Need Tire Advice As We All Do

[onpoint01]

Going to make a purchase today from Costco Tires. Currently have Michelins MS tires on the truck now and they're well worn.

My choice is between the same size 275/70/16 Michelin MS or 285/75/16 BFG KO 2.

Unfortunately the truck doesn't see much of anything but pavement so it makes all the sense in the work to stick with the boring Michelins.

Now the car guy in me says stay clear of the Michelins and buy those nice looking BFG' KO 2 which cost less then the boring ugly tires.

My big question is will the noise and lack of performance with the BFG's make me regret this decision?

Your input is much appreciated.

 

[Manhattan]

My 100 came with Michelin Latitude HPs - Michelin's "luxury SUV tire". I swapped them for BFG ATs - the older design. I was very (!) nervous as I left the tire shop, wondering if I'd made a mistake putting E-rated "truck" tires on my Land Cruiser. Within 100 yards, I knew I'd made the right choice. The new BFGs rode better than the 39,000 mile Michelins. Okay, not fair - I know. But, the BFGs were great. So much so, I just put the second set on, 50,000 miles later - the KO2s

 

[cap80]

get a nice AT tire in stock size. It will drive like stock but look cooler and if you decide to bomb down dirt roads the traction will be better. I'v also found that the light truck tires tend to be a bit stiffer than the over sized car tires like the michelins so the handling seems a bit better. 285's are for sure bigger. wouldn't worry to much about noise. a good AT tire is not noisy like the MT's.

 

[Dog]

This thread could quickly turn into "post your favorite tire regardless of the OP's intended use...". And everyone has an opinion on tires. Here's mine:

Go with the BFG. Why? Because the Michelin MS is an excellent tire and the best choice for your intended use (i.e. all pavement). Quieter, great performance, long-lasting, etc. - but expensive. Wait...what?

Oh, go with the BFG because you seem to already have dismissed the Michelin as a "boring" tire. You may always be unhappy in that choice, not knowing if you would have liked the BFG instead as you roll around on boring tires. So for your own peace of mind, it's the BFG. But the Michelin seems like the better choice for your use.

 

[onpoint01]

KO 2's are not available in the stock tire size so I'll need to move up in size.

 

[Bear Lake Cruiser]

Stick with Michelin for your application

 

[Bear Lake Cruiser]

I have the bfg on my 40 and the nitto Terra grappler on my 60 and both are great tires but I prefer the nitto over the bfg

 

[LEX]

Listen to the car guy in you and get the BFGs. I think you'll regret that you didn't.

 

[jcrandall]

Going to make a purchase today from Costco Tires. Currently have Michelins MS tires on the truck now and they're well worn.

My choice is between the same size 275/70/16 Michelin MS or 285/75/16 BFG KO 2.

Unfortunately the truck doesn't see much of anything but pavement so it makes all the sense in the work to stick with the boring Michelins.

Now the car guy in me says stay clear of the Michelins and buy those nice looking BFG' KO 2 which cost less then the boring ugly tires.

My big question is will the noise and lack of performance with the BFG's make me regret this decision?

Your input is much appreciated.

Seriously, for most of us the LC/LX is not the "best" or "most practical" vehicle for our use. Get the cool tires.

 

[RS6tofj80]

Agree on the AT's - while Michelin makes the best casings in the biz you likely will regret not going with the AT's - and they're getting gret reviews..... I debated them before doing the TG2's .....

 

[hankinid]

Here's yet another opinion, and we all know about opinions ...

I've seen fantastic tread life with both Michelin and Toyo A/T's. My lx has the Toyo's (285-75 load range E) with around 50K currently and my tire store guy says they look to have another 15-20K left. drives a Ram 2500 and normally tows a horse trailer with horses aboard...She also has the Toyo A/T's with similar mileage and similar remaining tread life. Road noise is non-existent, and they are superb in snow.

As to Costco...here in Idaho, they act like real bastages if you'd like a tire size other than the oem size they show in their little reference book. I was turned down on both the LX and the truck when I asked for installation of the 285's...so I simply went to Les Schawb and got the Toyo's.

ymmv, obviously.

Steve

 

[TXLX100]

If it's really going to be on-road nearly all the time and nothing more than dirt roads, go with the Michelin MS. It's the best on-road tire. Quiet and comfortable.

If you plan on off-roading at all, BFG would be a good mix. I ran those on-road for a lot of years with no problem and pretty comfortable. I have e-rated Toyo open country at2 now and their ruggedness matches the 100, but still decent on-road characteristics.

 

[Grampys100]

The sharp sidewall of the BFGs makes steering a little wishy washy on pavement. The Michelins are much more predictable. I am selling my stock setup right now and I have BFGs on mine. I go off road a few times a month though.

I like the Michelins on road and the BFGs off. I would never buy the BFGs though if it was never going to touch dirt. Just my $.02

 

[dnp]

"It don't matter if you win or lose, it's how good you look!" -- David Lee Roth

Go with the BFGs!

 

[Manhattan]

Of course the street tires are more practical. But, by that rationale, most of us should sell our 100s and buy a Camry. The whole practical train left the station a looooong time ago. BFG KO2s (and others like them) are a great tire for off-road and surprisingly smooth and quiet on road. Have some fun.

Two stock 100s. One has 285/70/18 BFG ATs, no running boards, no fender flares, and the front nudged up .55" via the TBs. The other has street tires.

 

[onpoint01]

Sure wish the Michelins looked better, as they probably are the right choice. Not making my decision any easier fellas.

 

[TXLX100]

^ have you looked at Michelin AT2's? I heard great things about them and were on my short list for tires. They look more aggressive than the MS.

 

[onpoint01]

Manhattan you may have helped me make the final choice!! I have no flares on my LC and its black and don't think I could live out my LC's life as a grocery getter even though it sees at of this type of action. Placing the Michelins on would also cabash my future dreams of lifting and armoring the the truck. Decision made, thanks for everyone's input.

 

[dnp]

Manhattan you may have helped me make the final choice!! I have no flares on my LC and its black and don't think I could live out my LC's life as a grocery getter even though it sees at of this type of action. Placing the Michelins on would also cabash my future dreams of lifting and armoring the the truck. Decision made, thanks for everyone's input.

Good move. Will they be as ultra-quiet as the Michelins? No. Will you like them better in every other respect? Absolutely.

 

[80Greg100]

Not to try and change your mind, but been here done this...I put the E-rated BFGs on my 100 and unless you want to start upgrading other components the weight of these tires is constantly front and center in your driving experience. Gas mileage, braking distance, body roll, unsprung mass, etc. all conspire against you. Mine snapped an OEM sway bar link taking a 90 degree corner - at approx 8 MPH! My RRC has the Michelin LTX AT2's - if you can find a compatible size for your 100 I'd go that route as it's a much better day to day driving experience, combined with decent off road capavilities as well.

Having said all that, if the 100 were my DD (not my wife's), I would have kept the tires and upgraded the rest of my suspension to match. Wife did NOT want to go there. Good luck in your search!