Power King Super Traction tires?

[Tumbleweed1C4]

I need new tires on the K20. I bought a set of 16 inch steelies and hubcaps to replace the 16.5s and am in love with the tall skinny mud tire original look. The tire I keep coming back to is the Power King Super Traction II. The tire size is 7.50-16LT. They are just shy of a 33 inch tire. I have been all over the threads about tall skinny mud tires and see posts where people are all about them and purchase them, but never find any feedback about how they like them after they get them. I know radials are more friendly on the road, I have been shopping for a 235/85 16 but the look is just not there. I will drive the truck, but locally for 99% of the time. I live about a mile from work and occasional trips to town 15 miles away, maybe a longer trip once in a great while. I have come so close to hitting the "checkout now" button on these several times at about a little over a $100 a tire, but have not pulled the trigger. Anybody here that can chime in?
Here they are on a board member's truck, love this look:



and, how mine is now, just because

[71swb4x4]

My experience is a lot different than most, due to the use. I bought STA Super Traxion tires from kaiserwillys.com and put them on my skid steer as snow tires. They are great, the skid steer is a completely different machine with them on vs the brand new standard skid steer tires that we had. As you are well aware that's a lot of weight on the tires, and a lot of sidewall pressure when turning. The tires have held up just fine.

[trac209]

My friend had a 2wd with those on it and it was a tank in snow mud etc. Very noisy IMHO and not great on the highway but that said for truck that stays on gravel or rough city roads they are ok.

[praisegeetarman]

You might look at the 235/85/R16 Hercules mudders. I have a set on my blazer.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=679139

They look very period correct and drive pretty darn good.

[Stocker]

FWIW, my K20 came with 7.50-16s (8PR, or load range D). What I noticed most after switching to radials was that the ride got a whole lot better. Also, if you have bias-ply tires with a nylon ply carcass, they will flat-spot while sitting, so they'll thump for at least a few miles until they warm up and smooth out. Rayon-ply tires don't flat spot (not as badly anyway) but may not be quite as tough as nylon cords.

Bottom line, bias-ply 7.50-16s have the right look at the expense of some comfort, and shorter tread life compared to radials.

[Tumbleweed1C4]

Originally Posted by praisegeetarman

You might look at the 235/85/R16 Hercules mudders. I have a set on my blazer.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=679139

They look very period correct and drive pretty darn good.

Wow, you are right, those do look really good, very close to the bias look. I will look into those for sure now. I that the "trail digger"? I just looked real quick and that is what I found. Problem when looking at a tire in a photo is it sometimes doesn't look like what it looks like mounted on the truck or the sample photo is a different size, so hard to judge. After looking at your truck it makes me wonder if I have passed over others without realizing they would be a good fit, because looking at the photo where I searched, it wouldn't have caught my eye without having seen that picture of your truck first. Looks great!

[Tumbleweed1C4]

In response to you other guys, I appreciate the input. Never really questioned the toughness of the bias tires, I think in some ways they are superior. The ride is not a huge concern for me, as I live in a rural area and the roads I drive on are mostly paved but the frost in northern Michigan heaves them so bad I don't think I would notice the ride being bad due to my tires because the roads are terrible anyway. Don't usually do much freeway driving, and especially not in this truck. Had me leaning toward going ahead with the Power Kings, but those pictures of praisegeetarman's Blazer have me thinking hard about those now. Best of both worlds there.

[Tumbleweed1C4]

For anybody who doesn't follow the link, here is praisegeetarman's sweet blazer and hercules tires:
(hope you don't mind)

[68panelman]

I used to run power kings in the 90s on my 1969 K 2500 GMC V6 plow truck. The original set were rock hard, and with nearly vibrate me to death. I purchased four new ones for $72 a piece. As I think of it now I probably should have ran 900s instead of 750s, due to 4:56 gearing. They were great in the snow, would plow through anything. I would put them on at Halloween and my 33s would go on in April

[bhc41051]

Originally Posted by praisegeetarman

You might look at the 235/85/R16 Hercules mudders. I have a set on my blazer.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=679139

They look very period correct and drive pretty darn good.

Keith, do your Hercules tires have what country they're made in printed on the sidewall?

[landy]

I've got these on my '72 Blazer in 235-85-16.

https://www.onlinetires.com/products...F116q+owl.html

[Tumbleweed1C4]

I did look at the couragia tires also. Kind of liked them as well. But full disclosure: I followed my gut and ordered the Power King tires last night. At $103 bucks apiece, and a military discount, I decided I couldn't beat it.

