New Falken Wildpeak R/T - Haven’t seen it here yet

[DewHawk]

If you run AT3Ws, do you think that they have better lateral grip on wet/rainy roads and wet rocks compared to KO2s?

100%. No question in my mind they are better than the KO2 in that regard.

I had AT3W’s on my WK2 Hemi Trailhawk before I dove head first into 4xe insanity so I had a fresh perspective comparing them directly in the same conditions (mind you VERY different vehicles). That being said, the same things I noticed about the Falkens back then still ring true now on my new rig. I think the biggest differences between then and now though is the fact that my WK2 was running 32’s and my JL is on 37’s. I think that’s a major reason why I notice more lug noise with the Falkens now. It really wasn’t a thing on the WK2.

The KO2’s just don’t stack up on the same playing field in the same conditions. I didn’t get into much detail during one of my trip reports with Kiwi (my first 4xe) when I took it out stock on Poughkeepsie Gulch, but I vividly remember thinking the wet traction climbing up on some stream soaked boulders was a major reason why my front diff ended up taking a beating that was totally avoidable. The rain that hit the million dollar highway later that night forced me to throw 4H-Auto on and drive like I had redbull being pumped into my nerves. That was the last time I ever drove the KO2’s in rain before I stepped up to the 37” Razr AT’s (and the last time I will EVER put KO2’s on ANY vehicle I own).

My neighbor behind me who has a 2.0 JLUR on 35’s swears by his KO2’s but he doesn’t subject his to the same kind offroad use that a lot of us do. It’s mostly highway running back and forth to the airport where it’s treated/plowed like the yellow brick road in OZ when the weather hits. I have a feeling one of these days I’m gonna get a phone call from him asking to get yanked out of a ditch whenever he does use them on proper $hit road conditions.

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[GrayWolf.Overland]

100%. No question in my mind they are better than the KO2 in that regard.

I had AT3W’s on my WK2 Hemi Trailhawk before I dove head first into 4xe insanity so I had a fresh perspective comparing them directly in the same conditions (mind you VERY different vehicles). That being said, the same things I noticed about the Falkens back then still ring true now on my new rig. I think the biggest differences between then and now though is the fact that my WK2 was running 32’s and my JL is on 37’s. I think that’s a major reason why I notice more lug noise with the Falkens now. It really wasn’t a thing on the WK2.

The KO2’s just don’t stack up on the same playing field in the same conditions. I didn’t get into much detail during one of my trip reports with Kiwi (my first 4xe) when I took it out stock on Poughkeepsie Gulch, but I vividly remember thinking the wet traction climbing up on some stream soaked boulders was a major reason why my front diff ended up taking a beating that was totally avoidable. The rain that hit the million dollar highway later that night forced me to throw 4H-Auto on and drive like I had redbull being pumped into my nerves. That was the last time I ever drove the KO2’s in rain before I stepped up to the 37” Razr AT’s (and the last time I will EVER put KO2’s on ANY vehicle I own).

My neighbor behind me who has a 2.0 JLUR on 35’s swears by his KO2’s but he doesn’t subject his to the same kind offroad use that a lot of us do. It’s mostly highway running back and forth to the airport where it’s treated/plowed like the yellow brick road in OZ when the weather hits. I have a feeling one of these days I’m gonna get a phone call from him asking to get yanked out of a ditch whenever he does use them on proper $hit road conditions.

I was laughing out loud reading your description of wet driving on KO2.. I had a couple of similar situations where lateral grip on icy/wet rock (or a downed tree) caused me to slide and land badly bending the tie rod.. or the rain storm i drove through coquihalla highway fearing for life and doing 75 on a 85 road on 4Hi-part time. Good reminder of the reason why I steered away from KO2 for this build..

 

[ormandj]

If I have to get a heavy tire then its better to pick the no compromise option - BB AT

To be clear, this tire (the MT) is not a no-compromise option aside from weight, it isn’t as good in the wet, and it also has higher levels of road noise. There’s a few decent reviews out there comparing the two if you want to look around. It’s a slightly better off-road performer at the cost of on-road behavior by just about every review I can find. If you spend most of your time off-road or in the snow, it’s probably a better pick. I spend most of my time on road, and with a toddler in tow, so wet behavior (safety) and road noise matter more to me.

