Uploaded September 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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Howdy friends, mike here, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this and today I’m going to tell you why We’re not running the Treadwrights Anymore
FIRST
This isn’t a hate video, despite the fact that I’m not running the Treadwright Warden All Terrain Remolded Tires at the moment, it doesn’t mean I have anything bad to say about the tires or the company.
SECOND
The tires we had were the warden in LT 265/75R16 E
THIRD: FULL DISCLOSURE
I contacted Treadwright about doing a review and they sent me the tires and I have nothing but good things to say about the company in general.
FOURTH
Have had no bad experience with TW tires. No failures or defects, one tire arrived damaged by FedEx and they replaced it immediately.
They did take a lot of weight to balance, but so did my B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2s.
FIFTH
Are they safe?
I have no experience or first hand evidence that makes me believe they are not, other than reading reviews and the comments on my other TreadWright Videos. All tire manufacturers have warranty issues, including my own set of B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2s, on which one developed a crack down the center of the tire. I got it replaced under road hazard warranty, but B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2 did not admit to it being a defect, probably didn’t even look at the photos.
SIXTH
Are they a good deal?
If you have the ability to transport a set of tires yourself and you can find a tire shop you trust who will mount them with road force balancing for a good price, then yes. But be prepared for mounting and balancing 4 tires to cost at least $25 a piece so you have to add that to the total price of the set.
Here in Reno we have a Tire Rack warehouse out in Mustang and I’ve bought tires there many times and trucked them into town for mounting. It’s not that bad, if you have the time.
5 REASONS I’M NOT RUNNING THE TREADWRIGHTS
5: Handling
Right out of the gate I noticed a lot of wandering with the TreadWright Wardens. On the interstate where there are troughs from heavy trucks, and on ruts on dirt roads, they were easily redirected by the terrain. The problem went away when I switched back to the B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2s, for a while at least.
I brought the issue up with Tony at Treadwright, and he said they would warranty the tires if it turned out to be a defect. But I later found out that there were some front end issues with the 4Runner that I resolved that I believe were largely responsible fo the handling issue.
The tires were quite stiff and rough riding due to the 10 ply side walls and the extra rubber from the re-molding process. I believe that was part of the reason why the steering issue cropped up with the TreadWrights and not the lighter BFGs
4: Traction
At full pressure these were pretty slick on loose dirt. That’s probably to be expected. At lower pressures they still slid around a LOT. In retrospect, I should have tried lower pressures all around since a 4Runner just isn’t that heavy.
In wet conditions they slid around a lot as well. Particularly in the roundabout by our house in the rain. I think more than anything this relates to the tread pattern which is the same as the old school BFG All-Terrains. I’d say these perform about as well.
Now, I don’t think this traction issue is a major one. I feel the traction quality of the tire is in line with the price
3: Vibration
There was a constant oscillating vibration noticeable at moderate speeds to highway speeds. This never went away in the time I had the tires on the 4runner.
I attribute this to a bad balance, which may be related to the general difficulty in balancing a remolded tire.
2: Weight
The TreadWrights were quit a bit heavier than the BFG All-Terrains. It was really noticeable in loss of power and torque especially when coupled with the number reason which was
1: Size
They’re just too darn big.
All of the other issues I’ve mentioned so far might be easy to overlook or rationalize away.
I think in general most guys would be stoked for a little extra size…
The TreadWrights are almost an inch greater diameter than the BFG. Some might think that’s a good thing, for me this is bad for 4 reasons:
First: They rub on all 4 corners. They even pulled the fender liner off on the front driver side.
Second: The Spare doesn’t fit in the stock location. Again, most guys wouldn’t care, because they run their spare on a bumper swing-out or on the roof or something. I like the tire up underneath where I never have to move it out of my way.
Gearing: The taller and heavier tire was just a bridge too far for the gearing and v6 in our little 4Runner. It sapped our highway power and killed our rock crawling torque.
Our Patreon Page: patreon.com/posts/20207465
Trip Report Blog: allterrainfam.com
Stickers and SWAG: allterrainfam.com/shop
Instagram Profile: instagram.com/allterrainfamily
Facebook Page: facebook.com/AllTerrainFamily
Howdy friends, mike here, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this and today I’m going to tell you why We’re not running the Treadwrights Anymore
FIRST
This isn’t a hate video, despite the fact that I’m not running the Treadwright Warden All Terrain Remolded Tires at the moment, it doesn’t mean I have anything bad to say about the tires or the company.