[Undone]

How did these tires work out for you? Any problems with them being out of round?

[special-K]

I've been looking at these K/20s since they were new and all the tires sizes and shapes that have been run on them and to my eye the 235/85-16 is the same look, almost exactly the same size, as 7.50-16. That is the size all the stock trucks went to once radials took over. That was about all you saw on the trucks, unless someone had big wide tires. The guys who wanted the tall skinnies (yes there were some way back when) went with 9.00-16s. That was the size that came on the Power Wagons. But once radials became the thing, for a tall skinny look we went with 255/85-16s, something close to the 9.00s. 235/75s look a lot more like a 7.50 in a mud grip. Trucks always came with all seasons and that's what most people run. They look less skinny with the rounded wider shoulders/tread surface than a mud tire

7.50-16s on stock split rims, 4" lift, and fenders cut (for 37/14.50-16.5s)


235/85-16s on later stock rims, no lift


255/85-16 on F350 Accurides (16 x7), 4" lift

[jocko]

For me, the STA Super Traxions are the best looking period tire out there. Yes, I'd prefer someone repop a radial version, but until then... Here's a pic of a member's 71 with them (which looks strangely almost identical to my 72...)

[dave6672]

I agree that the Super Traxion tires are the best looking for a K20, they remind me of the old co-op tires that were on my K20 when I bought it 28 years ago. It is almost on the road again after a 20 year restoration. I put a set of Firestone Destination M/T radial mud tires (235/85-16) on it which look about as good as I could get for a radial, in my opinion.

[Bones72Super]

Originally Posted by dave6672

I agree that the Super Traxion tires are the best looking for a K20, they remind me of the old co-op tires that were on my K20 when I bought it 28 years ago. It is almost on the road again after a 20 year restoration. I put a set of Firestone Destination M/T radial mud tires (235/85-16) on it which look about as good as I could get for a radial, in my opinion.

WOW! That K20 is sharp looking!! Those tires look great on it.

[Greasey Harley]

Had a set on an 88 Dodge 3/4 4x4.
I loved them.
That being said, It was being used as a ranch vehicle in the mountains in rural Western Montana and spent A LOT of time in the mud and snow.
Tires were tough and had ridiculous traction.
The only time I got stuck in the snow with those tires, I tried to go over Thompson Pass in December (not maintained for winter travel) I had to climb out the window because the snow was so deep the doors wouldn't open.
I dug the truck out, and backed 7 miles down the mountain.
Great traction tires.
Not awesome over 60mph.

[jocko]

Originally Posted by dave6672

I agree that the Super Traxion tires are the best looking for a K20, they remind me of the old co-op tires that were on my K20 when I bought it 28 years ago. It is almost on the road again after a 20 year restoration. I put a set of Firestone Destination M/T radial mud tires (235/85-16) on it which look about as good as I could get for a radial, in my opinion.

Wow. Now I've seen those, just not ON a truck. They look great, thanks very much for posting. Truck looks awesome too

[special-K]

The Super Traxions are dead-on correct. They look like copies of Goodyear Extra Tractions they made forever. Pretty much all mud tires looked something like that. The big Armstrongs I ran had that traditional truck tread that I liked over the Gumbo Mudders and Ground Hawgs back in the bias days. I also ran CO-OP Grip Spurs in 9.00-16 on some trucks, but those had a tread like Mudders. Great in mud!

Those 235/85s on Dave's truck show what I mean about them looking for all intents and purposes the same as a 7.50-16. They are what you want for a stock look... in size. Tread designs have changed for better road manners in on/ff road tires. I wish more tires were available in 255/85-16. I'm not sure if Cooper does them anymore. Discount Tire Direct lists them but always says out of stock... for over a couple years now.

[dave6672]

WOW! That K20 is sharp looking!! Those tires look great on it.

Originally Posted by jocko

Wow. Now I've seen those, just not ON a truck. They look great, thanks very much for posting. Truck looks awesome too

Thanks guys. Once it's done I'll take a bunch of pictures and post them.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by special-K

The Super Traxions are dead-on correct. The big Armstrongs I ran had that traditional truck tread

Yessir, I also ran those Armstrongs (7.50-16, LR-D) when I bought my K20 in 1977. Drove from the dealer's lot to the tire shop and swapped out the new highway tires they had installed. What were they thinking???

I wish more tires were available in 255/85-16. I'm not sure if Cooper does them anymore.

They are still listed on Cooper's website. I hope they are still available....