KO2 Discontinued

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geo5

geo5

SILVER Star
Joined
Apr 18, 2023
Messages
468
Location
Bozeman, MT
FWIW- I just talked to Big O Tires BZN and they mentioned the KO2 has been discontinued by the manufacturer.

Big O said there are still a ‘good number’ of KO2 tires floating around, including the 3 I just ordered, but soon only KO3 will be available.


IMG_6659.jpeg
 
I put the KO3's on my wife's 200. I love them. They are super quiet and so far really good in the dirt and rain. No real "trail" time with them yet. Mostly fire roads, gravel roads and around town/highway. The sidewalls are beefier, the tread looks nearly indentical from a few feet away. The pic above shows the difference but most people would walk right by thinking they were KO2's

They have been on the Ford Ranger and something else as a factory tire for a few years. They started producing limited sizes this spring. I got one of the first sets in Bozeman. So far so good. August was supposed to bring a 34" tire to the market along with several other sizes I didn't care about. I landed on the 275-7-18 and it is great for the Mrs. 200.
 
Interesting we've had at least 3 KO2s ruined that I know of this club season.
 
thetoyotaman said:
Interesting we've had at least 3 KO2s ruined that I know of this club season.
Click to expand...
There were some really jagged rocks on the goose trail, also numerous very bumpy mud puddles hiding who knows what. (Ih8mud)

I am actually really surprised at how durable my KO2s have been since wheeling fairly regularly since April ‘23, especially considering my lack of wheeling experience (questionable lines).

I’d be going KO3 if I didn’t have a brand new KO2 spare.
 
I loved my KO2's. I am running duratracs now and they have been really good to me too. I like both of them but the KO2 lasted forever and never got loud like some tires that get low on tread.
 
+1 for duratracs- I ran them on 2 tundras since 2016 for ‘overlanding’, light wheeling, loved them for snow but yeah they’re a bit loud.
 
The first year I went to Goose there was a sidewall puncture on a Goodyear (Walmart version). Only time I've seen that happen on Goose personally.

I have several sets of KO2s. 2 sets are great. One set is wearing out like nobody's business. It'll be interesting to see if I have any tread left at 30k on them. I've always liked the classic look of the white letters for the older Toyotas. Hopefully the KO3 will be better with snow/ice traction. The KO2 was pretty good at it but the manufacturers are really improving in this area.

I've had Duratracs too and really like that tread design.

I've tried Coopers but had constant balance problems and they seem to like to chunk out.

Bridgestone's I've had have probably been the worst as far as weak sidewalls, blowouts, etc.

On my first set of Fallen Wildpeaks AT3W and they have been better than I expected. They wear like an OEM tire. Those are being replaced by the AT4W which is a heavier tire to work better on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

Lots of good options out there and lots of new designs.
 
Bummer. For those of you that have slashed a sidewall, what pressure were you running? I think I was running 20 psi.
 
20 just seems to low in my opinion when it comes to wheeling up jagged rocks, especially with our big heavy trucks....It seems like "airing down" is something people just do because others are doing it.


To be fair I haven't done the trail you are talking about so maybe it is necessary....... BUT I suspect folks who are puncturing sidewalls at 20psi, if they instead were running 30-35 you would still manage the trail with ease and have less risk to your sidewall... Did going down to 20 really do anything for you other than risk your sidewall? If you were running higher pressures would you have just spun your tires and not managed the obstacle?

Air down when floatation is needed, really the only use case for me is sand or deep snow that I'm trying not to sink through...
>> Oh and of course when banging down longer washboard roads, I can totally understand wanting a little more cushion


I don't think I've ever gone below 30PSI and I've put my 100 through some pretty gnarly jagged rock trails dozens of times over...High Rock Canyon in Nevada has been known to claim dozens of tires....I drove through at 35-40PSI and left without any issues...... Sometimes if I'm bogged up to the frame in mud or snow I'll go to lower PSI just to get out of the hole. Otherwise, it's not worth it.

I also stick with KO2s just based on how well they've performed for me and I'll probably go to the K03 next.... Tires and suspension are the most subjective things to give opinions on, so many other factors at play when someone is giving a tire / suspension review.
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i think driver error is a bigger factor then PSI when it comes to sidewalls.. i cannot imagine driving up a trail like goose with 35PSI in my tires that seriously sounds miserable. my back hurts just thinking about it.
 
You would be surprised what even just 5-10 PSI less does for the overall traction and ride.
It also depends on the treadwear as some tires flex easier than others at lower psi.
And obviously the overall weight of the vehicle.
My bajaclaws dont barely flex at all even at 23psi with the fairly light 1st gen 4runner.
Snow 15-5 psi
Trails 25-20psi
 
it would seem to me that if you tire is fully inflated and has no give it would puncture quicker than being aired down. But that’s just me. Personally, I don’t wanna take the beating of having 30+ psi in my tires off-road with the stuff we do.
 
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