Tire Review Toyo M-55

Tire Test: TOYO M-55 

A commercial-level upgrade for those needing a pickup tire that’s as rugged as the terrain they drive in every day

 

By Larry Walton

Seeing a new set of Toyo M-55 commercial pickup tires was like meeting up with an old friend. We were running commercial tires years ago on the pickups for our logging crews while several of our hauling contractors were running the same tread pattern on their log trucks.

 

Just the buyer Toyo has in mind: “Commercial/agricultural fleet owners/operators and function-oriented buyers looking to upgrade from original equipment tires.”

Longevity has long been an attractive characteristic of this Toyo model and they still have a loyal following in the Pacific Northwest. Loggers out here often drive two hours or more just to get to the landing.

Of those miles, half can be on gravel roads and a small portion on dirt – or whatever state dirt changes to according to the weather.

The M-55’s tread design achieves a nice balance between the aggressive voids of a mud tire and the smooth block pattern of a good road tire.

Numerous sipes provide more biting edges, which help in wet pavement and ice traction, while pins are in place for winter studs.

The deep tread design is an important aspect of the tire’s water handling characteristics. Out here in the Northwest we get to see our share of rain soaked roads.

Large voids and sipes give water plenty of area to be pushed away from the tread so the tire can contact the road surface.

We also had a chance to test the Toyos in mud. Of course, mud consistency varies greatly, but we were pleased by how well the voids cleared out in our tests on logging roads and construction jobsites.

The Toyos have a firm feel when cornering at speed, which is what we expected from an “E”-rated 10-ply commercial tire. As a contractor who tows trailers and uses his Super Duty to haul loads, this is a desirable characteristic in my estimation. But it does make them a bit rougher riding than a softer side-walled tire.

They are a bit noisier than tires I’ve tested with less-aggressive tread patterns. While the 55s aren’t as loud as a dedicated mud tire, they exhibited a distinct drone at about 40mph on our F-250 4×4. This is typical of tires that have a more aggressive tread pattern than street or all-terrains.

Overall the Toyo M-55s inspire confidence, and they are built just for the tough road conditions loggers, heavy contractors, road builders and the like find themselves in every day, year after year.

The M-55s aren’t the sexiest tires around. But they will be hard to beat for durability and long-life.