Looking for some advice - Tires

[CsD]

Hi all,

Looking at changing out my tires.....sounds like I have a pair of options to choose from. Both 35 inch and I do moderate trail riding.

1. Toyo Open Country A/T
2. BFGoodrich KO2s

I was hoping for Falkens, but they are backordered until who knows when. I have the stock BFGs now, but dont know much about the Toyo's. Hoping for some opinions on either brand.

Thanks All!!!

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[blnewt]

Hi all,

Looking at changing out my tires.....sounds like I have a pair of options to choose from. Both 35 inch and I do moderate trail riding.

1. Toyo Open Country A/T
2. BFGoodrich KO2s

I was hoping for Falkens, but they are backordered until who knows when. I have the stock BFGs now, but dont know much about the Toyo's. Hoping for some opinions on either brand.

Thanks All!!!

Got more options that just those two, I'd give a look at the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT, Goodyear Duratrac and Cooper Discoverer AT3s.

 

[JL MADDOG]

I've have both of the tire brands you've listed plus one other. Here's my take:

1. Toyo Open Country ATIII - They are very quiet and handle better in wet conditions than the KO2s due to the hybrid tread design. Sandy, rocky conditions do not seem to faze them one bit. The KO2s, which I ran on mud & gravel roads, will clean out faster than the ATIIIs when mudded up.

2. BFG KO2 - Great mud tire and they perform well in snowy conditions. They are noisier than the ATIIIs and the tread blocks do capture quite a few rocks. The sidewalls seemed to soften some and that can create some vague steering responses at speed. In addition to the sidewall issue mine developed a vibration we never could quite get rid of. At 35K miles they started to cup so I had to replace them.

3. Nitto Ridge Grapplers - Great hybrid tire with a very quiet ride. Traction is good in wet and dry conditions. Like the ATIIIs snow traction is good but in muddy conditions the tread won't clear as well as the KO2 tires. The ride was very smooth with no vibrations or handling issues.

Out of the three tires listed, given my current location and vehicle use, I very much prefer the Toyos.

Good luck with your tire choice.

 

[zouch]

did you confuse the KO2 with the KM(x) ?
i wouldn't call the KO2 a mud tire by any stretch.

I've have both of the tire brands you've listed plus one other. Here's my take:

1. Toyo Open Country ATIII - They are very quiet and handle better in wet conditions than the KO2s due to the hybrid tread design. Sandy, rocky conditions do not seem to faze them one bit. The KO2s, which I ran on mud & gravel roads, will clean out faster than the ATIIIs when mudded up.

2. BFG KO2 - Great mud tire and they perform well in snowy conditions. They are noisier than the ATIIIs and the tread blocks do capture quite a few rocks. The sidewalls seemed to soften some and that can create some vague steering responses at speed. In addition to the sidewall issue mine developed a vibration we never could quite get rid of. At 35K miles they started to cup so I had to replace them.

3. Nitto Ridge Grapplers - Great hybrid tire with a very quiet ride. Traction is good in wet and dry conditions. Like the ATIIIs snow traction is good but in muddy conditions the tread won't clear as well as the KO2 tires. The ride was very smooth with no vibrations or handling issues.

Out of the three tires listed, given my current location and vehicle use, I very much prefer the Toyos.

Good luck with your tire choice.

 

[Luvwine]

I've have both of the tire brands you've listed plus one other. Here's my take:

1. Toyo Open Country ATIII - They are very quiet and handle better in wet conditions than the KO2s due to the hybrid tread design. Sandy, rocky conditions do not seem to faze them one bit. The KO2s, which I ran on mud & gravel roads, will clean out faster than the ATIIIs when mudded up.

2. BFG KO2 - Great mud tire and they perform well in snowy conditions. They are noisier than the ATIIIs and the tread blocks do capture quite a few rocks. The sidewalls seemed to soften some and that can create some vague steering responses at speed. In addition to the sidewall issue mine developed a vibration we never could quite get rid of. At 35K miles they started to cup so I had to replace them.

3. Nitto Ridge Grapplers - Great hybrid tire with a very quiet ride. Traction is good in wet and dry conditions. Like the ATIIIs snow traction is good but in muddy conditions the tread won't clear as well as the KO2 tires. The ride was very smooth with no vibrations or handling issues.

Out of the three tires listed, given my current location and vehicle use, I very much prefer the Toyos.

