KO2 no traction -Scary!

[jima60]

I have a 2014 Trail Premium with KO2 and traction on wet roads is scary. I took an exit on the freeway yesterday the kind that cloverleafs around 180 degrees. I was going 35 around the curve (which is what the rating was on the yellow signs), it was 37 degrees and lightly raining. As I continued around the turn the back end broke loose and started to drift out. I ended up in a controlled side until I could get down below 20mph. No cars in front of me or behind had any problems making the turn.

This is not the first time these tires have lost traction. When it rains the tires spin when you pull out into traffic or leave a traffic light if the roads are wet.

Has anyone had issues with this? Should I put some weight in the cargo area? I loved the KO1, the KO2 are not as good.

 

[eldude]

I have a 2014 Trail Premium with KO2 and traction on wet roads is scary. I took an exit on the freeway yesterday the kind that cloverleafs around 180 degrees. I was going 35 around the curve (which is what the rating was on the yellow signs), it was 37 degrees and lightly raining. As I continued around the turn the back end broke loose and started to drift out. I ended up in a controlled side until I could get down below 20mph. No cars in front of me or behind had any problems making the turn.

This is not the first time these tires have lost traction. When it rains the tires spin when you pull out into traffic or leave a traffic light if the roads are wet.

Has anyone had issues with this? Should I put some weight in the cargo area? I loved the KO1, the KO2 are not as good.

A lot of people love these tires, so most of the replies will probably be defending them. I've ran a bunch of tires now, St Maxx, Trail Grapplers, AT3W, KO2, KOs. The KO and KO2 had the worst traction in the rain. I also sold them after a few thousand miles because they were stiffer than all the other tires I've ran. On the positive side, they were quiet and looked great.

 

[Freyja]

Did you just put them on? I had minor issues first 5k but no problems now at 25k. I still drive a little more carefully in wet conditions but I have never lost complete control. Also keep in mind that the tire will be stiffer in colder weather, so that will affect traction on those wet roads.

 

[nb rob]

I have a 2014 Trail Premium with KO2 and traction on wet roads is scary. I took an exit on the freeway yesterday the kind that cloverleafs around 180 degrees. I was going 35 around the curve (which is what the rating was on the yellow signs), it was 37 degrees and lightly raining. As I continued around the turn the back end broke loose and started to drift out. I ended up in a controlled side until I could get down below 20mph. No cars in front of me or behind had any problems making the turn.

This is not the first time these tires have lost traction. When it rains the tires spin when you pull out into traffic or leave a traffic light if the roads are wet.

Has anyone had issues with this? Should I put some weight in the cargo area? I loved the KO1, the KO2 are not as good.

I have had the same issue. I liked the original KOs much better.

The tread on my KO2s looks like they have a lot of life left, but they've been garbage for wet traction for quite a long time for me.

 

[rayofsi]

I get some wet traction problems with my 255/80 st maxx.

I think it has to do with the rear wheel bias, and the way traction works in this 4runner?

 

[kenwilliams0803]

I actually agree that the KO2 has little traction in the rain. My bigger issue with the BFG'S though was always things getting jammed in the beads while on the trail (while wheeling a Jeep, however). Sometimes I would make it home with 3 out of 4 tires leaking slowly, stopping to air up as I go. Went with swampers and never had the issue again nor did I ever need to use the spare. But who runs swampers on a T4R? I am seriously considering the Cooper 275 or the Falken 265 on the T4R next. Then again, it will never see that kind of wheeling either. It's mostly a highway vehicle for me, to be honest. People seem to love both of those tires as long as they don't have balancing issues.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[jima60]

Did you just put them on? I had minor issues first 5k but no problems now at 25k. I still drive a little more carefully in wet conditions but I have never lost complete control. Also keep in mind that the tire will be stiffer in colder weather, so that will affect traction on those wet roads.

I have about 40,000 on them. They have never had great traction but now I don't trust them at all.

 

[Brandonium]

Been running KO's and KO2's since the 90's when they were on my first vehicle and they have ALWAYS had shitty wet traction. New, Old, Middle aged, cold, warm, you name it. It's just how they are. People will definitely defend them here as they will anywhere else but I know how these tires act. You just have to be cautious when conditions are wet. Once my OEM's are tired out I plan on switching to AT3's or ATP's. It'll be the first time in a long time I have tried something other than a BFG when replacing tires.

 

[chaosrob]

Never had luck with them in the rain on anything

 

[muscle_doc]

I have a 2014 Trail Premium with KO2 and traction on wet roads is scary. I took an exit on the freeway yesterday the kind that cloverleafs around 180 degrees. I was going 35 around the curve (which is what the rating was on the yellow signs), it was 37 degrees and lightly raining. As I continued around the turn the back end broke loose and started to drift out. I ended up in a controlled side until I could get down below 20mph. No cars in front of me or behind had any problems making the turn.

