BF Goodrich All Terrain KO Tires - a Personal Critique

[ski3pin]

We have put over 100,000 miles on our truck with camper. Check our blog stories, I believe you'll find a well rounded set of travels - mountains in winter, the high passes in Colorado, the legendary roads in Death Valley, and a bunch of others we keep to ourselves.

I have wanted to love these BFG tires. So much so that I ran through two sets on our truck, close to 80,000 miles. Based on this extensive experience, please allow me to offer a very personal review.

Things I liked about the tires - they did well on dirt roads.

Things I did not like about the tires - they were poor in mud, mediocre in ice and snow (we live in the snow), poor thread life (barely reached 38,000 miles each set), noisy and got noisier as they wore.

If this tire went to school, here are the grades I'd give.

Dirt - B
Mud - D
Snow & Ice - C
Thread life - C
Quiet/Comfortable Ride - C

Overall, I give this tire a very strong C .

An idea on other tires I have used over the years - BigO Bigfoot, Bridgestone Desert Dueler, Cooper Discoverer, Toyo Open Country. My favorites from this bunch were the Cooper and Toyo.

Yesterday we put new tires on the truck and went with Cooper Discoverer ATP


Why we went with Cooper? I liked them in the past and personally spoke with people who drive on Coopers. They certainly looked like they were worth a try.

My critique of the Coopers will come after I've got 15,000 to 20,000 miles on them, if anyone has interest.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Thanks for the insight. I've gone back to Toyos from Coopers. The Cooper tires were very good, but I did manage to put a chunk of shale clear through the tread. Probably not the tire's fault. I've gone back to Toyos as much for the Les Schwab network as for the tire.

 

[Alley-Kat]

Did your old K0's have the snow flake on them? Just curious.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'd give my snow flake K0's a little higher marks in school.

Dirt - A (I'm mostly a dirt kind of guy)

Mud - C (they throw a lot of mud, however, they got me up the Burr Trail Switchbacks when it was very wet
that Bosque Bill just mentioned in his trip report)

Snow & Ice - NA (even though I have the snow flake version, I don't drive much of this stuff, when I purchased I thought I would, but I don't)

Thread life - A+ (I've got about 55,000 on the current set, maybe a little more than half way down, I guess. I drive slow on pavement and slow on dirt, I'm in no hurry. And, I do rotate in my spare tire into use every now and then)

Quiet/Comfortable Ride - C

Overall, I give this tire a B .

- - - - - - - - - - -

I respect your opinion and am looking forward to the report on the Coopers.
I could try something different next time.

 

[cwdtmmrs]

Interesting review. I will be replacing my tires soon. What size tire's are on your truck? I agree on the noise and tread life. My rear tires wear much faster than the fronts. I currently have 31/10.5/15 tires, but my last set were 32/11.5/15's' The 32's had much, much better tread life, Can you give us your thoughts on how quiet your new Cooper's are at freeway speeds compared to the Bfg's?

Thanks for the reviews!

cwd

 

[ski3pin]

Did your old K0's have the snow flake on them? Just curious.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'd give my snow flake K0's a little higher marks in school.

Dirt - A (I'm mostly a dirt kind of guy)

Mud - C (they throw a lot of mud, however, they got me up the Burr Trail Switchbacks when it was very wet
that Bosque Bill just mentioned in his trip report)

Snow & Ice - NA (even though I have the snow flake version, I don't drive much of this stuff, when I purchased I thought I would, but I don't)

Thread life - A+ (I've got about 55,000 on the current set, maybe a little more than half way down, I guess. I drive slow on pavement and slow on dirt, I'm in no hurry. And, I do rotate in my spare tire into use every now and then)

Quiet/Comfortable Ride - C

Overall, I give this tire a B .

- - - - - - - - - - -

I respect your opinion and am looking forward to the report on the Coopers.
I could try something different next time.

Alley-Kat, thank you for adding your critique. I also respect your opinion very much and know our rigs to be similar. Yes, we got the snow flake. The BFG did okay for us, just okay in snow and ice. I have had tires that did better, that probably prompted my issue with winter driving.. We also drive slow on pavement and dirt. When we replaced our first set at 38,000 miles, I wanted to rationalize the short thread life to the amount of dirt use our tires get. We got the same results with the second set, so we were consistent.

