Best on road ride AT tires

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Here is a new option from BFG
BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A

This tire is more of an on-road tire but it can handle off road as well. The reviews say it is outstanding in the rain/wet conditions but is capable in most off-road applications. BFG has spent a few years testing/tweaking this tire and i am sure it is a winner. In the LT285/70/17 it weighs 50 lbs versus 59 lbs for my current AT-KO's. I am looking forward to taking my current tire/wheel combined weight from 83lbs to 74lbs. I lost almost 1.5mpg when i added the heavier AT KO's to my hundy. Acceleration and braking deminished as well.

It looks pretty cool as well

I just need to find the money and convince the CFO that i need to replace tires that still have a lot of tread left.

Wish me luck....

TLC Dan

I have these on my 13limited runner and they have been great so far!
 
Does anyone know why Tirerack and the BFGoodrich site claim that most sizes that we would put on our LC are not rated for severe snow? It's strange because it's just some sizes, some are D, others E it makes no sense. Do different sizes have different tread patterns? Are they coming from different plants that have different materials?

NOTE: While most BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO tires meet the industry's severe snow service requirements (and are branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol), selected tires do not. Specific tires/sizes not meeting the industry's severe snow service requirements are identified with a "Not Rated For Severe Snow" notation on the Sizes & Pricing, as well as on Specs.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=All-Terrain+T%2FA+KO&partnum=765R8ATAKORWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

*Size does not meet the RMA requirements for severe snow conditions, for the following MSPNs:
27039 - LT235/80R17/E
34162 - LT245/70R17/E
71887 - LT265/75R16/E
02818 - LT275/65R18/E
11420 - LT275/65R20/E
02458 - LT275/70R17/E
15465 - LT275/70R18/E
14517 - LT285/70R17/D
58064 - LT285/70R17/D
37130 - LT285/70R17/D
87606 - LT285/75R16/E
49291 - LT285/75R16/E
54142 - LT315/70R17/D
37614 - LT315/70R17/D
66659 - LT315/70R17/D
41347 - LT325/60R15/C
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-selector/category/off-road-tires/all-terrain-t-a-ko/tire-details#techspecs

Would be interesting to learn why those sizes didn't pass. Wonder if the spec required a less than ideal pressure due to their weight rating and if by lowering the pressure those sizes would also achieve the same traction index.
 
Would be interesting to learn why those sizes didn't pass. Wonder if the spec required a less than ideal pressure due to their weight rating and if by lowering the pressure those sizes would also achieve the same traction index.

That's a great question.

I have the BFG AT T/A KO's in LT285/70R17 Load Range E which DO meet the Severe Snow performance requirements and carry the Mountain Snowflake symbol.

The same tires - LT285/70R17 - in Load Range D do NOT meet the Severe Snow performance requirements.

Both tires have a Max Load of 3195 pounds - the Load Range E tire is 3195 @ 80 psi and the Load Range D tire is 3195 @ 65 psi.

This means that both tires have the exact same Load Limit at all inflation pressures < 65psi.

So for these two tires at least, for any given Load/inflation pressure, the "required pressure" should be the same.

I find it hard to believe BFG would use different rubber compounds in these two tires, but they must if one is rated for Severe Snow and the other is not.

:confused:
 
The reason for the difference in winter rating (per BFG rep) is the siping. There is no siping on some LR E tires, as it felt too squirmy for those heavy 1-ton trucks. Same compound is used. If you'll be heading into snow country, make sure to get the severe service rated version.
 
The thing I don't understand is why is it so random? Some E tires and some D tires have the Mountain Symbol. It's not just relegated to E. Depending on what size you get on either load rating will or will not have the symbol.

The reason for the difference in winter rating (per BFG rep) is the siping. There is no siping on some LR E tires, as it felt too squirmy for those heavy 1-ton trucks. Same compound is used. If you'll be heading into snow country, make sure to get the severe service rated version.
 
The reason for the difference in winter rating (per BFG rep) is the siping. There is no siping on some LR E tires, as it felt too squirmy for those heavy 1-ton trucks. Same compound is used. If you'll be heading into snow country, make sure to get the severe service rated version.

So, what you are saying is that in my case, since there is NO SIPING on my E-Rated tires it gets the Severe Snow Mountain Snowflake rating, but the D-Rated tires of the same size DO HAVE SIPING so they do NOT get the Severe Snow Mountain Snowflake rating?

