I think people might want something new but even i voted K02 lol. Its by far the best tread integrated side design. I would’ve chose them but like you said theres a lot of negative reviews and they scared me off in the beginning. Ive changed my mind about them mainly for the one reason above in that they are made in what looks like a unique mold or process. Maybe someone can post some info on that. The only other tires like it are all MTs and they are still reasonable in weight.
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I think people might want something new but even i voted K02 lol. Its by far the best tread integrated side design. I would’ve chose them but like you said theres a lot of negative reviews and they scared me off in the beginning. Ive changed my mind about them mainly for the one reason above in that they are made in what looks like a unique mold or process. Maybe someone can post some info on that. The only other tires like it are all MTs and they are still reasonable in weight.
I always knew Yoko G015 was good for a long time. BUT, i was in a small town in north TX and literally every truck had them on! I asked one of the owners why and he said that it has a reputation of being super dependable and reliable.
TireRack editor review of G015 was glowing too except for fuel economy.
So, for me, for my next tire, i have 3 on the radar now: KO2, Yoko GO15, and Defender. Shockingly, all 3 are considered past their prime to a few members here. LOL
I always knew Yoko G015 was good for a long time. BUT, i was in a small town in north TX and literally every truck had them on! I asked one of the owners why and he said that it has a reputation of being super dependable and reliable.
TireRack editor review of G015 was glowing too except for fuel economy.
So, for me, for my next tire, i have 3 on the radar now: KO2, Yoko GO15, and Defender. Shockingly, all 3 are considered past their prime to a few members here. LOL
I dont have recent experience with defenders but michelins have saved my young and dumb 23 year old life at least once in my M4. Really really saved my ass.
I was a good customer though, going through rears every 6 months. LOL
People who don't have to deal with snow seem to love their KO2s. I shied away from them due to what I read about mediocre to poor snow performance.
I had k02's on my last GX470 here in Denver, CO. They needed to be balanced a few times in the 15k miles I had them. They seemed to do fine in the snow, I drive up to Vail regularly to ski in the winter. Dry performance wasn't great, not a not of grip. I sold the SUV before they got really worn, so can't comment on how noisy they are.
I decided to go with the Falken AT3W for my incoming 200, I was attracted by the fact they seem to have superior snow performance and that multiple tires shops told me they balance out better than the K02's
I decided to go with the Falken AT3W for my incoming 200, I was attracted by the fact they seem to have superior snow performance and that multiple tires shops told me they balance out better than the K02's
The Falkens and the Toyos are both very good in snow. Not dedicated snow tire good, but probably 90% of the way there. I think you'll like them.
Sinister
SILVER Star
I’m still really perplexed on why some people are having balancing problems with the KO2. Like I mentioned, I’m on my second set and have only done each set once when they first got mounted. Can it be because of Terrain differences for those who off road more?
TLC2013
SILVER Star
I am curious about this too. I Have not ran into any balancing issues either. This has been the case with HT, AT or beefy RT tires. Initial balancing did the job. I do perform 5k tire rotations so maybe that plays a role. Wonder if it has to do with the initial install and balancing or lack there of performed by the shop. After learning about road force balancing it’s all I use. So far so good.
I had the KO2s on my G-wagon, so it is definitely not an apples to apples comparison. About 3 years ago, I bought a set of KO2s. 3 of them were so bad that the shop was not able to balance them altogether as they fell outside the range of what is acceptable to the Hunter Roadforce machine (I may have a picture of the Roadforce results somewhere). So, back they went until I finally got 4 that were acceptable. Then about a month later I bought a 5th one for a spare at a different shop and that one had to go back as well. Finally once I had all 5 tires within the acceptable range, I was happy for about 6 months until they started up again. Back to the shop for another round of Roadforce balancing, and so forth for a couple of years until I threw them in the trash and got some Michelin Defenders. Zero balancing issues since then. Mind you, solid axles like in the G-wagon are way more susceptible to vibrations from unbalanced tires than IFS. There is a good chance that I may not have even noticed the vibrations on the Land Cruiser.
