KO2 no traction -Scary!

[Aquabear]

Over 60,000 miles on my now retired KO2's, never had any issue ever. New York 4 seasons driving, 2/3 road trips to Florida every year n 4-5 times to Boston never an issue.

Kinda shocked at complaints but ok.

Note: I replaced my shoes with Nitto TG2 becasue I wanted a smoother ride.

 

[bigbadpoppa]

I live in the northwest where it rains 90% of the time. The KO2 on my rig are awful in the rain. Throw in a slight grade (nothing is flat driving here in Vancouver Canada) and I'm skidding all over the place and spinning my tires at least once or twice each trip.

Combination of tons of rain daily and hills galore in my area really showcase the cons of the KO2 in my geographic area for spring and fall weather.

I also drive with a lead foot, so that just exacerbates the issue lol.

 

[Gecko]

What tire pressure are people running on those 265/70/17 C tires ?

42psi

Another thought on my lack of problems in wet weather... could full time 4x4 on the Limited play a part in that?

 

[Gecko]

I also think it would be helpful for people responding to this thread to confirm that they are running load range C tires.

There has been some previous discussion that the Es perform worse in rain than the Cs, potentially because of a harder compound material.

 

[Jeffy]

42psi

Another thought on my lack of problems in wet weather... could full time 4x4 on the Limited play a part in that?

Absofreakinglutely! That's a huge help, and one of several things I miss about my 4th gen.

I also think it would be helpful for people responding to this thread to confirm that they are running load range C tires.

There has been some previous discussion that the Es perform worse in rain than the Cs, potentially because of a harder compound material.

Mine are the oddball "D" load tires, so I'm in between. Definitely lots of slippage, and regardless of what psi is in there. I've tested from 45 psi down to 30 psi with hardly any noticeable difference in wet traction. I usually knock it down a few psi in winter anyway just in case that decides to start helping out.

And again: this has happened since the tires were brand new, and I'd estimate I still have at least 7/32 left so it's not like they're bald.

 

[LeesO4]

I found when I had the BFG KO1's I had the worst wet traction, I found myself hydroplaning on the freeway once. I was hesitant to get the KO2's because of it but have found they are excellent in the rain. They are much quieter and perform far better. Both tires are the same size, 265/70/R17 C on my 2004 Sport V8. I have the full time 4x4 as well, not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[Hadelson]

I'll chime back in. This is the problem with "customer reviews".

In a perfect world, you would never hear about it because if people made perfectly informed decisions (or their needs didn't change post purchase), there would be no discussion.

It's also worth noting where each individual lives on the spectrum of average annual rainfall, and total days with rainfall. (same goes for Snow/ice).

Those that have determined the KO2 to be unacceptable for rain, based on my inherently biased observation, generally experience a greater amount of rainfall than others that say they're fine in the rain. It also is worth noting road conditions and elevation changes. Again, based on my observations, the more variance in elevations within a region, coupled with more rainfall, the more likely said individual would be dissatisfied with the tire.

For everyone else on here:

This is the problem with using subjective information on something that can vary from situation to situation... Consider the sources. If you really want to know objectively what the best tire is for your needs, buy a subscription to consumer reports or find a way to obtain similar information from another independent source (like the expedition portal article I linked above)...

All that said, if all I had was customer reviews, I would base my decision on those in either a similar situation/climate/usage as my own, and those that have experience with other tires. Not what someone in a different state has to say, or someone that's only bought one brand and model (like the BFG cult that is present in all tire scenes). Your experience WILL vary and your expectation on tire performance are likely very different from others in this forum. It's like every other opinion piece on horsepower and ride comfort in this forum. Some say it's plenty of power, rides like a dream, stops with no nose dive, and handles like it's on rails... and to them it might. Their last vehicle likely didn't perform as well in all those areas, or their expectations were lower than others that had a different opinion on the matter.

If you're wondering where I fall in the tire spectrum (not that it matters)... I have Cooper ATP's (the discount tire specific AT3). I love them and think they perform exceptionally well for my needs. I have 35K on them thus far, and it looks like I'll get at least another 30k out of them before I'm anywhere close to the minimal tread depth. I currently sit at ~11/32 and they started out at 16.5/32. Based on what I've read, and the personal experience I have with the BFG KO2, I would not buy a BFG tire (even if I was in a dry climate... there's just so many other cheaper and better options).

My experience with KO2's. Currently at 25K. At approximately 20K, changed overnight from acceptable wet tire traction to scary. Tap the accelerator from a stop and both rear tires break traction until traction control kicks in. On entrance/exit ramps, have had the front plow and the rear break loose under normal throttle. Take same ramp dry conditions, no problems. Just today, looking at options to change. Note I had 47K on Michelin LT on my 14TE when I traded up to the 17TRDP. Those tires never lost traction or hydroplaned in rain and had solid snow traction. About the only thing I give positive to the KO2's is they look nice. However, reminds me of old saying "Looks can be deceiving and kill you".

 

[N2TRKYS]

I've just recently put stock size KO2s on my 4Runner. I can't speak to how they'll do on it, but I've used them on my 2500HD diesel with no issues.

 

[Fullfathom5]

I'm about to put KO2's on my '17. This thread has me thinking twice. Maybe some Nittos like the TRD Pro?

 

[KarrotJuice]

What tire pressure are people running on those 265/70/17 C tires ?

38psi.