Somehow that doesn't sound correct to me.

:confused:
 
So, what you are saying is that in my case, since there is NO SIPING on my E-Rated tires it gets the Severe Snow Mountain Snowflake rating, but the D-Rated tires of the same size DO HAVE SIPING so they do NOT get the Severe Snow Mountain Snowflake rating?

Somehow that doesn't sound correct to me.

:confused:

No. The other way around. No siping = no snowflake symbol.

I don't know why they chose to sipe some and not others. But that's what I was told.
 
No. The other way around. No siping = no snowflake symbol.

I don't know why they chose to sipe some and not others. But that's what I was told.

Well then, you cannot be correct.

My E-Rated LT285/70R17 BFG AT T/A KO's have no siping and they have the snowflake symbol.

Sounds like what you were told was incorrect.

:cheers:
 
Well then, you cannot be correct.

My E-Rated LT285/70R17 BFG AT T/A KO's have no siping and they have the snowflake symbol.

Sounds like what you were told was incorrect.

:cheers:

Mind posting a close-up picture? How much wear are on the tires?
 
I have run more than one set of BFG's and used D and E rated and all that and can tell you that they sling more gravel than you want. I swear it looked like whal wars on some roads that had SB2 gravel and i basically totalled a nice boat and trailer by slingin gravel.

285/75 BFG = slingin whale war gravel like no other.

Plus, they ride so rough my dad said my truck was a mule wagon so Im glad he never rode with me when i had over 40 PSI's in em cause it would rattle your brain.

BFG has been slow to change their tire and the only reason people still buy em is they have a "wide appearance" (almost like the BMW X5 factory rubber) and have the "pretty white letters on the side" that make your car sled look a little more agressive.
 
Mind posting a close-up picture? How much wear are on the tires?

Sure ... but why?

BFGATTAKO_24JUN13_zps2bcd4e60.jpg


BFGATTAKO2_24JUN13_zps123d635f.jpg


Here's a "digital close-up" in case the other tread photo was not "close-up" enough:

BFGATTAKO_26JUN13_zpsef64e9b1.jpg


About 7,500 miles on this set.

:cheers:
 
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Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but see those squiggly lines in the tread blocks? That is the factory siping.

OK, you're wrong. ;)

Siping is a much finer cut in the tread block.

For the sake of discussion, however, let's say that those large grooves between tread block elements are the "siping." Then, ALL BFG AT T/A KO tires have "siping," irrespective of size or Load Range - they all have the same tread design.

:cheers:
 
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OK, you're wrong. ;)

Siping is a much finer cut in the tread block.

Not factory sipings. Looks at the Dura Trac or any others that come siped from factory. They are molded, not cut. Sipings that tire shops do are with razor blades and are finer.
 
Not factory sipings. Looks at the Dura Trac or any others that come siped from factory. They are molded, not cut. Sipings that tire shops do are with razor blades and are finer.

OK. Then by your definition, ALL BFG AT T/A tires, regardless of size or Load Range, have siping - we are back at square one.

Why do some sizes/Load Ranges have the Snowflake symbol and some don't?

:cheers:
 
Do you have a picture of the LR D tread you referred to earlier (without the severe service rating symbol). Pretty much all of the BFG KO's I've had had the snowflake on there, so I figured that ones without didn't have the factory siping. If anyone here could provide a picture, that would be great.
 
Do you have a picture of the LR D tread you referred to earlier (without the severe service rating symbol). Pretty much all of the BFG KO's I've had had the snowflake on there, so I figured that ones without didn't have the factory siping. If anyone here could provide a picture, that would be great.

Here's a pic of a Load Range D with the same "siping" and NO Snowflake symbol:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/BigPic.jsp?sidewall=Blackwall&tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=All-Terrain+T%2FA+KO&partnum=87R7ATAKOV2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

If the Super Size image does not immediately display, click on the top photo to view it.

:cheers:
 
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Seems that nobody on here is quite sure. I've emailed BF Goodrich to see if they have an answer. Hopefully they don't give us some goofy nonsense answer.

The only thing that I can think is that perhaps the bigger tires which would by design be built for heavier loads may not have siping because they could feel less responsive under load? Not sure if this would explain why there are both D and E tires with no Snowflake symbol.
 

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