BFGoodrich AT KO2, Initial impressions and hopefully long term report
- Thread starter AxleIke
- Start date
marshal
Burrito Enthusiast
they look good, but it sounds like their under the surface construction isn't any different than their other versions. not enough to get me to ever consider them - sounds like from the initial impressions they suffer from many of the same faults as the originals and won't be any better. BF Goodrich needs to get a grip on themselves. they're losing to Goodyear, General and Nitto/Toyo
So far I've had my Duratracs in about 1 1/2ft of snow and 150 miles on an ice rink last weekend.
In snow they did fine, but will have to see when it starts to get deep. On ice they did VERY well.
Yeah, different folks like different things, which is why all of these "tests" are subjective, of course
. You do raise a good point though, if a person isn't happy with the KO's, these will not be much different as far as on road ride. I think the foul weather handling will be improved, but only time will tell there. I bought them in the hopes that the under-surface construction, as you put it, WAS exactly the same. The old ones wore well, and are extremely tough off road. I knew the ride was likely not any better, but the new siping and outer lug changes should help in snow/ice as well as in mud, to a degree. They aren't going to be a mud terrain, and will still clog easily, based on my previous experience with this tread design.
I don't think they are losing out, though. They sell A LOT of tires. I think some of the characteristics that are bad for light vehicles, like 4 runners or jeeps, are much less pronounced in large, full sized trucks. In many cases, the E rating is exactly what a guy with a full sized needs or wants. I would have preferred a C, or at most a D, but oh well.
I had the new MTR. It was great off road, much better than these, but wore quickly. They were also a bit worse in the snow, but better, I'm told, than the KM2 in the snow (on road), by a lot. The rest, for me, as I put in the first post, have the sidewall issue. Especially the duratracs. I was really considering trying a duratrac, but many guys in my local club have them, and they have been ripping out sidewalls over and over on trails where other tires have gone through just fine. I'm sure its a mental thing, but currently, I just can't buy a radial tire that doesn't have 3 ply, and even there, with the duratracs, that isn't always enough.
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utroda
Observer
I have always ran KO's and love them, you can't beat them in snow and ice. Even the rocks here in Washington, I have never had a flat and I can hammer these tires over the rocky roads at any speed. The only part in which these tires fail in is mud, they fill up so fast and you have to keep them spinning at a high rate to keep them clean. I have also ran these tires between 8 - 10 psi without breaking a bead.
I'm actually considering getting a set of MT's just for when weather changes during hunting seasons.
I'm actually considering getting a set of MT's just for when weather changes during hunting seasons.
Good to know--I'll be headed up near your neck of the woods, Hood River/Mt. Hood.
So, I've had these for several months now:
They are simply amazing in the snow and ice. They are completely different from my old KO's. I have never had a tire that gripped this well, and I am very impressed.
Wear seems to be fine (around 3k miles, nothing to report so far on that).
Mostly just updating with my impressions of the winter driving. To test them, I found an empty street with hard packed snow. The snow was cold and thus was fairly sticky, but it was what I had to test with. I drove at 30 mph, and then hit the brakes firmly, but not all the way. The truck slowed immediately, so I pushed the pedal as hard as I could. The anit-lock brakes kicked in, but the truck stopped very quickly, and did not swerve/slide.
Normal driving at 30-35 on packed snow/slush they held the road well, and at no point did they suddenly lose traction/kick the truck around, even when hitting large plow piles of slush/snow mix.
I also put the truck in 2wd in an empty parking lot and goosed it. Before, the truck would simply spin out. With these tires, not only did I have to give it a fair bit more gas to get it to break loose, but the slide was easily recoverable, even for a driver such as myself.
Anyway, I do think the snow being stickier is a factor, but I'd driven my old KO's in the same conditions, and these are far better.
They are simply amazing in the snow and ice. They are completely different from my old KO's. I have never had a tire that gripped this well, and I am very impressed.
Wear seems to be fine (around 3k miles, nothing to report so far on that).
Mostly just updating with my impressions of the winter driving. To test them, I found an empty street with hard packed snow. The snow was cold and thus was fairly sticky, but it was what I had to test with. I drove at 30 mph, and then hit the brakes firmly, but not all the way. The truck slowed immediately, so I pushed the pedal as hard as I could. The anit-lock brakes kicked in, but the truck stopped very quickly, and did not swerve/slide.
Normal driving at 30-35 on packed snow/slush they held the road well, and at no point did they suddenly lose traction/kick the truck around, even when hitting large plow piles of slush/snow mix.
I also put the truck in 2wd in an empty parking lot and goosed it. Before, the truck would simply spin out. With these tires, not only did I have to give it a fair bit more gas to get it to break loose, but the slide was easily recoverable, even for a driver such as myself.
Anyway, I do think the snow being stickier is a factor, but I'd driven my old KO's in the same conditions, and these are far better.
I'm glad you are having a good experience with the tires, I have been very happy with them.
Here is a thread from our local forum:
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?105598-getting-excited-for-the-new-BFG-KO2
Here is a thread from our local forum:
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?105598-getting-excited-for-the-new-BFG-KO2
montypower
Adventure Time!
I ran them on my 99 F250. Great on road. Wet traction was good.
Biggest complaint: They pick up rocks like crazy!! If you drive on gravel roads be prepared to find 10+ rocks stuck between the tread blocks on every tire. Drives me crazy. Don't have this issue with the Duratrac tires. However, I do like everything else about them. Snowflake rated too...
Biggest complaint: They pick up rocks like crazy!! If you drive on gravel roads be prepared to find 10+ rocks stuck between the tread blocks on every tire. Drives me crazy. Don't have this issue with the Duratrac tires. However, I do like everything else about them. Snowflake rated too...
I didn't think these came with a snowflake. Maybe I'm wrong. I haven't had issues with the rocks on these, but I haven't been up too many gravel/dirt roads so far. Certainly had that with the KO's, and I can see these having the same issues. I had more of an issue in the summers/dry roads with rocks with the KO's, whereas in the winter the roads were frozen, and it was less of a problem. Were you on dry roads when you were having issues? I assume you got these in November when they came out, are you still running them? Were you on dry, or were they picking the rocks up in the wet/frozen too?
I liked the look of the Duratracs, but I opted away from them since so many people in my club were tearing sidewalls out, but that is probably just a location issue.
I liked the look of the Duratracs, but I opted away from them since so many people in my club were tearing sidewalls out, but that is probably just a location issue.
I haven't seen it. The 34x10.5 17 is closest, but expensive. I also have heard talk around the interwebs that the 255/85 16 KM2 will be discontinued, but I have no idea if that is valid.