For snow or ice, historically (currently living in TX so A/Ts are more than fine), I’ve run dedicated snow tires for a large number of reasons (night and day vs A/Ts). You should consider this if it’s an option for you, Canada is not somewhere I’d want to compromise in this regard.

I’ve owned KO2s and A/T3Ws back to back and can tell you the AT3Ws are better than the KO2s in every way and situation I have encountered on my Jeep, in my direct experience, to include road noise. I would highly suggest the MT or Falken tire over the KO2.

 

[CptFloridaMan]

I ran one of the first sets of these when they were released last winter. There are some reviews on YouTube.

I have no idea why Falken didn’t continue their tradition of adding the design to the bead that allegedly helps cool the bead and protect it in offroad use. I also had pretty serious balancing issues, with one tire putting up a 52 or something like that on the road force machine! Another tire in the 30 range. After a LOT of back and forth with the vendor, Falken Corporate ended up stepping up and replacing two tires for me.

Aside from the ride quality, the R/T is a great tire for traction. It sticks to the road like glue in any weather, which is what you’d expect from a Falken tire. It works pretty well off road also. They don’t pick up stones very bad at all, which I loved. They’re fairly quiet too.

Anecdotal but I found some photos of a few sets, i’d hazard a guess that the narrow sets don’t include the bead design. UNLESS it’s only on one side of the tire. Which might be the case since I’m finding photos of it with it or not with it.

But question for those running the wild peak rt. How’s hydroplane resistance, and wet traction in normal people(florida temps) weather?

 

[WXman]

Anecdotal but I found some photos of a few sets, i’d hazard a guess that the narrow sets don’t include the bead design. UNLESS it’s only on one side of the tire. Which might be the case since I’m finding photos of it with it or not with it.

But question for those running the wild peak rt. How’s hydroplane resistance, and wet traction in normal people(florida temps) weather?

Interesting. I see that the tire in that picture is a HD Spec size. The ones I bought were not. Maybe that's the difference between which ones get the Heat Diffuser bead and which don't?

As far as rain traction, they are amazing like most Falken tires. I never had one issue.

 

[ColoradoMike]

My initial impressions with this tire came slowly crashing down in the past month. I want to make sure I document my experience here for others. Remember, none of the caveats explained here are a problem to anyone south of the 40th parallel and will seldom see freezing temperatures, snow or torrential rainfall in sub 5℃

I always run 36 psi on road, 20 on fire roads, 15 on tougher trails.

What I don't like about this tire (and I could have lived with)

• Stark increase in braking distance below 5℃ - compared to BFG KO2
• Lateral grip on wet roads (with or without rain) is poor. I saw a lot of slipping and micro fishtailing when turning or changing lanes at speed. This is aggravated when you are are 4hi-auto and less so in 2hi.
• Wraps around rocks front to back , not side to side. Its not a big deal unless its wet rocks (pacific northwest) where you need to watch for lateral sliding off-camber.

What I hate about this tire (to a point I can't trust it for traction)

• The compound is stiff like a puck as soon as its near to freezing temperature.
• It's downright dangerous to drive this on icy, or packed snow roads - there is literally no grip and wants to slide around putting your rig in danger. I had to winch out of a pickle that KO2 would have gotten me out like its no biggie.
• Fresh snow traction is okay-ish but unreliable - unless you air down to sub 10 where there is risk of losing bead.

For someone who lives in Canada and see quite a bit of snow, icy road, rain and soaked wet roads - I should have stuck to getting a 3pMSF tire at the minimum. Most tires are a compromise of one thing or the other, and the conditions you drive in should weigh into the decision of what compromise is ok to live with. As the last line of defence (traction) between your rig and the ground, I was stupid to optimize for mud, rocks and loose ground dry traction on a daily driven jeep. If I had to do this again, I would not buy R/T tires unless there is a proven 3pMSF rated one.

Thank you for this. I really want a little better grip on slickrock in Moab and rock gardens in Colorado than my KO2 offers... but I can't make it a poor highway driver on winter roads. This tire is off my list.

 

[CptFloridaMan]

Leaving this here for comparison of how the R/T stacks with rest of the 35 and 37 options. Falken tires revs per mile are listed less compared to others - not sure why. On the jeep these 35x11.5r17 R/Ts measure a hair less than 34" which is par for 35s

Something seems funky with their pdf now that i’m looking at the revs/mile.

