdf

Warranty Policy Bulletin #POL08-03 (Details about what is covered and VIN ranges)
http://www.showstop.org/images/truck…nty-policy.pdf

Vehicle Inspection Procedure
http://www.showstop.org/images/truck…inspection.pdf

Images courtesy of Fast1 on TTORA.com; his truck had is being bought back by Toyota due to the condition of the frame.

The tires exceeded my expectations in almost every category and I ended
up buying a second set after putting 30,000 miles on the originals.
While they don’t offer the same tread-life of other tires (the BF
Goodrich KOs are known to last for 60k+ miles), you get amazing grip in
any conditions and a tough tire that will do whatever you ask of it on
or off road.

Off-road performance
I
only had the Terra Grapplers on my 4Runner for 24 hours before I
decided to go off-roading at Paragon Off-Road Park in 3 inches of snow.
The tires proved themselves to be very capable, climbing over sharp
rocks and pulling the truck through mud. Several people commented on
the tires’ ability to clean themselves of mud and debris and they
operated great when aired down to about 15psi.

I’d confidently say the Terra Grapplers are some of the most
confidence-inspiring tires for off-roading on the market outside of
dedicated MTs. I took my 4Runner anywhere I could and through mud,
sand, snow and rock, they tires never let me down. Even though I had
passenger-range tires, I never had a puncture, even after having limbs
stuffed between the rim and tire (they kept their bead too when this
happened!).

On-road traction
The Terra Grapplers provide more dry grip than any AT tire I have ever
used and made my 4Runner feel nearly sporty in day-to-day driving.
Before I had the Terra Grapplers on my 4Runner, the tires were the weak
point in cornering performance with my Icon coilovers up front and Old
Man Emu springs/shocks in the rear. The previous tires would scream and
howl on on-ramps and didn’t like being pushed hard. The Terra Grapplers
provided an amazing level of grip and allowed the truck to handle like
it was meant to with the suspension upgrades.

Wet weather performance
The factory siping in the Terra Grapplers helped them cut through wet
streets with no problems at all. Even after 25,000 miles, the tires had
no problems in the rain and the traction control on my V8-powered
4Runner would only kick in when I was a little too heavy with the gas
pedal.

Snow/ice performance
I’ll preface this part of the review by saying I had never driven in
snow until I purchased these tires. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas,
there weren’t many opportunities to drive in winter conditions. The
main reason I bought the 4Runner was due to the snow in Pennsylvania
and combined with the Terra Grapplers, I never felt unsafe. The tires
provided great traction in deep snow and over thick ice for the first
20,000 miles. Once the tires wore some, their snow traction decreased,
but I never felt unsafe. I did try some dedicated snow Nokians and felt
they were a step up from the Terra Grapplers. With that being said, if
you only had room for one set of tires for your truck and had to deal
with snow, the Nittos would definetly be a good choice.

Comfort and treadlife
The Terra Grapplers are a sportier AT tire, so my 4Runner didn’t get
smoother, but they don’t beat you up either. They are quiet for an AT
tire and didn’t get louder with age, so that was a plus. I will say
treadlife is the one point of angst for owners of these tires. Some
people just can’t it that these tires only last for 30k miles, but I
felt the tradeoff was worth it since they provided so much grip on and
off road. Sure there are tires that will last longer and there are
tires that provide just as much grip, but the Terra Grapplers offer a
lot of pluses for the money and are a good compromise for those who
need a tire that will take them anywhere.