Damm BFG A/T Tires

[LandCrusher'70]

BFG A/T's don't wear out. I had a set on a DD Heep Grand Cherokee that I sold with them on it. Still had plenty of tread. I had them on for at least 2.5 yrs. Never had problems with grip.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Ugh, oh, this is going to get expensive. Mileage, tread depth, brand, how much?

That comment was just tongue in cheek Cary, sorry. They're BFG ATko's also, that I'm trying to kill as well. It wouldn't be worth it to ship them anyway.

 

[cary]

That comment was just tongue in cheek Cary, sorry. They're BFG ATko's also, that I'm trying to kill as well. It wouldn't be worth it to ship them anyway.

Good, one less issue to worry about.

 

[Bongani]

I just sold my 275x75R16 after using it for 20 000km. I measured the thread depth and only 2mm was used. These tyres surely last...

I am now sporting 285x75R16 and man, it looks sexy. BFG AT rules.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Agree the formulations have and continue to improve. However, the new materials still force a choice of better traction or better wear within their new abilities. For instance, those of you with Consumer's Report access can look at their comprehensive test of several SUV tires and see that some took markedly longer to stop their test truck both in the wet and the dry. Tread pattern will make a difference here, but CU correctly grouped them as A/T, or highway tires and so the results likely speak to rubber formulation. We found the same thing in our instrumented testing over the years - better wearing tires tended to produce longer stopping distances, especially so with cold tires or if the outside air temps were cooler (not cold or winter temps).

Age is also a factor even with the new formulations - silica and others. So, a tire that has been on for 40,000 miles has been temp cycled, subject to heat, road chemicals, etc. All of these tend to harden rubber and rubber compounds to an easily measurable degree. You and I may not notice it, but that tire with 40,000 miles and ample tread may take another 30 feet to stop from 70 - easily the difference between a close call and a very severe hit.

So, yes everything's getting better and the rising tide of newer compounds lift all tires. But the same choices must be made today as yesterday. Interestingly, the Revo has a softer inner layer that's exposed when the tire's about half worn out to preserve its initial level of excellent traction. This is a terrific strategy and one of about 5 key reasons I'll be getting them next - breaking 19 straight years of Michelins for the family car.

DougM

 

[semlin]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is virtually no difference in (vertical) clearance, as the 285 has a 75% profile and the 305 has a 70% profile, both tires have the same 213mm sidewall height, only difference is the width.

yes, 305s are the same height but not the same width. but MT tires also have more side tread and visually seem to be bigger diamater than AT tires rated the same size. I doubt anyone visually comparing 305 MTRs side by side to my 285 BFG ATs would suggest they are the same diameter tire.

 

[Brentbba]

I know a nice rock in Death Valley that would love to eat your sidewalls.

 

[Nay]

Agree the formulations have and continue to improve. However, the new materials still force a choice of better traction or better wear within their new abilities. For instance, those of you with Consumer's Report access can look at their comprehensive test of several SUV tires and see that some took markedly longer to stop their test truck both in the wet and the dry. Tread pattern will make a difference here, but CU correctly grouped them as A/T, or highway tires and so the results likely speak to rubber formulation. We found the same thing in our instrumented testing over the years - better wearing tires tended to produce longer stopping distances, especially so with cold tires or if the outside air temps were cooler (not cold or winter temps).

Age is also a factor even with the new formulations - silica and others. So, a tire that has been on for 40,000 miles has been temp cycled, subject to heat, road chemicals, etc. All of these tend to harden rubber and rubber compounds to an easily measurable degree. You and I may not notice it, but that tire with 40,000 miles and ample tread may take another 30 feet to stop from 70 - easily the difference between a close call and a very severe hit.

So, yes everything's getting better and the rising tide of newer compounds lift all tires. But the same choices must be made today as yesterday. Interestingly, the Revo has a softer inner layer that's exposed when the tire's about half worn out to preserve its initial level of excellent traction. This is a terrific strategy and one of about 5 key reasons I'll be getting them next - breaking 19 straight years of Michelins for the family car.

DougM

None of this matters when you are sitting in your driveway trying to turn into your garage in 10 inches of snow/pack/ice in 25 degree temps with dual lockers spinning all four tires even though you have all the clearance in the world, and you have to shovel a small pack of snow from ahead of your badass never-wear-out 33" BFG AT ko's just so you can pull into your f'ing garage.

When you headed out for some fun and temps were 35 degrees your tires were fine, but the sun went down while you were helping the poor blonde whose car got stuck and now your tires don't work anymore because it got colder, quickly, and the compound has started to freeze like a cheap all season, and you are stuggling just to get home only to get stuck 4 feet from your garage. Nothing like a tire that won't wear out and can't move in inch. Might as well mount them on your wall.

BFG AT ko's freeze when it gets cold, and they lose their traction just about entirely. Just what I want - a tire that lasts a really long time so winter after winter it is likely to leave me stranded when conditions change for the worse, which supposedly was the point of needing an AT vs. an MT to start with. And on top of that, they cost as much as tires with real traction. Sign me up!!!

Sell them while people still believe that these are awesome tires and are willing to pay top dollar. Damm BFG AT's!!!

Nay

 

[IdahoDoug]

Yeah, I've seen this cold weather effect as well. A lot of guys here in N. Idaho run the very heavy duty D and E rated tires for their contracting work and such. These tires focus on wearing like iron. But they indeed suck badly when it gets cool out and are worthless when it actually gets cold. Forget about ice. I could go into why this is so, but I think the point's been made.

Good wear is a good quality for a tire to have. It's just that incredibly good wearing tires should make you raise your eyebrows and wonder about emergency traction capability.

DougM

 

[notyourmomslx450]

There are worse problems to have than tires that last too long. I had some BFG Land Terrains on my old Tacoma, and they didn't last forever, but the belts kept slipping on them and BFG would replace them every time. It was cheaper than buying new ones.

Wow, looks like I need to use spell check next time.

Nah. Looks fine, but what kind of lift do you need on a 44runner to proplerly fit those size tires or simmilat sized tires on a 44runner?

 

[Shahram]

BFG AT ko's freeze when it gets cold, and they lose their traction just about entirely.

Diff'rent Meats for Diff'rent Freaks, apparently.

Here in sunny So Cal, we worry more about our tires spontaneously combusting than we do about them freezing. For hot highway and desert driving combos, in my opinion, no other single tire works better than the BFG AT/KO. They are proven work horse treads, damn near indestructible.

I'm sure I'm not the only BFG fanatic here. I'm on my fourth (or is it fifth?) set. I've gotten as much as 85,000 miles out of a set, before I even felt they'd be worth replacing. Could have gone longer. Most importantly, I've never had a puncture. Ever.

Ever.

For what I do, for where I drive (deserts, highways), I wouldn't have another tire. There are much worse complaints to have than "Damn it, my tires are too well-made!"

 

[NexusD]

I know a nice rock in Death Valley that would love to eat your sidewalls.

Funny I did the same thing in Death Valley! Damn 2 ply sidewall