I'll only trust my impressions of the Coopers after extensive use.

 

[ski3pin]

Interesting review. I will be replacing my tires soon. What size tire's are on your truck? I agree on the noise and tread life. My rear tires wear much faster than the fronts. I currently have 31/10.5/15 tires, but my last set were 32/11.5/15's' The 32's had much, much better tread life, Can you give us your thoughts on how quiet your new Cooper's are at freeway speeds compared to the Bfg's?

Thanks for the reviews!

cwd

cwd, same as you 31 x 10.5 x 15.

First impressions - quieter on the road than I remember the BFG's when new. I like the thread design and depth. I have a couple preconceived notions on how I think they will preform. Only time and use will tell.

I really want to resist first impressions. We just spent a load of money after making a decision. It is human nature to convince yourself you made the right choice.

That is also why I wanted to hold off on my critique of the BFG's until I had a consistent base of personal experience with the tire. We went through two sets in our adventures with our truck and camper.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks Ski for the info.
When we bought the 02 Tundra 5 years ago it came with brand new Goodyear LT,265/75/R16s, Wrangler TD MS C rated.
I have since put 33.000 miles on them.I keep about #38 front #45 rear. I rotate them each oil change and check tread depth
usually after the long trips. I have an average depth of 7/32 to 8/32,which is about half new tread depth left.
I try hard to keep the tires from crowning especially in the rear.

I like these Goodyears and may go back to them,but go to an "E" rating,although the "C" rating seem to work for us.
Most of our travels are on paved roads and don't get much snow driving. What little driving that hasn't been of paved road the tires did well,snow or gravel.


I have checked out other tires for when I replace these and BFG KO2s were one that I had considered.So your input will help.I am not needing new tires this year so you will have time to give your critique.Another thing I look for when buying tires is will I be able to get service/replacement on a trip away from home,so I try to stick with a brand/dealer I can locate out of my area.
That's one reason I have purchased tires from Les Schwab. I like their service and they have a good selection,but I don't have a store
in my area.

Thanks for starting this thread.I think it will be useful to anyone who will need tires in the future.
Maybe others will continue to post their info about tires they have had.
Frank

 

[nikonron]

Were these the KO'2 tires? Ron

 

[Vic Harder]

Great info. I had been seriously considering the KO'2 tires. Not so sure now. Have any of you tried dedicated E rated snow tires? And used them for mud/dirt too?

 

[takesiteasy]

Timely thread- thanks for starting it Ski. I was going to start a thread asking when people generally replace their tires. I have the BFG ATs on my truck, since new- about 5 1/2 years now and about 50,000 miles (so not new KO2s). They are the "D" rated version. I still have respectable tread depth but am beginning to think about new tires. I have been very happy with the ATs. We drive in snow often and in dirt less often. Not much at all on rocks like we recently ran into at Tuweep. Lots of our miles are on pavement. I have thought the ATs were very quiet for a big tread tire and performed well in dirt and snow (we have the snowflake version). This winter will be a good test as the tread is wearing down. So many variables with different people's habits, terrain and trucks. I will be watching this thread with interest.

 

[ski3pin]

Were these the KO'2 tires? Ron

Ron, good point and thank you for bringing it up.

The newest version of the BFG tire is the KO2. A couple of weeks ago we took a look at the KO2 tires on two trucks owned by friends. Except for the more aggressive looking shoulder on the tires, visually they looked much like the older KO's we used. Would I get better results with the new KO2? I cannot say unless I put tens of thousands of miles on them.

To be clear, my personal review is long term use of the older BFG tire.

I know many local government agency folks who work out in the woods every day. When I get the chance, I ask their thoughts on vehicles and tires and such because they are out there using the equipment. They, like us, all have differing opinions. But based on an my overall impression of the feedback I got back, the Coopers were worth trying out.

 

[Bill D]

Were these the KO'2 tires? Ron

This is my big question as well as I was considering KO2s for my next set of tires. KO2s have the snowflake but are considered all season/terrain tires, so it's understandable that they are not the "best" on ice/snow.

