 WIth over 100,000 miles on it, our 1998 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 continues to evolve. Our last set of tires were thoroghly worn and getting VERY loud. To follow the trend towards larger wheel sizes, we wanted to go with a 17" wheel and tire on Project Tahoe. We required an aggressive and good-looking tire, but wanted one that would still be quiet on the road. Dick Cepek to the rescue.
In September of 2003 Mickey Thompson announced the new Dick Cepek F-C II line of tires. This is a totally re-engineered version of the original Fun Country tire. The new tire was engineered with a proven tread pattern to provide off-road functionality in a variety of terrains and still provide a smooth quiet ride on the highway. To top that off, the tire features the Dick Cepek Icon on the shoulder and the Mickey Thompson Wing Logo on the side. The tire comes in a variety of sizes up to 37" tall including sizes to fit 15", 16", and 17" wheels. This seemed to fit our requirements almost perfectly. We ordered up a complete set of 33x12.50R17LT Fun Country II tires, and to match them a complete set of Mickey Thompson Classic II 17" aluminum wheels. These wheels have steel inserts around the lug nuts, are highly polished, and have a very heavy load rating which matches up with the D load rating on the tires.
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WOW. The Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels are sweet.
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One the left is is the new 33x12.50R17 F-C II tire ready to be mounted.
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New wheels and tires in hand, we headed to Kevin's Tire shop in Wallowa, Oregon. Kevin was happy to oblige and quickly had all four mounted up and ready to install on Project Tahoe. Heads were already beginning to turn...
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We do NOT recommend letting the tires go until you have zero tread left. However, other than highway sound, we hated to give up on the ol' ProComps. They had performed well for us, with over 50,000 hard miles on them.
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Now this is more like it. George is able to hide pretty well in the tread of a brand new Cepek. The center tread pattern is similar to what we had been running, but it's the unique outer and shoulder tread that seem to give exceptional "bite" in mud and snow.
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  Looks What a difference. We could not have hoped for a better combination. This wheel/tire combination really gave Project Tahoe a new and fresh look. The "DC" icon on the sidewall helps give an aggressive look, while the 17" wheel really gives it a late model performance look. We like it!
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Tested on lots of miles of dirt and gravel roads.
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The F-C II's have also seen more than their share of snow and ice this winter.
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How do they work? With more than 15,000 miles on the Dick Cepek Fun Country II's already, we have to say that we are thoroughly impressed with this tire. Yes, a lot of those miles are highway miles getting to and from off-road events, but as a daily driver in a very rural area, with skiing and towing ATV's to backcountry trailheads on the agenda, they have also seen more than their share of dirt roads, gravel roads, muddy fields, snow and ice. We even had one chance to un-intentionally check them out in deep powder. They did incredibly well and powered us out, where we thought for sure we were going to be stuck. The vehicle that forced us off the road into a drift gave us an impressed "Job well done" nod after we regained the road. At that moment, the tires paid for themselves. The tires are remarkably quiet on the street and we love the 17" size. To top this off, the tires are priced competitively. I remember the old Fun Country tire as being VERY expensive. With a quick online search I found the new F-C II in the 33x12.50-17 size for only $184. The 15" version was even lower at $159 each. We give the new F-C II two thumbs up, and are glad to have 'em on board this Project.
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