35x12.50r17 has 643 revs/mile, same as the 33x12.50r17. So i’m assuming it’s a typo.

Your relative size column has a formula to calculate actual diameter accounting for the revs/mile?

 

[72Blazer]

Any updates on use for these? I’m headed to the 38” range. Nittos are out due to cost and weight. So my choices are Patagonias (which I have plenty of experience with) or the Falken RT. I’ve seen a couple of review videos bye Dirthead Shed guy and I’m digging them. This will be primarily for weekend cruiser and wheeling some of the harder rock trails in Texas with a planned trip to the Rubicon this summer.

 

[Powerstanderson]

I have wildpeak M/T that came from my dealer. I’ve never had Falken tires I usually run coopers and Toyo, how do they hold up?

 

[CptFloridaMan]

Any updates on use for these? I’m headed to the 38” range. Nittos are out due to cost and weight. So my choices are Patagonias (which I have plenty of experience with) or the Falken RT. I’ve seen a couple of review videos bye Dirthead Shed guy and I’m digging them. This will be primarily for weekend cruiser and wheeling some of the harder rock trails in Texas with a planned trip to the Rubicon this summer.

I mean, not for nothing the wildpeak rt in a 38 flavor is a heavy sumbitch too. Heavier than the ridge grappler actually. 38x13.50r17 comes in at 87lbs. Ridge grapplers in 38s are 81.9lbs. Trail grapplers come in at 90lbs.

 

[72Blazer]

I mean, not for nothing the wildpeak rt in a 38 flavor is a heavy sumbitch too. Heavier than the ridge grappler actually. 38x13.50r17 comes in at 87lbs. Ridge grapplers in 38s are 81.9lbs. Trail grapplers come in at 90lbs.

I agree. They’re coming close to the weight of a 40” Patagonia or STT at 92 lbs. but also comparing pricing, it’s a $110+ difference per tire (straight from discount website, just window shopping)

 

[72Blazer]

I mean, not for nothing the wildpeak rt in a 38 flavor is a heavy sumbitch too. Heavier than the ridge grappler actually. 38x13.50r17 comes in at 87lbs. Ridge grapplers in 38s are 81.9lbs. Trail grapplers come in at 90lbs.

Also we are comparing a 12.5 to 13.5” tire. The Falken also has a bit more tread depth.

 

[mgroeger]

Also we are comparing a 12.5 to 13.5” tire. The Falken also has a bit more tread depth.

Thanks! Good to know I'm not crazy. I'm in the same boat is you looking at the Falken over Nitto. Ran 38x13.5 Nitto TG for 1 year and 2 months and they are done. about 30k miiles on teh clock but LOTS of rock climbing with them. On road they are a little annoying so i was looking at the Nitto RG and now the Falken RT. I saw a set of new Nitto RG on a jeep and thought the tread didn't look very deep and it seems you noticed that too.
Plus Nitto's prices just keep going up.

 

[72Blazer]

Thanks! Good to know I'm not crazy. I'm in the same boat is you looking at the Falken over Nitto. Ran 38x13.5 Nitto TG for 1 year and 2 months and they are done. about 30k miiles on teh clock but LOTS of rock climbing with them. On road they are a little annoying so i was looking at the Nitto RG and now the Falken RT. I saw a set of new Nitto RG on a jeep and thought the tread didn't look very deep and it seems you noticed that too.
Plus Nitto's prices just keep going up.

I’d be coming from a Patagonia, and all though I’ve been happy overall, I think most any tire I pick would be an upgrade. I was pretty much set on the 40” STT but finally made the decision to stick to the 38” tire range. I no doubt would open Pandora’s box going to a 40.

 

[mgroeger]

I’d be coming from a Patagonia, and all though I’ve been happy overall, I think most any tire I pick would be an upgrade. I was pretty much set on the 40” STT but finally made the decision to stick to the 38” tire range. I no doubt would open Pandora’s box going to a 40.

Retarded minds think alike. I had the 40s conversation in my head and I know with the way I wheel and also as a daily I will be wearing/breaking much quicker. I love the 38 size, I think it is a real sweet spot. I'm leaning toward the Falken RT right now.

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