Off-Roadweb Magazine Homepage Off-Road
Get Adobe Flash player

Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Off Road Tire

A Fullsize Truck Friendly Tire
By Jerrod Jones
Photography by Jerrod Jones
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Tires
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires New Heavy Duty Tires
The Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac... 
   
  read full caption
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires New Heavy Duty Tires
The Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac is a heavy-duty tire made for truck that has to work for a living, but the DuraTrac offers a more aggressive tread pattern than other tires in its class. Notice the multiple siping slits on the tread lugs that help it maintain traction in wet and icy conditions. The outer tread lugs are also pinned for metal studs to be inserted for the best traction in winter conditions.
In between the tread lugs, you'll notice a miniature tread pattern in the voids that Goodyear calls TractiveGroove technology, meant to help keep pushing the truck in deep mud and snow.
Since the DuraTrac is a tire designed for a work truck, the sizes available do not pass 36 inches (in metric sizing). It's mostly available for 16-, 17-, or 18-inch wheels.
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Street
Street The DuraTracs were... 
   
  read full caption
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Street
Street
The DuraTracs were quiet on the street, but maybe a little more audible than some smoother fullsize truck tires. They rode exceptionally well on pavement and wooden plank bridges. Bumps in the road were absorbed excellently in the sidewall. These tires definitely rode better than the Brand-X all-terrains we pulled off this truck, which was a little surprising since the tires we pulled off the truck had a much more mild tread pattern.
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Light Trail
Light Trail We hit some dusty... 
   
  read full caption
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Light Trail
Light Trail
We hit some dusty trails and uphill grades and never really had to use four-wheel drive except once. In a sport ute with some weight in the rear, this would not have been so surprising, but we were used to trucks always spinning their rear wheels in this area.
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Sand
Sand The sidewalls proved... 
   
  read full caption
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Sand
Sand
The sidewalls proved just how flexible they were when we got in the sand. We only had to come down to 20 psi to run around in 2WD in the sand. At this (still high) pressure, the tire got a nice enough footprint to float it well in the dunes. It's a load range "D" tire with a 3,195-pound load rating, but it still has a flexible sidewall.
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Four Wheel Drive
In 4WD We got into a few... 
   
  read full caption
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Four Wheel Drive
In 4WD
We got into a few rutted out climbs, lifting a tire occasionally, but never really had any slip. We really wish we would have had some rain before the testing, but the ground was dry and dusty. Even as dry as it was, we were still pleased at how the DuraTracs never even spun an inch while climbing. The rubber on the tire seems very pliable and soft, especially for an HD tire.
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Wheel Used
Wheel Used Though we're starting... 
   
  read full caption
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Wheel Used
Wheel Used
Though we're starting to think black wheels might have been overdone a little bit lately, we cannot deny how good black wheels look on white trucks. We threw our DuraTracs on some 18x8.5 Dick Cepek Torque wheels. The Torques have a nice machined lip portion to give them a little more distinct look than an all black wheel.
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Overall
Overall Impressions So far... 
   
  read full caption
Wrangler Duratrac Goodyear Tires Overall
Overall Impressions
So far the tires have been working really well. We haven't put more than a thousand miles on them yet so it's hard to tell you how they're going to wear right now, but they seem to roll very smoothly down the highway and didn't chunk when climbing the rock-embedded dirt trails, so we have faith that they'll last a while. It is curious how soft the sidewall and rubber of the tread feel, and this is obviously a big reason that this tire gives such a nice ride. At the same time, we were still able to load a big camper in the back, pump up the tires to maximum air pressure, and have zero problems with the new DuraTracs.
Goodyear
www.goodyeartires.com
Dick Cepek
330/928-9092

www.dickcepek.com

Discuss in Our Forums
Ford F150 Research
Ford F150 Read the latest reviews of the new F150, including multi-vehicle comparisons, long-term tests, first rides or detailed new-car road tests. The F150 has comparable fuel economy to other vehicles in its class. It has had 1 vehicle recall, which can give you an idea about its reliability. Other similar vehicles are the Jeep Wrangler and the Dodge Dakota.

Related Articles

 
1985 Chevy 1/2-ton & 1980 Ford F-250 4x4 - Mail Box
Exclusive Off-Road Fan Mail, featuring a 1985 Chevy 1/2-ton, 1980 Ford F-250 4x4, and much more!... more
 
1999 Ford F-250 & 1978 GMC Jimmy 2x4 - Off-Road Mail
Exclusive Off-Road fan mail, featuring a 1999 Ford F-250, 1978 GMC Jimmy 2x4, and much More!... more
 
1996 Ford F-250 & 1999 Chevrolet Silverado - Mail Box
Exclusive Off-Road Fan Mail, featuring a 1996 Ford F-250, 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, and More!... more
 
1991 Ford F-250 Standard Cab 4x4 - Blue Hawaii
Exclusive 1991 Ford F-250 Standard Cab 4x4, featuring a bulletproof 351cid Ford V-8 engine, two JL... more