SECOND
The tires we had were the warden in LT 265/75R16 E
THIRD: FULL DISCLOSURE
I contacted Treadwright about doing a review and they sent me the tires and I have nothing but good things to say about the company in general.
FOURTH
Have had no bad experience with TW tires. No failures or defects, one tire arrived damaged by FedEx and they replaced it immediately.
They did take a lot of weight to balance, but so did my B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2s.
FIFTH
Are they safe?
I have no experience or first hand evidence that makes me believe they are not, other than reading reviews and the comments on my other TreadWright Videos. All tire manufacturers have warranty issues, including my own set of B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2s, on which one developed a crack down the center of the tire. I got it replaced under road hazard warranty, but B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2 did not admit to it being a defect, probably didn’t even look at the photos.
SIXTH
Are they a good deal?
If you have the ability to transport a set of tires yourself and you can find a tire shop you trust who will mount them with road force balancing for a good price, then yes. But be prepared for mounting and balancing 4 tires to cost at least $25 a piece so you have to add that to the total price of the set.
Here in Reno we have a Tire Rack warehouse out in Mustang and I’ve bought tires there many times and trucked them into town for mounting. It’s not that bad, if you have the time.
5 REASONS I’M NOT RUNNING THE TREADWRIGHTS
5: Handling
Right out of the gate I noticed a lot of wandering with the TreadWright Wardens. On the interstate where there are troughs from heavy trucks, and on ruts on dirt roads, they were easily redirected by the terrain. The problem went away when I switched back to the B F Goodrich All Terrain KO2s, for a while at least.
I brought the issue up with Tony at Treadwright, and he said they would warranty the tires if it turned out to be a defect. But I later found out that there were some front end issues with the 4Runner that I resolved that I believe were largely responsible fo the handling issue.
The tires were quite stiff and rough riding due to the 10 ply side walls and the extra rubber from the re-molding process. I believe that was part of the reason why the steering issue cropped up with the TreadWrights and not the lighter BFGs
4: Traction
At full pressure these were pretty slick on loose dirt. That’s probably to be expected. At lower pressures they still slid around a LOT. In retrospect, I should have tried lower pressures all around since a 4Runner just isn’t that heavy.
In wet conditions they slid around a lot as well. Particularly in the roundabout by our house in the rain. I think more than anything this relates to the tread pattern which is the same as the old school BFG All-Terrains. I’d say these perform about as well.
Now, I don’t think this traction issue is a major one. I feel the traction quality of the tire is in line with the price
3: Vibration
There was a constant oscillating vibration noticeable at moderate speeds to highway speeds. This never went away in the time I had the tires on the 4runner.
I attribute this to a bad balance, which may be related to the general difficulty in balancing a remolded tire.
2: Weight
The TreadWrights were quit a bit heavier than the BFG All-Terrains. It was really noticeable in loss of power and torque especially when coupled with the number reason which was
1: Size
They’re just too darn big.
All of the other issues I’ve mentioned so far might be easy to overlook or rationalize away.
I think in general most guys would be stoked for a little extra size…
The TreadWrights are almost an inch greater diameter than the BFG. Some might think that’s a good thing, for me this is bad for 4 reasons:
First: They rub on all 4 corners. They even pulled the fender liner off on the front driver side.
Second: The Spare doesn’t fit in the stock location. Again, most guys wouldn’t care, because they run their spare on a bumper swing-out or on the roof or something. I like the tire up underneath where I never have to move it out of my way.
Gearing: The taller and heavier tire was just a bridge too far for the gearing and v6 in our little 4Runner. It sapped our highway power and killed our rock crawling torque.






![How to Choose The Right Bump Stop for Overlanding: Timbren vs. Sumo Springs vs. Toyota
0:26 Bump Stop Basics
1:00 Making Bump Stops Complicated
2:42 Timbren Active Off-Road Bumpstop impressions
3:05 Sump Springs Impressions
3:27 Stock Tacoma Bump Stop
4:44 Stack Height Comparison
5:17 Timbren Details
6:16 Timbren Compression Test
7:35 Sumo Spring Detail
8:48 Sumo Spring Compression test
9:03 Compression Comparison
9:34 Sumo Spring Is Softer
10:36 Sump Spring Front Bump Stop
11:51 Conclusions
PRODUCTS TESTED
Sumo Springs for Toyota Tacoma: https://amzn.to/3wlbpU4 [PAID LINK}
Timbren Active Off-Road Bump Stops: https://amzn.to/4bBaij9 [PAID LINK]
Toyota Leaf Spring Bumper: https://parts.camelbacktoyota.com/oem-parts/toyota-leaf-spring-bumper-left-right-rear-4834104100?c=bD0xOCZuPVNlYXJjaCBSZXN1bHRzJmE9dG95b3RhJm89dGFjb21hJnk9MjAxNyZ0PXRyZC1vZmYtcm9hZCZlPTMtNWwtdjYtZ2Fz
BUMP STOP BASICS
1. You definitely need bump stops
2. Bump stops are a piece of rubber that prevents metal-on-metal contact when you hit a REALLY big bump with your car or truck.