When I was reading up about them I remember reading something about the fact that they just barely makes the standard to get the mountain/snowflake symbol.

 

[dharte]

I've owned a lot of trucks and tried a lot of tires. In my opinion, having run through several sets, the BFG KO2's are over rated. My personal choice carrying my camper is the Toyo Open Country MT. It's a little louder than an AT but just grips everything and makes my truck feel very stable. In E load range there is considerable difference in weight ratings between sizes. In the size I run (295/70/17) it is 3,900 pounds which is about 600 pounds higher than the Cooper ATP's I had on before. No comparison in terms of off road traction and on road handling the Toyo's are much better!

 

[smlobx]

Thank you for starting this review ski.
My situation is probably a little different than many on here in that my camper sits on my construction truck ( F-350). After reading the (mostly) glowing reviews of the KO2's I had a set put on my foreman's F-350 to see how they performed. His truck is a single cab short bed with a service body and i would guess it weighs about 10K every day.
I bought these tires for him in February and they are now in need of replacement after about only 20K miles. I would classify the use ( or should i say abuse) of these tires as severe service but was disappointed in the performance.

I have always been a Michelin man and when i just purchased my new 2016 F-350 I was glad to see it came with their AT2's. I have been able to get between 35 and 40K out of them in the past and that is the longest I have ever gone on a set of tires...

As I said my use is probably more severe than most and my rig wet runs north of 10K.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Thanks for the info guys and it seems to me that this discussion comes up e very few years of what to drive! I think allot of this is personal pref, experience and where you use your rig. Me, like my Dad, have always used "BiG O" stuff no matter what we were driving so here it goes! For the last 16 years I have used LT245/R16 M/S/AT E rated tires on my 99 F150 4x4-I think this is my third set (I replaced the Ford Stock tires the day I drove it home. Okay, I live in snow country, and don't mind the supposed bounce and noise as I go down the freeway or on paved roads like 395. I drive in rocky rough country allot and my number 1 worry is tearing out my side walls and since I carry an air pump I can inflate or deflate my tires depending on weather and road conditions (although I rarely do) I can usually get where I want to go whether it's muddy, snowy or rocky! I should note here that I am a very careful driver these days (and carry just about every thing i could possibly need if I get in trouble) and do not go places that look dangerous or scary unless I have too! If it gets bad, I turn around or walk; my days of "I can go anywhere " seem to have ended with retirement and "learning to smell the flowers".

Some of you know I retired from the BLM and spent allot of time driving in areas most of us do not go (unless you drive jeeps and it is for fun) but I had too because of my job. No matter what truck I drove it had E rated tires and we carried usually 2 spares, and lot's of things like boards, handy mans, air pumps and food because at that time we were usually out of radio contact and we were on our own if something happened until someone realized we had not come home yet and looked at our planned trip and times sign out log. I have been stuck and have had flat tires just about every where. While I was in the Army I also drove trucks as a part of my job-so I have lot's of training that allowed me to get stuck more than the usual back country driver!
One brief story should high lite where I worked. I was issued a brand new 1990 Chev long bed 4x4 with 2 ply tires-yes the gov loaded it up with all sorts of goodies and then put street tires on it. Well, I had a quick job out in the boonies and access was by a nice gravel road, so I put off getting my 10 ply tires on and yes I quickly had two flats from rocks bouncing up and tearing into the side walls. I was in radio range so I got rescued quickly and was towed to the shop and had my "E"'s" put on. So to me, my number 1 priority is watching where I drive and having E rated M and S tires-what ever the brand!

Hope this is not a to long of an answer!

Smoke

 

[craig333]

What a thread. Coopers got a good review over on Expeditionportal. So much personal preference and vehicle differences involved. My Jeep has never had anything other than BGB mud terrains. Works well for that vehicle. Some tires work better with heavy vehicles that others, some work better with less than perfect suspensions than others. I have a hard time saying for sure about certain tires I ran on my truck because during that period I was doing a lot of work on the suspension/alignment. Now that I have that dialed in my experiences might be different. I won't try mud tires again on my truck. The toyos looked good but were underwhelming and I really don't need a mt on the truck. The Bridgestones were awesome in the snow. I think I've forgotten a few brands

Interesting ski3pin isn't happy with 38k tread life. I consider that quite acceptable (at least on a big heavy truck).

