BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2

Is it better to go taller and skinnier or a little shorter but fatter? Do they make a c rated 275/70/17z.

 

I have 275/70/17 and they are load E.

 

For most SW off-roading I'd say tall and skinny for sure. Especially for a DD. I've got 235/85/16 on mine and love them. Are you a 16 or 17" wheel?

 

Thats what I am leaning towards.

I feel like these would be too heavy for my little four banger. My commute is a good amount of stop and go and side streets so I don't want to be too sluggish.

Woah, thats pretty skinny! I have 17" wheels right now. I might look into getting wheels and tires at the same time though. I also don't know what wheels to go with. I'm not made of money and can drop 1.5k on wheels and tires.

 

No, that size is load E only and weighs 55 lbs. If you go the tall skinny route the 255/75/17 is available load C at 46 lbs and is the same diameter as the 275/70/17 (32.1").

 

What he said ^^^^^

 

That sounds perfect. My current P rated donuts are 265/65/17's and weigh 38lbs a tire. I think it sounds better to go with a C rated tire for my needs as I'm just starting out "overloading".

 

Thanks for these, really puts the different sizes into perspective. Ok, now for a little wisdom from you guys. Why would I run a K02 instead of say a Cooper AT3?

 

Thanks for the honesty. A big plus for me is the range of sizes and the availability of being able to get a C rated tire rather than an E rated tire. Though the E rated coopers are around the same weight. I also like the look way more on the BFG's than the coopers.

 

There are *lots* of opinions on tires and not many people that have run comparisons between them. That said the AT3 is likely a bit less aggressive tread than the KO2 so it will have a little less traction off-road and potentially be a bit better on road as far as road noise and mileage - though likely the differences would be unnoticeable. I've seen people that deal with snow and ice say the KO2 is better than the AT3 but that doesn't really apply to your location. The load E KO2 have three ply sidewalls while the AT3 have two ply and so many would consider the KO2 more durable off-road aired down but in this case a load C KO2 also has a two ply sidewall so they are about the same in that regard.

Most folks consider the ST Maxx to be the more comparable tire to the KO2. So in that sense the AT3 is basically balanced a bit more to on-road travel and the KO2 and ST Maxx a bit more balanced to off-road travel. All are a huge step up from stock Rugged Fails.

 

BFG sidewall strength is better than the Cooper at3s. Consequently they are heavier. The Cooper will likely get better mileage as they are a less aggressive design and are lighter. You can also get load range C Cooper's in 275/70R17 size to futher save weight ( at the cost of puncture resistance)

 

2008 V6 SR5.. I have her at 265/75/16 they are BFG's A/T... No lift No rub No problem. Even at full turn on a bump downhill no rub at all.. I used to run 245/70/16 when I bought her few months ago. I'll post some before and afters, more pics on my profile.

 

And as a side note to @Tacotruck7 I'd *strongly* recommend being setup to air down and back up again for any overlanding. Make some sort of compressor high on your list for your rig if you don't have one already. For years I didn't do this - or rather not adequately, I'd air down a 32 psi tire to like 25 psi so I could be safe on the highway until I got to a gas station to fill back up to highway pressure. Shook the living piss out of my truck on washboard as a result - even fractured the exhaust downpipe once (this was on a 1992).

These days I air down from my highway pressure of 46 psi cold/52 psi hot (different tires) down to 18 psi hot (so like 16 psi cold). My god is everything off-road way, way better doing that. Softer ride and way better traction.

 

This is good to know. The hardest thing for me honestly with the BFG's is price. At the end of the day tires are also a massive investment so I also see it being worth spending the money on a really good tire. I do go to the snow at times and drive distances to mammoth and Yosemite as well. Mostly though, my driving is in dry conditions. Also, would you just get the E rated tires instead of a C then since you said there isn't much difference?

I'm looking at buying some sort of portable compressor. This is all good info as I'm new to the whole overloading and offloading scene.

 

I don't think there is a lot of difference in ride quality with the E vs C but there is a significant weight difference. How much that weight difference really makes in MPG is beyond my experience. I'm not aware of anyone doing an "apples-to-apples" comparison of that. Usually people are also changing tires and potentially sizes when they also switch from C to E. The tire composition and tread can potentially make a bigger difference in MPG than any weight difference - particularly in highway mileage where weight is less of an issue.

What I can say is most folks lose 1 to 2 MPG on our trucks going to a modestly oversized KO2 like you are considering compared to stock tires. Manufactures usually put relatively efficient tires on their vehicles since of course they want to juice their MPG figures. Since you are 4 cyl you might be at a higher starting MPG than those of us with V6s so maybe you'd lose as much as 3 MPG - really hard to say. You'd probably lose some MPG with an AT3 as well, no idea if it would be noticeably better than the KO2 though.

I think based on a lot of people's experience off-road in the CA/AZ/NV area along with the occasional mountain snow you'd be really happy with the KO2. Of course you also might be really happy with the AT3 as well!

One thing I will advise is whatever you get be sure to rotate your tires every 5000 to 6000 miles and also measure and keep track of your tread! The KO2 actually wears quite well but if your truck is out of alignment you can ruin a tire in less than 5000 miles. That's an expensive mistake with these kinds of tires. Not unusual for a off-road outing to knock you out of alignment. So mark and check your alignment tabs and measure your tread depths periodically to make sure they are wearing properly.

If it is a big investment for you and you are unsure you might check in on the SoCal local thread. I'm sure someone near you has a KO2 and probably someone has a AT3 on their truck and maybe you could swing by and feel the ride on their truck and see the tires in person on a Tacoma.

 

Thanks for the lengthy response. Super helpful trying to decide what tire's I want to get. The biggest factor right now is price in all honesty. In CA I see a ton of trucks with K02s so they must be a really good tire. I think a taller skinnier tire is the way to go as well.

 

Must be a CA thing. Was originally gonna go ST Maxx in skinnies, but with a guy selling 285/75s KO2s for $750/set I was sold especially since I've ran em before.


Good luck!

 

Woah, where did you find that deal at?

 

Purchased them through a fellow TW member

 

Considering BFG All Terrain T/A KO2's for my stock suspension 2013 DCLB.
265/70/17's

Any issue with stock suspension?

I have read bad reviews for Balancing, and life of tire?

Any comments?

Looks like I can get them through Walmart for $965 mounted and balanced with CT sales tax (6.35%)