If it sat for a long time, it could be flat spot on the tire?? If so, then it should resolved within a few miles if mild case, but otherwise you need new tires.
I thought so too, it got below freezing for 4 nights and i didnt leave the house. I drove a 100 miles or so since thinking it would round out and it hasnt after a few big heat cycles. I may have the shop next to me do it this time instead of DT where they were put on first.
Cold weather won't make them out of round. Mine sit in sub zero temps regularly.
Then Toyo AT3 is cheap crap.
This happened to me before with a Firestone tire. Yeah, thus, my bias above about buying from big companies with good reputation…i trust Bridgestone over Firestone even tho they are one company…but i think Bridgestone has better QC.Another mistake by me…listened to Consumer Reports and bought their #1 rated tire for my Sienna…General AT43…it turned out to be a total POS tire!!! Noisy after 5000 miles. Lackluster wet traction after 5000 miles. Then developed sidewall bulge. **** that crap.
Buy from big company with good rep. That’s my motto when it comes to tires.
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In my experience Michelin has reliably produced tires that lasted longer and caused fewer issues.Then Toyo AT3 is cheap crap.
Another mistake by me…listened to Consumer Reports and bought their #1 rated tire for my Sienna…General AT43…it turned out to be a total POS tire!!! Noisy after 5000 miles. Lackluster wet traction after 5000 miles. Then developed sidewall bulge. f*** that crap.
Buy from big company with good rep. That’s my motto when it comes to tires.
With bf Goodrich being basically the same company, I’m glad I bought k02’s…and these new lighter duty version ones seem perfect for a 200 series…as long as they get the kinks worked out.
Some of these newer ATs are rushed to market because AT is the “it” tire for SUV and truck owners who want the look without the off-road……and the buyer becomes the guinea pig!
I never realized before this thread and looking up info on Joe Bacal……Toyo AT3 took 2 years from scrap paper to production line. I don’t know too much about tire design/production but 2 years seems kinda short for a total redesign. Joe Bacal was a marketing gimmick that many people fell for. In contrast, BFG KO2 took like a decade or so to come to fruition.
So, this is why i laugh when @TeCKis300 and others mention how “old” KO2s are and that the newer ATs must be better because they are new! Just remember, Michelin Defender and KO2 came out roughly the same time…if you call KO2 ancient and grandma age, then why don’t you say the same about Michelin Defender?
bloc
SILVER Star
Try jacking each corner up and loosening then retorquing the lugs. If they didn't have them tight enough before putting weight on the tire to hold it still for final torque it can push slightly one direction and throw things out of concentricity. I know our hub bores technically fit tight but I've definitely done this myself at least once that I can remember.
First rotation since new tires? It could also be that you had an imbalance all along but moving it from the rear to the front made it much more apparent. This will manifest more noticeably if all the imbalance on one tire is at one side of the tire, vs evenly across the tire. For the rear axle it doesn't know the difference because there is no steering, but on the front the force pulling the imbalance toward the center at speed can cause it to steer back and forth every time the tire rotates, instead of a mere up/forward/down/rearward force. Even moreso with an offset like yours if the imbalance is on the outside.
Thanks!
I suspected some of these things and dismissed them, glad im not being overly critical. It was indeed first rotation and Lexus should have done everything on the lift and that may be just what happened. I asked them when i scheduled if they pulled spare into the mix and they did not (I checked) that was my first hunch actually that the unspun wheel may have never been zeroed properly.
Ill do the torque set again myself however one of yall posted the project farm vid on budget wrenches and i have two lexivons lol. I might cry twice soon but for this application ill wing it.
You must be laughing all the way down the road because you're the one that has to live with the the wrong tire for your aspirational malling? Constantly second guessing yourself and chasing tire threads? Just as you made the wrong choice with the AT43?
I've been 100% happy with my choices. Please keep to your own echo chamber and leave me out of it.
