Second update: Bfg t/a ko2 now gone

[Paragon1]

****UPDATE 18 APR 19****
KO2s GONE! Couldn’t stand the overall sluggishness while accelerating from 50+ onward. The weight of the tires, awful traction, aesthetics, and decreased mileage weren’t worth the slightly quieter ride. Thankfully discount tire only charged 300 for a new set, so that’s a win. It is definitely more peppy now that I’m back on duratracs. Supercharger helps a little too

****UPDATE 8 Feb 18****
So I've put about 2k miles on these things and heres the rundown. 18x9 in wheel, 275/65/18

Pros:
- QUIET!
- Smoother the Duratracs on-road.
- Handling feels slightly more precise.

Cons:
- HEAVY!! I didnt realize they were about 12lbs heavier than the Duratracs. In my haste to get rid of them i failed to do the appropriate research.
- Gas mileage, while driving on flat surfaces at 50 seems to show an increase, it ends there. Interstate speeds result in a net 16.3mpg vs the Duratracs 19.2 on flat sustained driving. Overall combined mpg is roughly the same.

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I've run two sets of Duratracs on two different 4R's. And upon bringing it in for a rotation and balance, two of them went out of round/cupped. So instead of having mismatched tires i decided to make the swap to BFG T/A KO2, i couldn't be happier.

But first the Duratracs, they're great tires, they really are. But unless you're doing contracting work off-pavement or spend a lot of time offload they're really not worth the noise that only gets worse after the 40k mile point. Also, they ride harsh and are horrendous in the rain.

The T/As though... this is my first set of BFG's, I'm sold and i only have about 40 miles on them! Super quiet, and smooth. They updated the sidewall to make it a bit more aggressive too, so although its essentially purely aesthetic, it sold me.

I know there's a lot of people running these, but not so sure how many have run both. Between the two, the nod goes to BFG.

 

[muscle_doc]

I've run two sets of Duratracs on two different 4R's. And upon bringing it in for a rotation and balance, two of them went out of round/cupped. So instead of having mismatched tires i decided to make the swap to BFG T/A KO2, i couldn't be happier.

But first the Duratracs, they're great tires, they really are. But unless you're doing contracting work off-pavement or spend a lot of time offload they're really not worth the noise that only gets worse after the 40k mile point. Also, they ride harsh and are horrendous in the rain.

The T/As though... this is my first set of BFG's, I'm sold and i only have about 40 miles on them! Super quiet, and smooth. They updated the sidewall to make it a bit more aggressive too, so although its essentially purely aesthetic, it sold me. Glad i made the switch, and curious to see the already noticeable improvement in MPG.

I know there's a lot of people running these, but not so sure how many have run both. Between the two, the nod goes to BFG.

Thanks for posting this. Been on the fence about BFG KO2s because of the wet traction I've been reading about that's so-so. I've ran Duratracs on my previous Wrangler, and currently have them on my 4Runner but since I'll be doing more highway miles, I will be switching to BFGs once they're worn out!

 

[apollo]

i'm presently 20k miles into a set of KO2s, with a recent flat necessitating a new tire, so i swapped the spare onto the other front wheel to even it out...so far, these tires have been really good in a variety of conditions including highway, gravel, and rock...i didn't encounter a ton of snow and ice last season, so i can't comment on that yet...the tires are quiet on road

i ran duratracs on an F150 supercrew before this vehicle, and they were really good for the 20k or so before i bought the 4Runner...i did encounter a lot more snow and ice with the duratracs, and they were really good in the ice...also really good on wet pavement...from reading a lot of people's experience, it sounds like the duratrac performance might deteriorate fairly quickly after 40k miles?

at any rate, the duratracs felt stickier to me, meaning i could hear and feel what i equate to a softer rubber compound, and i correlated this to the incredible snow/ice and wet pavement performance

i've been waiting to see if the duratrac will be updated soon...i've read a lot about sidewall punctures, which is what shifted me to the KOs, then the KO2s on the 4runner, but i'm curious about trying them again with the 4Runner

 

[muscle_doc]

i'm presently 20k miles into a set of KO2s, with a recent flat necessitating a new tire, so i swapped the spare onto the other front wheel to even it out...so far, these tires have been really good in a variety of conditions including highway, gravel, and rock...i didn't encounter a ton of snow and ice last season, so i can't comment on that yet...the tires are quiet on road

i ran duratracs on an F150 supercrew before this vehicle, and they were really good for the 20k or so before i bought the 4Runner...i did encounter a lot more snow and ice with the duratracs, and they were really good in the ice...also really good on wet pavement...from reading a lot of people's experience, it sounds like the duratrac performance might deteriorate fairly quickly after 40k miles?

