T/A KO2 Tire Life. New Tire and New Suspension, or New Truck??

[jeremybenton]

I wanted to share my experience with BFG T/A KO2s and my internal debate about my next tires. I have been running 275/70/17 E on my stock 2012 SR5. I am nearing 80k miles on these tires, and 180k on the truck. I just measured the tread, and they are all sitting at 5/32s. My shop rotates the tires it sells for free, so I make sure to get them rotated about every 6k miles when the oil is changed. Southern truck with 90% highway miles. The only off-roading I do is work related as an environmental engineer, so some mud crossings and light trails. I do love the 275 size, and I only had some very slight rubbing at full turn with new tread height. The KO2s have been great for my use. The only hairy situation I got into was my truck started sliding recently trying to go up a clay mud road after a rain, but only sliding while the tires were spinning. Don't know if another set of tires would have performed any better, or maybe the current tread height wasn't enough to make it through the clay.

I'm looking at new tires though. If I stick with 275s, the options I'm considering are KO2s, Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx, Nitto Ridge Grapler, or Falken Wildpeak A/T3W. The Wildpeaks are a hair larger in diameter, so may have more rubbing issues with stock setup. I'm always eye-balling new suspension, maybe ToyTec, but I have never been able to pull the trigger. Anway, I'm going back and forth about bailing on the KO2s, when they have met my needs and held up for so long. Any about else getting upwards of 70-80k miles on any of these tires?

Also considering selling the truck all together and trying to get my hands on a later model year 100/LX470... Decisions, decisions. Upgrade suspension, get new tires, and keep on rocking towards 300k miles? Or make the jump to the 100/LX dark side?

Photo is from a roadtrip to Colorado right after I put the KO2s on.

 

[offshorebear]

How is traction on wet roads after all those miles? My last 2 sets of KO2's were scary after 15k miles, but that was before the sidewall update.

 

[jeremybenton]

I haven't had any issues with wet roads or driving in the rain. Siping is still present even at this tread height, but it looks like it will run out before the tread height does. The tires are definitely approaching their end, but I don't feel a pressing need to change them right away.