BFG KO2 285/75r17 (2 Viewers)

[Taco2Cruiser]

Hope the KM3s are as vast of an improvement as the KO was to the KO2.

The KM2 was the worst tire I’ve ever owned. I had them for 60k miles, lived in NC, GA, and TX with them. Wheeled the entire country, and hated every minute of them. Terrible in the mud, and down right dangerous on wet west Texas roads. They did good on rock, but street tires do good on rock, so that doesn’t really count.

By contrast, the KO2 has been the 3rd best tire I’ve ever ran (that’s a good thing, I’ve ran a lot of tires). In fact I was down right impressed with the KO2 at windrock Park a month ago while wheeling on the muddiest trails I’ve seen in a long time during a 4 day rainstorm.

If that is any indication of the new engineering that BFG is capable of, let’s hope the KM3 gets it. But I’m going to still say the KM3 will never be a Super Swamper, and with how good the KO2 has been for me in sticky mud to snow storms, if don’t see the reason for a KM3.

But I bet they will sell like hot cakes purely because they say “mud” on side of them.

 

[SWUtah]

The tread width is on the 285/75/17's, is only about 8.5" that is way to skinny. It's 10.1 inches on my 285/55/20's. But it's is 10.2" on the 305/55/20's and its 9.6" on the 275/55/20's. I went with the tire with the widest and thickest tread, that would fit my LX570. These beasts are to big and heavy to put on skinny tread tire's and drive on the road.

 

[mcgaskins]

The tread width is on the 285/75/17's, is only about 8.5" that is way to skinny. It's 10.1 inches on my 285/55/20's. But it's is 10.2" on the 305/55/20's and its 9.6" on the 275/55/20's. I went with the tire with the widest and thickest tread, that would fit my LX570. These beasts are to big and heavy to put on skinny tread tire's and drive on the road.

Huh? Where are you seeing that? The tread width is 11.3": https://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/upload/bfgoodrich/specifications/specs-all-terrain-t-a-ko2.pdf I ran 285/75/17 Ridge Grapplers for 10k miles in all kinds of conditions and think it is 100% the best size you can put on a 200 or 100 for that matter.

 

[SWUtah]

Huh? Where are you seeing that? The tread width is 11.3": https://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/upload/bfgoodrich/specifications/specs-all-terrain-t-a-ko2.pdf I ran 285/75/17 Ridge Grapplers for 10k miles in all kinds of conditions and think it is 100% the best size you can put on a 200 or 100 for that matter.

You’re confusing tire width with tread width go on tire rack and look under specifications and it shows you the section width, but it also on most tires shows you the tread width

 

[Markuson]

The tread width is on the 285/75/17's, is only about 8.5" that is way to skinny. It's 10.1 inches on my 285/55/20's. But it's is 10.2" on the 305/55/20's and its 9.6" on the 275/55/20's. I went with the tire with the widest and thickest tread, that would fit my LX570. These beasts are to big and heavy to put on skinny tread tire's and drive on the road.

Are you sure about that? The tread width on Ridge Grapplers in that same size is about 10.5+.
Would be very odd if BFGs were that skinny.

 

[SWUtah]

Look at tread width on each tire

 

[Markuson]

Look at tread width on each tireView attachment 1560610 View attachment 1560609 View attachment 1560608

Ah. You're right, of course. I was thinking overall width.
Aired down or in soft stuff, you take advantage of far more than jut the highest tread point...

 

[SWUtah]

I think it’s weird that the only website that shows you the tread width is Tire Rack, it was important to me for on road performance. I don’t know if there is any advantage or disadvantage off road. Actually paid $100 more per tire because the 285/55/20’s have an additional 1/2” tread width compared to the 275/55/20 BFG AT/KO2’s.

 

[Markuson]

I think it’s weird that the only website that shows you the tread width is Tire Rack, it was important to me for on road performance. I don’t know if there is any advantage or disadvantage off road. Actually paid $100 more per tire because the 285/55/20’s have an additional 1/2” tread width compared to the 275/55/20 BFG AT/KO2’s.

It does seem like KO2's taper more than most from the outer sidewall to the full tread edge.
On my Nittos that was teh first thing major difference I noticed. Nittos in general seem to be more squared at the thread edge--at least the Terra Grapplers, Trail G's and Ridge G's.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

I think it’s weird that the only website that shows you the tread width is Tire Rack, it was important to me for on road performance. I don’t know if there is any advantage or disadvantage off road. Actually paid $100 more per tire because the 285/55/20’s have an additional 1/2” tread width compared to the 275/55/20 BFG AT/KO2’s.

Skinny tires are better off-road on every surface except for things that don’t have a bottom, like mud drag strips and Antarctica, where you need floatation.

So I’m even more happy about these new KO2 being even skinnier.

 

[Markuson]

Skinny tires are better off-road on every surface except for things that don’t have a bottom, like mud drag strips and Antarctica, where you need floatation.

So I’m even more happy about these new KO2 being even skinnier.

In South America as a kid, skinnies were the ticket in sticky mud that solidified a couple inches down. Skinnies cut through to hard ground while fatties would just float and slide. There's a reason those old WWII jeeps were rocking skinnies!

 

[Markuson]

@Taco2Cruiser are you getting rid of your ST MAXX's? Thought you were happy with them. What's the scoop? Chunking er sompin?