at any rate, the duratracs felt stickier to me, meaning i could hear and feel what i equate to a softer rubber compound, and i correlated this to the incredible snow/ice and wet pavement performance

i've been waiting to see if the duratrac will be updated soon...i've read a lot about sidewall punctures, which is what shifted me to the KOs, then the KO2s on the 4runner, but i'm curious about trying them again with the 4Runner

I do a lot of snow driving with my Duratracs here in Syracuse, NY and can handle most snowy conditions... the one disappointing thing I've noticed about my Duratracs are the wet weather traction, especially lately when entering a highway from a ramp - my back end almost always seems to fishtail. I can't say they're good in wet weather, because they have been slick. What are your experiences with the KO2s in the rain?

 

[apollo]

I do a lot of snow driving with my Duratracs here in Syracuse, NY and can handle most snowy conditions... the one disappointing thing I've noticed about my Duratracs are the wet weather traction, especially lately when entering a highway from a ramp - my back end almost always seems to fishtail. I can't say they're good in wet weather, because they have been slick. What are your experiences with the KO2s in the rain?

i can imagine that isn't a good feeling when the back end gets loose...thus far, i've been in a lot of wet conditions ranging from those summer showers that bring the oils up to the surface of the asphalt really quickly to long, driving downpours on the highway, and the KO2s haven't ever broken traction where it was concerning...occasionally, when moving from a standstill in wet weather, and on an uphill slope, there can be a small spin before it grabs, but no real issues for me...now, i don't accelerate aggressively most of the time, and that may be a factor that could differentiate experiences for other people

all in all, the KO2s are performing really well as an all-terrain tire, and other than the texas clay mud, which is problematic for really anything but a tractor tire, they work well

 

[Jhalko]

Is that a typo, already noticing improved MPG after only 40miles???

 

[Paragon1]

Is that a typo, already noticing improved MPG after only 40miles???

I reset the fuel economy display after the install and refilling the tank. I don't want to post numbers until after i drive up to atlanta this afternoon (95mi) but from what I'm seeing, yes, the mpg seems to have improved. Time will tell.

 

[Elite130]

I went from Duratracs to KO2s. I love the KO2s. They are an excellent all around tire. The only things the Duratracs did better in was slush, the large voids between tread blocks seem to be able to get rid of the slush better than the KO2s. But the KO2s are better in compacted snow, rain and they handle so much more solid. You will love them. I did so much I put my 2nd set on my 4runner 2 weeks ago.

 

[JKLNHYD]

I had the original style KO's on a 2013 FJ and I was amazed at the traction they provided in all conditions. I can only imagine how much better the new KO2 is. I am leaning towards them for my new tires when I install my lift this winter.

 

[Calif-4runner]

I swapped out my Duratracs with 30K miles for Cooper AT3s and could not be happier. The Duratracs look cool for sure, but became ice skates in the rain so much so I was having to brake well ahead to avoid anti-lock brakes kicking in.

 

[CNJ Runner]

Appreciate the thought of your review and all. However, why dont you wait until you have 40,000 miles on them before comparing the noise and wet traction to a 40,000 mile Duratrac... you know just for the sake of equal comparisions. Because I know for a fact when you got those brand new Duratracs noise and wet traction weren't an issue.
To the MPG's improving, you are probably just "babying" it, that is if your previous Duratracs and KO's are the same size and load range. They are pretty damn close when COMPARING weight and tread pattern.

This post was made on behalf of the engineers in this forum, which for the record, I am not.

 

[Elite130]

Appreciate the thought of your review and all. However, why dont you wait until you have 40,000 miles on them before comparing the noise and wet traction to a 40,000 mile Duratrac... you know just for the sake of equal comparisions. Because I know for a fact when you got those brand new Duratracs noise and wet traction weren't an issue.
To the MPG's improving, you are probably just "babying" it, that is if your previous Duratracs and KO's are the same size and load range. They are pretty damn close when COMPARING weight and tread pattern.

This post was made on behalf of the engineers in this forum, which for the record, I am not.

That is a very valid point.

