On my stock 98 Cherokee, I have Hankook tires that looked like a good deal and are inexpensive. They have a 70K warranty and are $68 a pop. Total bill (installation and fees) that came out for them was $350. Handle well on dry pavement and rain, but can't say much about snow (yet). Had to swerve hard into the oncoming lane going about 30 MPH to avoid someone who was paying more attention to their smartphone than to where they were going. Tires stuck like glue. I'd highly recommend them

 

You are going to find everybody has there own tire they like! I myself for any 4x4 would put BFG ko2's on it by far the best tire I have ever run. I also have had good luck with master craft I have the MT's on my wood truck going on 3rd winter and about 50% good off/on road tire. for off road cant beat Dick Cepek or Interco super swampers that's me.

 

Another vote for the Cooper AT3s. I have the original AT3s on my WK, and the new AT3 4S on my XJ.

Good price at discounttiredirect and they also have a rebate going on right now from Cooper.

 

Just so you'll know the original AT3's were P-rated load range B, and the newer 4S's are rated XL, which is a little stiffer. They are a compromise between the P-rated and the LT load range E (10-ply) designed for large trucks. The LT's are quite harsh on a Cherokee but the sidewalls are better against rocks.

 

I'm having a set of Hankook Dynapro 31x10.50's mounted on my cherokee tomorrow. My brother has them on his Tacoma and they have performed very well in all climates and have worn nicely. They are a little loud, but they're great tires for the price.

 

I have had them on the XJ for the last 40k miles or so (30x9.5). I think you will like them. My only down side is that I wish they had a slightly more aggressive appearance on the shoulder/upper side wall. I think a slightly more aggressive look would better match their performance. I have given them pretty serious use on ice, snow (shallow and deep), mud, dirt, gravel, and about 80 miles/day highway driving, and occasional towing of 2200lbs. They have performed well in all of these regimes. They have gotten louder over time, especially around the 20k mile mark, and especially when the road surface is damp, but not enough to make me dislike them.

 

Had these on the 01 we just sold. Drove with them about a year or a little more. In 225-75-15. They weren't dissapointing in the snow . Were great on the highways and gripped well in wet muddy fields. Around here parking lots are sometimes just grassy fields . sometimes they will become mudholes.

 

Geez, nice looking tires. Some of them look too aggressive for my wife`s ride. But I bet they look great on some! I`ll need more toward road friendly.

 

Are you looking for "Raised White Letter"? Or OWL?

The tire industry is worldwide so tires can be made just about anywhere these days, if made by major global brands. It's kind of a crap-shoot. For good general road and snow use, I agree, a good all-season should do the trick and low noise. I guess it depends on what you want.

These days I normally stick with Japanese tire brands (Michelin, Bridgestones, Yokahamas, Toyo, etc), and have good luck with Uniroyals too. I have a set of Firestones that run out great, and a set of no-namers made in China that are smooth as butter! Also have a set of Goodyear's on my plow Jeep that have been great for winter traction plowing snow. The tread patters is like the SR-A's. I've bought so many Coopers over the years and seems like they all eventually went out-of-round, so I quit buying them. I might put a set on my plow Jeep, but not on anything I really want to go down the road smoothly. I would consider some Mastercrafts for my plow Jeep though. I've never had problems with the Japanese brands I've listed, and we're talking about several sets of tires that lasted many years. It's kind of a crap-shoot on tires, seems like they all have good and bad. But overall, I've consistently had great results with Japanese brands.

A lot of long-term wear and satisfaction also has to do with how well the tires are balanced out in the first place. Number one, tire balancers need to be cailbrated regularly, even brand new balancers. Coats says in their manual "Monthly, or as needed" There's a very specific process to do the calibration using a specific size steel wheel 6.5" wide and tire size ..and a single 500g weight. If not, the balance may not be ideal. Personally, I bet almost NO shops do this enough or right. Then, there are a number of balance modes, some of which could result in the 'best' possible balance. Again, I wager a week's wages that 90% of the guys running the balancer learned how to balance a tire from another co--worker ..who learned from his buddy ..who learned from HIS buddy and they're going to use the simple default mode. Every once in a while you'll find a smart geeky guy who understands the balancer well and will swap modes to put weights where you want them, and doesn't settle for anything but a perfect balance -- which is good.

On top of that, every once in a while a tire will be slightly out of round. I always stand as close to the guy doing the work and if I see big weights going on, I get involved ("Hey, can I ask if you can swap that out for another tire?"). Usually they will.

Summary: Once you find a good tire, try to find a good shop and ask if they ever calibrate their balancer (and how?), who's the most knowledgable balance guy ...and let the next guy get the egg-shaped tire! ha ha.

 

I know this Thread is old but tire questions never get old.
The OP mentioned Kumho AT51 and will have to vote against those. Just yesterday I replaced the Kumho's on my 02 Dakota with the new Hankook DynaPro AT's (RF11) and I realized I only got 34k miles out of the Kumho's. They initially did well on snow and ice but then they got loud and worn down pretty quickly. I also have the DynaPro's, 31 x 10.5's, on my 97 Wrangler but they were the older style ATm's, RF10. So far those have been good to me.
When the BFG's on my '96 Cherokee wear out I'll probably put DynaPros on that as well. I don't do enough serious wheeling to pay for the KO2's.

 

Yes, correct balancing is on my mind. Though I know nothing of the mechanics of the equipment, I agree with everything you said about it. Sadly, unless you know the shop employees, questioning them or there equipment will often be followed by some sort of attitude. Seems that attitude is spreading. Used to be just lawyers and doctors. Now it seems everywhere.

Oh, I went with Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner AT for my new tires. Only seen good reviews, price was very good, and they too are Made In USA.

 

FYI, Michelin is a French company. Uniroyal is associated with Michelin and Continental.

 

Something to consider when purchasing a "cheap" tire to a tire that meets "original equipment" specification. Is that $100 you saved by buying the cheap tires worth that extra 10 feet (or what ever distance) of stopping distance, especially when a kid runs out in front of you?

As for what tire to buy, I'd factor in where you live, what the road conditions are like during inclement weather, and what your expectations are.
Personally, for me in the upper Mid-West, this is what I prefer. I'm on my 3rd set, across two different Jeep Cherokee XJ's. Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo's. I'm also tempted to try Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx, the next time I need tires.

 

I'm pretty happy with these Ironman A/T's they are pretty quiet on street but still can get you out of a rough spot and I got them out the door mounted and balanced for $540.

 

Tire questions and oil questions are like asking guys what beer brand they like! There are too many choices and they are all personal. What works for you may not work for the next guy. I tried 4 different brands before settling on my Coopers. I have specific concerns for snow traction and tread wear because of the way my jeeps are used in my business.