This is not the first time these tires have lost traction. When it rains the tires spin when you pull out into traffic or leave a traffic light if the roads are wet.

Has anyone had issues with this? Should I put some weight in the cargo area? I loved the KO1, the KO2 are not as good.

This is something that's been in the back of my mind, the SAME reason why I'm switching out my Duratracs.... looks like your post confirmed that I shouldn't go with KO2s. May look into the Falken AT3Ws now.

 

[k0bra]

Same experience as everyone else (although my KO2s were on a Tundra). Wet traction was absolutely laughable and the reason I avoided KO2s on my 4Runner.

 

[jima60]

Road venture at51

Has anyone tried the ROAD VENTURE AT51?

What is their wet tractor like?

They seem to be highly rated.

 

[Soneill]

Same experience as everyone else (although my KO2s were on a Tundra). Wet traction was absolutely laughable and the reason I avoided KO2s on my 4Runner.

Well great!!! I was looking to KO2s for my next tires, now probably not. I live it Texas, one minute sunny the next raining. Also the wife wont like bad traction at all. So the hunt begins again.:ybrick:

 

[Bumbo]

Welcome to a hard compound E load range tire.

The KO2 is an awesome durable hard pack dirt / off-road tire but I feel the wet and snow traction suffers as well.

Living in sunny CA its almost never an issue, but these days I am finding myself considering other tire options as well.

 

[TEujunga]

Has anyone tried the ROAD VENTURE AT51?

What is their wet tractor like?

They seem to be highly rated.

I have Kumho AT-51s on my 2016 Trail. Like them fine so far, although it's been only 8,000 miles. Driven in only one rainstorm so far, and didn't notice any loss of traction. A "leading consumer magazine" rates them low, but their rating system seems heavily skewed to tread life, at which the Kumhos did poorly. They tested OK in the performance categories, including wet traction. The magazine didn't include KO2s in its test.

 

[progress4m]

Same experience as everyone else (although my KO2s were on a Tundra). Wet traction was absolutely laughable and the reason I avoided KO2s on my 4Runner.

Same here.

TO OP: I never personally had KO2s, but always heard that wet traction is bad on those and one of the main reasons I never wanted them…
IMHO (and based on my own experience) the best wet traction (at least for AT tires) are Bridgestone Revo (including original and revo 2) -when I had them Bridgestone Rivo felt like they had glue on them when riding in the rain.
Second to them would be Nitto TG (original and G2) -Nitto TG G2 are currently on my truck.
The third would be Michelin LTX AT 2 -had them on my 3rd gen- great tire (very quiet, but pricy).
From overall performance, price and warranty it is hard to overlook Nitto TG.

 

[engineeer]

I keep hearing about this, but I haven't had any issues in rain (from light to heavy), slush, snow, and they've even done pretty well in icy conditions.

When I first got them earlier this year, I went to an empty parking lot in heavy rain and purposely tried to break them loose and couldn't. Maybe that will be different now that I have over 10k miles on them.

 

[Friggin Idiot]

I was flogged when I complained about the KO2 wet traction when I initially posted it after 21kmi. I'm glad to see others are experiencing the same thing. I sold mine and installed the Cooper Discoverer AT3 275's instead. I've been very happy with them for 15kmi in all conditions and terrain. I've only managed to spin them under heavy acceleration in wet conditions on painted lines or when making a hard turn when there's no weight on the inside rear wheel, conditions which any tire would spin.
I had also considered the Falken Wildpeak AT/3W (was too new at the time), and the new Fun Country & Trail Country from Dick Cepek (limited sizes, mostly E load). I ended up with the Disco's because I could get the 275 size in C load, as I didn't care for the feel of E load.

 

[RedSled]

The General Grabber AT2 is a hard tire to beat as far as performance on or off road, and price, the only down side i have is they last so long i get tired of them, and want something different. I had them on my 02 for 7 yrs. still had all kinds of tread left, but they were getting hard, and weather cracked, so i went with the Wildpeak MT, but ended up selling the 02 soon after we got the 17 SR5. I did put the Grabbers on the new ride in the stock size. Very good tire in my opinion.

 

[MyanRagahis]

Different vehicle but had a set of the old kO's on my old Explorer. Being cautious on the gas was always a task from a stop at a green light on wet roads lol.

I get some wet traction problems with my 255/80 st maxx.

I think it has to do with the rear wheel bias, and the way traction works in this 4runner?

I've got the same tires as you now and I have yet to break traction in rain. I'll have to keep an eye out though. I drive pretty slow with this thing. If I have, I haven't noticed it and the traction control must just be that good in the 4Runner.