Anyone running the new design of the Big Foot X/T sold by Big O (made by Kelly-Springfield). Any experiences with Big O tires in general?

http://www.bigo.com/item.asp?id=201

They look kinda like a Nitto Terra Grappler, but with side biters and slightly larger lugs and lug voids.

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My experience is with Big O, and not with that specific tire. Big O charges an outrageous amount of money for their mounting/balancing and "road hazard warranty". The only time I think it would be worth the extra $$ is if you WILL get the tires rotated like clockwork, and if you drive on bad road quite a bit and are prone to flats and tire failures.................just my $.02. They tend to give me that "used car salesman" kind of feeling every time I deal with them.

As for the Nitto's, I've had them on my Suburban for a couple of years. Nice tire, quiet, and really good in the snow. Not so great on ice, but nothing short of studs really is.

 

I know what you mean about the "used car salesman" attitude. I got that feeling too. The times I have been to a Big O store, I feel like they treat me like I am an idiot who knows nothing about cars/trucks, and have no clue about tires. That attitude pisses me off, but that probably describes the majority of their customers.

I can deal with that stuff though, just wondering if the tires they sell are worth a crap or not. Price seems reasonable.

 

what are you gonna be using the tires for off roading or day to day or a little bit of everything? i dont know if you caught the post about the mickey t's but they are a great tire if you're looking for some bite!

 

I'll be using it for a little bit of everything. If you've seen some of my previous posts, you'll see that I am looking for a tire that has lugs and voids like a mud tire, but sipes like an all terrain tire. That's what sparked my interest about this tire because it seems to have both of those elements. If I go with something that looks more like the Mickey Thompson MTZ (less siping, more luggy), then I will get the Toyo M/T instead as it is a better tire (10 ply, much higher load rating, etc...).

FYI, the Dick Cepek Mud Country is another tire that has good lugs and voids, but also siping on the lugs. There is a decent write-up on it too in this months Off Road Adventures.

 

the mtz's have plenty of siping and are very very good off road and on snow/ ice. I wouldn't bet too much money that the toyo are a better tire....specs only mean so much. Toyos wear quick and IMO don't clean out very well.

 

The MTZ and the Toyo both have only one sipe per lug. Whether that is "plenty" is a matter of opinion. Other mud tires with only one sipe per lug include the Pro Comp Xtreme Mud Terrain and the Cooper Discoverer STT.

The Big Foot tire I posted above, the Dick Cepek Mud Country, the TrXus MT, the Pro Comp Mud Terrain, and a few other lesser known tires have more then one sipe per lug, but are still a mud tire (not an a/t tire). As far as mud type tires go, these are the only ones that I know that have this characteristic. The rest either have the one sipe per lug, or no sipes at all (like the Goodyear MTR and the BFG Mud Terrain).

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I don't know much about tires. What the heack is "sipe per lug" mean?

 

Lugs are the chucky rubber part that makes up the tread. Sipes are the cuts in the lugs that give you added bite on wet and icey surfaces by giving you more edges on the tread face and helping the lugs expand or contract as you roll over surfaces.

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Great explanation and graphic.