3. Your vehicle comes with these from the factory.
4. Unless you’re getting really extreme, or you just like making things complicated, your stock bump stops will work just fine.
If you want to move forward to making things really complicated, here’s what you need to know.
Our Tacoma has Old Man Emu’s BP-51 suspension, including shocks and springs. So it sits about 2.5 inches over the factory ride height.
WHY YOU MIGHT NEED DIFFERENT BUMP STOPS
Many lift kits come with a spacer that moves the bump stop closer to the axle. This is to prevent the shocks from bottoming out because the collapsed length exceeds the clearance of the stock bump stop. This would cause the shock to bottom out, which might be bad, depends on the shock.
The Old Man Emu kit does not require modified bump stops. The instructions do not require or recommend modifying the bump stops. The specifications state that it is compatible with 0 lift and the collapsed length of the shock is only about an inch greater than the stock shock.
So If you like to keep things simple, you can stop here and keep using your stock bump stops.
TIMBREN ACTIVE OFF-ROAD BUMPSTOPS
https://amzn.to/4bBaij9
I installed Timbren Rubber bump stops a few years ago to help with that, and you can check out the video where I talk about that. The short story there is that even though Timbren markets these bump stops as softer than stock, they are not. When the truck hits them it’s jarring and bouncy and I don’t love it.
Sumo Springs
https://amzn.to/3wlbpU4
A few months ago Super Springs came across my video and asked if I wanted to try their Sumo Springs Product. Sumo Springs are a bump stop made from micro-cellular Polyurethane foam. They come in three different densities depending on the weight of your vehicle. Some sump springs can be used for carrying constant load, like an overload spring, but for my purposes, it’s just a bump stop.
TOYOTA LEAF SPRING BUMPER
https://parts.camelbacktoyota.com/oem-parts/toyota-leaf-spring-bumper-left-right-rear-4834104100?c=bD0xOCZuPVNlYXJjaCBSZXN1bHRzJmE9dG95b3RhJm89dGFjb21hJnk9MjAxNyZ0PXRyZC1vZmYtcm9hZCZlPTMtNWwtdjYtZ2Fz
So let’s compare. The stock bump stop is short and made of very hard rubber because it’s meant as a last resort padding in case of big impacts. It’s about 61mm of rubber.
The Timbren bump stop is made of a similar black rubber, but it’s hollow inside and has a bellowed structure to allow it to be softer than solid rubber. It’s much taller at 95mm and is designed to impact earlier in the travel to spread the harsh stop out over a greater distance and time.
The Sumo spring is taller still at 139mm and is made of a completely different material micro-cellular polyurethane designed with less bounce to soften harsh rebounds, the exact thing I was looking for.
DISCUSSION
I’ve been driving around with sumo springs on the driver’s side for about a month and Timbren bump stops on the passenger side. I definitely notice that the bottom out is harsher with the Timbrens. Semi-quantitatively, the sumo springs are 1 cm thinner when fully compressed and compress over a longer distance, so they are noticeably softer and theoretically allow more axle up travel when hitting bumps.
The Sumo Spring really delivers and I’m definitely glad to switch. while it’s a little taller, it interacts over a greater distance, making its effect a lot more subtle. Plus, the material doesn’t rebound as fast and makes for a much better experience.
When it comes right down to it, neither the Timbren Active Off-Road Bump Stops nor the Sumo Springs are actually bump stops; they’re overload springs. They are there to augment the leaf springs when you put a load in the truck so that you don’t get excessive sag.
If you need the extra load-carrying capacity, then that may be a tradeoff you’re willing to make. How to Choose The Right Bump Stop for Overlanding: Timbren vs. Sumo Springs vs. Toyota](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a-pyOaKsY3c/mqdefault.jpg)