Good luck with your tire choice.

How are the Toyo tires in snow?

 

[JL MADDOG]

did you confuse the KO2 with the KM(x) ?
i wouldn't call the KO2 a mud tire by any stretch.

Nope I didn't but I see the KO2 tire line has changed since I ran them on my truck.

When I ran the KO2 tires they were not a hybrid as you see now. So I posted my experiences with the tire AT KO2 tires as they were configured back in 2014.

I looked at the current KO2 tires and I agree. They don't look at all like the KO2s I had.

 

[JL MADDOG]

How are the Toyo tires in snow?

The Toyos are on my Wrangler and I live just East of Phoenix now. My snow experience was with the KO2s and Nittos.

We don't get much snow here the Valley of the Sun.

 

[zouch]

the KO(2) is (and always has been) an All-Terrain tire.

the BFG Mud tire is/was the MT, KM, KM2 or KM3. having turned 3 different generations of the BFG Mud tires, i can assure you that they are quite different.

EDIT:
FWIW, i'm pretty sure the KO2 didn't even come out until about 2015, so if you ran BFG ATs in 2014, they were probably not KO2s.

Nope I didn't but I see the KO2 tire line has changed since I ran them on my truck.

When I ran the KO2 tires they were not a hybrid as you see now. So I posted my experiences with the tire AT KO2 tires as they were configured back in 2014.

I looked at the current KO2 tires and I agree. They don't look at all like the KO2s I had.

 

[JL MADDOG]

the KO(2) is (and always has been) an All-Terrain tire.

the BFG Mud tire is/was the MT, KM, KM2 or KM3. having turned 3 different generations of the BFG Mud tires, i can assure you that they are quite different.

OK then....look at the pic below. Are they KO2?

 

[zouch]

OK then....look at the pic below. Are they KO2?

they appear to be, yes.

my point was that the KO(x) is not "Great mud tire"; they are not Mud tires at all.
though i do agree with you that they are fairly good on snow-ice.

 

[JL MADDOG]

I would still describe them as better mud tires than the other two. The tread blocks are spaced a bit further out and they cleared themselves quicker than the Nittos. Given that the Toyos have a similar tightly spaced tread pattern I would expect them to not clear as well as the KO2s either.

But, point taken. They are not specifically designed as a mud tire.

 

[Jank4AU]

Got more options that just those two, I'd give a look at the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT, Goodyear Duratrac and Cooper Discoverer AT3s.

I love my Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT's. They're a fantastic tire.

 

[limeade]

Hi all,

Looking at changing out my tires.....sounds like I have a pair of options to choose from. Both 35 inch and I do moderate trail riding.

1. Toyo Open Country A/T
2. BFGoodrich KO2s

I was hoping for Falkens, but they are backordered until who knows when. I have the stock BFGs now, but dont know much about the Toyo's. Hoping for some opinions on either brand.

Thanks All!!!

Since you want to do moderate trails, I wouldn't select either one of those. I would choose a tire with a 3 ply sidewall to minimize sidewall punctures, slices, etc. However, your idea of moderate and mine could be vastly different. Quite a few of the popular AT's (BFG, Toyo, and GY Duratrac to name a few) are 2 ply.

Since you're in Wisconsin, I'd also suggest a tire with a 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) severe snow designation for driving in the snow. My leading recommendation for tire with both a 3 ply sidewall and 3PMS are the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT's. The Baja Boss tire (whether AT or MT) have very strong sidewalls, excellent grip off road, and the AT's have the 3PMS designation. They also have a 50k mile warranty for sizes 35" and below.

I saw a guy using them on the Rubicon trail and they did excellent. This is the tire I am ordering for my stock 2019 JLUR. I have the Baja Boss MT's on my 2018 JLUR and am very impressed with them for their street manners and off road toughness and traction.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

I’ve never had a loud set of BFG AT KOs or KO2s. And they ride pretty decent for what they are.

If you are having a hard time finding the more popular tires, look at Cooper and the brands under them.

Micky Thompson
Pro Comp
Mastercraft
Hercules

And Cooper is now owned by Goodyear, but their operations are not yet combined that I’m aware of.

 

[Carlton]

If you want a tire that is quiet and smooth on road but is great offroad at well, take a look at the Milestar Patagonia MT. Awesome hybrid tire.

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