 

[Tejas]

I'm about to put KO2's on my '17. This thread has me thinking twice. Maybe some Nittos like the TRD Pro?

The Nitto's suck. I'd take the BFG's all day, every day, and twice on Sunday's over the OEM Nitto's.

 

[Koddo]

Driver error. I have KO2's and they perform just fine when wet for an aggressive all-terrain tire.

Now if you want a scary experience, try driving a 2 door Jeep (short wheel base) with Hankook Dynapro MT's, which have little to no siping, in wet conditions. Now -that- is a different driving experience all together.

 

[Jeffy]

they perform just fine when wet for an aggressive all-terrain tire.

That's kinda what I'm getting at. They do great as an AT tire. But there's no denying that their design makes them a poor choice for wet roadways. Zero siping and a hard rubber compound make it a bad choice for that specific situation, hands down. Other AT tires with better siping and softer compounds will do better than it. KO2s will do just fine considering what the tire is meant for, but they don't even come anywhere close to a road tire with proper siping that most cars on the freeway run.

Therefore, if wet traction is high on your list of concerns for a tire, you should probably stay away from the KO2s

 

[PharRunner]

Driver error. I have KO2's and they perform just fine when wet for an aggressive all-terrain tire.

Now if you want a scary experience, try driving a 2 door Jeep (short wheel base) with Hankook Dynapro MT's, which have little to no siping, in wet conditions. Now -that- is a different driving experience all together.

12 pages of driver error. GTFO :yell::banplease:

 

[Crusifix]

There is next to nothing in the tread design of the BFG to make them a "good" wet tire. And even less to make them a good snow/ice tire.

 

[Bill_B]

Another thought on my lack of problems in wet weather... could full time 4x4 on the Limited play a part in that?

Precisely why we opted for the Limited being from rainy Western PA. I've driven many traditional style 4wd vehicles and when not in 4wd they can break traction easily around corners. I found it amusing a coworker of mine bashed me for getting goodyear Wrangler with kevlar sidewalls because "so many on the Tacoma forum hate them" because of wet traction. He claimed they were so bad he'd break traction on the painted lines if they were wet. We've driven in a lot of rain and never had a single issue I suspect because of the full time 4wd.

At any rate at least the 4runners have the weight over the back end, I hated driving my pickups in the rain lol.

 

[sn_85]

I drove my 265/70/17 C-rated KO2's for 60k miles. First 30k miles were in South Florida and Alabama and the last 30k miles in Utah where I live now. When it comes to rain, snow, and ice I drive very conservatively. I thought the KO2's were okay in the rain. In So Fla you'd get a typical afternoon rain shower but nothing too heavy. Drove through heavier rain in Alabama. The only time it scared me was on the highway going 60mph (limit was like 70 or 75mph) and there was a rain puddle that caused me to float a little bit. Never really took it off road in the South so can't comment on that.

In Utah it hardly ever rains but I live in a mountain town so there is lots of snow and ice. Driving down Parleys Canyon with snow and ice can be very nerve wracking since a mistake is almost certainly fatal. Again never really had much of a scare. I think this goes back to me driving like a grandma in bad weather. The KO2's have taken me through Moab, Escalante, Utah and Wyoming winters going snowboarding, and Southern Colorado doing the Alpine loop, Imogene Pass, Black Bear Pass. They are good all around tires, durable as hell, and have never let me down.

So I can vouch and recommend them for what I used them for. That being said after switching to the Cooper AT3 XLT E-rated tire, I won't go back to the KO2's. The Coopers ride better on the road, quieter, balance better, and are every bit as capable off-road. Time will tell how durable they are with its 2-ply sidewall vs the 3-ply sidewall on the KO2's. So the KO2's are good tires but I think there are better and cheaper options.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I drove my 265/70/17 C-rated KO2's for 60k miles. Drove through heavier rain in Alabama. The only time it scared me was on the highway going 60mph (limit was like 70 or 75mph) and there was a rain puddle that caused me to float a little bit.

This was my issue with the original KOs. I ran two sets, first on a F150 and then on a Wrangler. Both behaved the same way. The tread pattern simply doesn't channel standing water away effectively at highway speeds. With frequent thunderstorms and metro Atlanta interstates that's a problem if you don't slow way down and move to the right. There are other ATs that handle wet roads better.

 

[nevada]

That's kinda what I'm getting at. They do great as an AT tire. But there's no denying that their design makes them a poor choice for wet roadways. Zero siping and a hard rubber compound make it a bad choice for that specific situation, hands down. Other AT tires with better siping and softer compounds will do better than it. KO2s will do just fine considering what the tire is meant for, but they don't even come anywhere close to a road tire with proper siping that most cars on the freeway run.

Therefore, if wet traction is high on your list of concerns for a tire, you should probably stay away from the KO2s

they do have siping. much more than zero if we're being truthful.

There is next to nothing in the tread design of the BFG to make them a "good" wet tire. And even less to make them a good snow/ice tire.

except they make an EXCELLENT snow tire. ice? not so much, but in snow they are nothing short of amazing.

 

[Crusifix]

they do have siping. much more than zero if we're being truthful.


except they make an EXCELLENT snow tire. ice? not so much, but in snow they are nothing short of amazing.

I have to disagree on the snow side as well. Compared to other OR tires I have had on vehicles from Wranglers to 4runners, the BFG's are pretty far down on the list.