So my input on the KO2s after 52,375 miles of wear.... The tires were still quiet. You started to hear them, but marginally. The traction in rain, hard-packed snow and dry roads never changed. I can only assume deep snow would have been affected, but probably marginally. I had them in mud and they still did very well. I could have gotten another 10-15k miles out of them, but since winter is coming I decided to swap them out early and not drive them till they were to the wear bars. I drive about 30k miles per year.

 

[Paragon1]

Appreciate the thought of your review and all. However, why dont you wait until you have 40,000 miles on them before comparing the noise and wet traction to a 40,000 mile Duratrac... you know just for the sake of equal comparisions. Because I know for a fact when you got those brand new Duratracs noise and wet traction weren't an issue.
To the MPG's improving, you are probably just "babying" it, that is if your previous Duratracs and KO's are the same size and load range. They are pretty damn close when COMPARING weight and tread pattern.

This post was made on behalf of the engineers in this forum, which for the record, I am not.

Does having a masters in systems engineering add any credibility to my opinion? Unless this is pointed at the infamous 1engineer, who’s “omniscience” is legendary... (yawn)
Anyway I’m referring to initial impressions, the duratracs, comparatively, were like swampers compared to these. KO2s are way quieter, and figured waiting 18 months to give an update was a bit excessive lol.

 

[enapa]

Who the hell keeps ANY tire for more than 40k miles? That is ridiculous. I have never kept any tire for more than 30k miles.

 

[Toffees]

Does having a masters in systems engineering add any credibility to my opinion? Unless this is pointed at the infamous 1engineer, who’s “omniscience” is legendary... (yawn)
Anyway I’m referring to initial impressions, the duratracs, comparatively, were like swampers compared to these. KO2s are way quieter, and figured waiting 18 months to give an update was a bit excessive lol.

Isn't cupping related to suspension and not tires? Or is something else going on?

 

[scanny]

I've run two sets of Duratracs on two different 4R's. And upon bringing it in for a rotation and balance, two of them went out of round/cupped. So instead of having mismatched tires i decided to make the swap to BFG T/A KO2, i couldn't be happier.

But first the Duratracs, they're great tires, they really are. But unless you're doing contracting work off-pavement or spend a lot of time offload they're really not worth the noise that only gets worse after the 40k mile point. Also, they ride harsh and are horrendous in the rain.

The T/As though... this is my first set of BFG's, I'm sold and i only have about 40 miles on them! Super quiet, and smooth. They updated the sidewall to make it a bit more aggressive too, so although its essentially purely aesthetic, it sold me. Glad i made the switch, and curious to see the already noticeable improvement in MPG.

I know there's a lot of people running these, but not so sure how many have run both. Between the two, the nod goes to BFG.

I've seen many people here complain about wet traction, please let us know how's KO2 comparing to Duratracs when it;'s raining.

 

[Paragon1]

Isn't cupping related to suspension and not tires? Or is something else going on?

I've seen many people here complain about wet traction, please let us know how's KO2 comparing to Duratracs when it;'s raining.

I think its because i deploy a fair amount and the tires didnt like sitting for as much as they were. Could've been a couple bad ones though, it happens. My first set was great, but compared to the KO2s, noisy as hell.

the KO2s do seem to deal with the wet stuff better than the D'Tracs, but lets face it, they're off-road oriented tires so wet traction wasn't exactly top priority.

As for the overall performance, I'm glad i made the switch. Ride comfort is vastly improved, gas mileage at speeds below 60 is the same. But at 70 its less 16.3-17.2 mpg due to this being a MUCH heavier tire, on the order of 9lbs each!! So i sactificed about 3 mpg from the D'Tracs which is almost enough to make me switch back to them. You feel this when accelerating to pass and when it does its obligatory downshift over every hill and/or overpass. It's the only thing that makes me want to change vehicles.

Why Toyota....WHY DIDNT YOU GIVE US A V8 INSTEAD??!! WHHYYYYYYYY!!!!

 

[Mass 4runner]

Who the hell keeps ANY tire for more than 40k miles? That is ridiculous. I have never kept any tire for more than 30k miles.

Not sure if serious???

 

[Paragon1]

I took the d-tracks to about 50k before swapping them.

 

[Gclark949]

KO2 Wet Traction

I have posted before on this topic. Currently at 22K miles on my BFG AT KO2s (stock size), and all performance is very good except basic wet pavement where they are dangerous. Will not buy these again for this reason.