The BFG rugged trail (a more street version of the AT) rides great but I'm noticing an unacceptable level of sidewall cracking (and they get copious amounts of 303). I'm wondering if its not only a more street type tire but also lower grade than the AT's.

This'll be a very interesting thread but always remember, your mileage may vary.

 

[iowahiker]

We have the BFG Rugged Trail T/A LT load range E (not KO/KO2). BFG Rugged Trail T/A tread is different for P's versus LT. We rate them:

Tread Life: A (70,000 miles currently, good for 90,000 thanks to lots of rubber, solid outer tread races)
Fuel economy (MPG): A (solid outer tread races pump less air/no sidewall tread and so less drag)
Snow: C- (hard rubber long tread life creates a stiff low traction winter tire)
Gravel: C- (solid outer tread races just spin on gravel climbing 25% grade, love FWD)
Dirt: C (those solid outer tread races)
Mud: C- (those solid outer tread races)
Rock: D (no sidewall tread to protect sidewalls)
Wet road: A
Dry road: A (lots of rubber on the road)
Dust production on dirt road: A (solid outer tread races pump less air and so less dust)

KO2's have softer rubber to earn a snow flake and so shorter tread life. No one should expect a hard rubber/long life tire to produce great snow/ice traction. Sidewall tire lugs which protect the sidewall from rock cuts hurt fuel economy because of greater air pushing/drag.

Tires are about trade offs and priorities. If you get a lot of happiness from driving over rocks focus on sidewall protecting lugs. If you get a lot of happiness from driving on snow get snow tires (my Xterra and AWD Astro have snow tires on 365 days a year). ETC... We drive coast to coast and will get BFG Rugged Trail T/A's again because the fuel savings/long life will pay for the next set of new tires (and we will need to watch out for those rocks ).

 

[Vic Harder]

Tires are about trade offs and priorities.

Amen to that. I don't usually focus on tread life. In my sports cars I have always looked for max traction in the dry & wet, and if they only last 10K miles, that's ok. Saved my life a few times with that kind of thinking.

Also, consider that most rubber loses its designed in qualities after about 3 years, and aim for a tire that lasts about 3 years for the driving you do. In my truck/camper, that means 30K miles or less.

Highway noise is an issue for me, as we drive long miles to get to the fun stuff. Once there, I want it to work well on gravel roads, and on some dirt/rock. No mud/beach for me.... although crossing soft washes in Utah could benefit from a soft/tread/lug rich tire.

For the winter, I guess I am buying a separate set of tires/rims. Again, max traction is the key for me. Blizzaks fit the bill, as they are designed to really only use 1/2 of their treads in the winter.... the Japanese buy a set every fall!

Looking forward to more real life reviews here!

 

[CALIcamperdad]

I had the KOs agreed on the review. The KO 2's per a couple of friends who had the earlier versions too. They all agree the 2s built on the earlier version and are even better.

I wanted Coopers for our Sequioa but ran into several people with heavy rigs that had serious durability issues and lots of flats. Three of them dumped the Cooper for the new KO2s. I think the coopers on my Subaru or city slicker jeep ie lighter vehicle is ok. But truck laden with a camper Ive heard the Coopers just are not built heavy enough.

I have BFG rugged terrains on the Sequoia which is a heavy truck and surprisingly hard on tires. They are louder than the KO's but a little softer ride wise. They seem more mud capable than the old pre KO2s. Though I think for truck/camper combo I would go back to the KO2s based on reports on the new updated tread on the 2s

 

[camelracer]

BFG has always supported FWD events I attend with generous donations so I've been using their tires on both of my off road vehicles. I run the Mts on my Jeep and have never had a failure.

My truck is another story. I run E-rated BFG ATs and have had 2 tread separation blowouts that caused major damage to my truck. The tires that blew out were from different lots, were properly inflated and had about 30k miles on them. Next time around I'll probably look at other brands.