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

In South America as a kid, skinnies were the ticket in sticky mud that solidified a couple inches down. Skinnies cut through to hard ground while fatties would just float and slide. There's a reason those old WWII jeeps were rocking skinnies!

Yep. That and when you air down.

See, when we air down, the tread gains significantly more surface area going forward and backward, than it ever does width wise. And that is why skinny works.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

@Taco2Cruiser are you getting rid of your ST MAXX's? Thought you were happy with them. What's the scoop? Chunking er sompin?

I have STT Pros... and love them. But they are in 295/70r17. It’s that 285/75r17 size I want. But I doubt I’ll take a financial loss of selling these STT Pros and run them till they die.

 

[Markuson]

I have STT Pros... and love them. But they are in 295/70r17. It’s that 285/75r17 size I want. But I doubt I’ll take a financial loss of selling these STT Pros and run them till they die.

Oops. Ya, I meant ST Pros. I've considered those as a possible next tire. I think I said ST MAXX before, but the pros have the larger voids I'll eventually try.

 

[kreiten]

They are a neat tire... I'll be buying some as well (for my FJ40 fwiw)

I'll be grabbing a couple sets of the KM3's forsure once my KM2's wear out, awesome tires!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I'll be grabbing a couple sets of the KM3's forsure once my KM2's wear out, awesome tires!

I got a mule set on my BJ74, they work

 

[Tremek]

33.9" vs 32.8" will be interesting. Even on the street with my 285/70/17s and Icon lift I can get some rubbing on turns up front when there's some suspension compression. Going to be interesting to see how they fit.

Re: surface area on the road, I have never felt like our 6k+ LC didn't have enough contact patch (brakes are a different story.)

20" seem like a huge compromise to me on these trucks. They have far too high a CoG to actually corner well, this is compounded by not having enough focus on making the suspension to corner worth a damn (neither AHC or the LC's KDSS setups are stiff enough to really limit roll and lean-in) because yeah, that's not what these trucks are for - and if you live in a climate with snow you're more likely to plow/skid with those big wide 20s as your truck's PSI is lower and less likely to dig in, and then you have far less sidewall for absorbing impacts both on and offroad.

I just don't get it. Keep in mind I put 295/40/22s on a Cayenne Turbo S once, and experienced all these same issues. Get an X5M if you want to be tall and turn...

Re: 285s - Earlier this year I was caught out in an ice storm, and in a panic stop situation on a busy state highway I managed to out brake both a Dodge pickup in front of me that likely weighed more than the LC, and a kid in a Mazda that weighed half what the LC did but was on crappy all-seasons, on my KO2s. Unfortunately this meant I didn't hit the pickup but the Mazda did buy the LC the Slee bumper!

One more vote for 'narrow' (who ever called a 9 inch contact patch narrow?) tires...

 

[SWUtah]

33.9" vs 32.8" will be interesting. Even on the street with my 285/70/17s and Icon lift I can get some rubbing on turns up front when there's some suspension compression. Going to be interesting to see how they fit.

Re: surface area on the road, I have never felt like our 6k+ LC didn't have enough contact patch (brakes are a different story.)

20" seem like a huge compromise to me on these trucks. They have far too high a CoG to actually corner well, this is compounded by not having enough focus on making the suspension to corner worth a damn (neither AHC or the LC's KDSS setups are stiff enough to really limit roll and lean-in) because yeah, that's not what these trucks are for - and if you live in a climate with snow you're more likely to plow/skid with those big wide 20s as your truck's PSI is lower and less likely to dig in, and then you have far less sidewall for absorbing impacts both on and offroad.

I just don't get it. Keep in mind I put 295/40/22s on a Cayenne Turbo S once, and experienced all these same issues. Get an X5M if you want to be tall and turn...

Re: 285s - Earlier this year I was caught out in an ice storm, and in a panic stop situation on a busy state highway I managed to out brake both a Dodge pickup in front of me that likely weighed more than the LC, and a kid in a Mazda that weighed half what the LC did but was on crappy all-seasons, on my KO2s. Unfortunately this meant I didn't hit the pickup but the Mazda did buy the LC the Slee bumper!

One more vote for 'narrow' (who ever called a 9 inch contact patch narrow?) tires...

I understand in the rain you would be better off with the wider tire and all the voids to disapatate the water giving you more rubber on the road and less chance of floating, Also a wider tire with a 55 ratio versus a skinny tire with a 75 ratio will improve cornering. Plus the the wider tire puts more rubber on the road for improved braking. If you are dedicated off roader then tall and skinny might be best, but what really is the best ratio? 55,60,70,75,80? When you air down aren't you changing your ratio? Also tread depth,design and COG make a difference. A lifted truck with skinny tire's will handle worse then a none lifted truck with a larger tread width and excellent tread.

 

[Tremek]

I'm not sure that's right; I have been under the impression (and experienced it myself - nothing quite like feeling your 600hp car sidestep a foot on drag radials in a mild turn at low speeds) that wider tires (especially all-seasons or summer tires, although that's also dependent on whether they're siped or directional) are more prone to hydroplaning...

Which Tires Hydroplane More Easily?

"Hydroplaning is a function of tire footprint, all other things being equal, a tire with a wider footprint will tend to hydroplane more."

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=16&

"While deeper water, higher speeds, lighter vehicles, wider tires, less tread depth and less efficient tread designs will cause tires to hydroplane at lower speeds; all tires will be forced to hydroplane at some speed."