BFG KO3 review

Maybe it's because I ordered through the dealer and they have the OEM version available. Not sure.

 

ah ok, yeah, could be. personally i wouldn't have been thrilled had they put on this older version though. what's the manufacture date on those?

https://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/auto/learn/tires-101/reading-a-tire-sidewall

 

Could it be a load rating thing? I know some tires look different in P vs. LT. If it's an OEM size it may be a P? Just thinking out loud..

 

January 2024 they look fresh though

 

Now I'm really confused because I thought they stopped making those... are you sure you don't have the latest tread?

 

Positive because I wanted the new serrated edge with the slot on every other block.

When you go to Tirerack to check sizes it does give you two choices in the dropdown, one of which is 'alternate tread design'...

 

Interesting... I guess I lucked out because I didn't specify, but my local garage did the install for me I let him acquire the tires.

The manufacture date on mine is April 2024

 

Wondering if some of the "old" style tread KO3s are the OEM specification version meant for install on new production line trucks and not the later general retail version?

 

Really appreciate this thread! Learning a lot about the tires I am going to be putting on my truck soon. I have a 17 Limited with a 3inch lift. I can’t decide between 265/65r18 and 265/70r18. Currently running stock size Hankook Dynapro AT3 (265/60r18). I want to go bigger but don’t want the pizza cutter look. Anyone running 265 33’s and got pics?

 

It's a bit frustrating that they changed it up so soon and make it so ambiguous when ordering. It'd be nice to see an official comparison sheet/performance sheet from BF. I am putting on a 4xe I did want the new version with linked center blocks made for heavier vehicle/more torque... but we will see how the OEM version works out.

 

Hey guys I’m running the Falken AT4Ws in 275/70/18 E load. Awesome tire in every way except they run super rough and hard over bumps. I heard the KO3 has a softer compound with more silica so it’s a little nicer of a ride. If anyone has run both tires I’d be grateful for any feedback. I’ve seen all the YouTube videos but cannot seem to get much consistency in opinions.

DT will swap them out for me if I want. But before I do that I wanted to get some opinions. I also was curious how these tires balance. My Falkens balanced pretty easily with zero vibrations at any speed.

 

I currently have BFG KO3’s. 285/75/16 E. They balanced out ok. Meaning I don’t have steering wheel shake but, when I mounted them I did notice excessive wheel weights. I did have a hop coming from my right rear starting out at 45mph. My butt could feel it and my right elbow would feel it resting on the center console. Had the rear tires re-balanced and now that hop is pretty much gone. I started off at 35psi and now have gone down to 30psi cold. The tires don’t feel excessively rough to me but I’m coming from 50K on E-Load Dura-tracs. What I have noticed is that taking a sharp, uphill turn onto my driveway the rear right tire slips and spins in wet conditions. First tire out of GoodYear Dura-trac, Bridgestone Blizzaks, Toyo Open Country R/T, Yokohama G003, that has done this. Wet acceleration on normal streets has been fine so far. Even when you accelerate over the painted intersection stripes. Braking also seems fine. So far my only complaint is how they look. They are a REALLY skinny looking tire. Not sure how to explain it besides the fact that I like having a bit of a stance to my truck and these just seem to sit tall and skinny. Might be enough for me to try something else. Infact that’s why I chimed in. It was between the KO3 and the AT4W’s. The reason I went BFG was they were in stock vs. 4-5 days wait for the Falken. However, I think I might try to find a tire store that has a Falken for me to look at. P.S. I also watched all the videos prior to buying and Yes, they do throw rocks more so then other tires.

 

Interesting take. My Falkens do look nice and wide / fat even at only 275mm. I love the stance. They have kind of an “HD” feel to them like they were made for an F-250, for better or worse I don’t know. I feel like I could drive through glass and lava rocks and the tires would laugh. That said they are a little firm. Now, if I drop them to 30psi they feel pretty nice. I just thought that was too little air for an LT tire. Maybe I should do a chalk test before I try a different tire.

 

I have a 5yr old daughter. I gave her big sidewalk chalk on two separate occasions and let her go to town on my tire tread. (She had a blast). Before I could get back to test driving the rain came in both times. Living in Oregon I'm not going to get my chalk test done for quite a while.

 

I may ask my son to do the same

did you road force balance?

 

When I went back and complained about the hop they road forced and it cured the hop. Not sure if they used road force on the initial install. On initial install I dropped them off in the morning and picked them up after work. That's why I noticed the excessive weights because I installed them on my truck in my shop.

 

Yeah. I’ll tell you that the Falkens feel like a very serious tire. I’m not sure if that makes any sense. But they are strong AF from what I can tell. I’ve got a few more days to decide.

The KO3 “looked” a similar size to my Falkens but the website says mine are 0.2” wider. I’m not entirely sure.

I’d say the tread is cooler and way deeper on mine and the outer sidewall is cooler on the KO3

 

After over 50k on my my ko2s it's time for new tires. I called my favorite shop to order a new set of ko2. Well they aren't available but ko3s are. Well they'll be here in s few days.

 

My KO2s were getting worn, so last November, I ordered a new set. Since I run 7 tires (4 on the truck, a spare, and 2 on the teardrop), and 3 out of the 7 are still good, I decided to get another set of KO2s for the truck, and next time upgrade to 7 KO3s.

Well, here we are, about a year after ordering the KO2s, and they are still sitting in my garage, since the ones on the truck still have tread left. These tires have 66,000 miles on them.

 

I'd like to see an ice shootout, same truck, same size tires. The Falken's appear to have more siping?