FoolishDog

It's about time to put a new set of tires on my xj and I figured that I'd go with the BF Goodrich A/Ts. I started pricing them out and saw a bunch of reviews on their recent design, wearing out after 20k, uneven wear, impossible to keep balanced etc... Anyone have any recent experience?

Martlor13

working at a tire shop, these ko2s are our best sellers and probably the best all terrain currently on the market. Bad reviews are few and far between from customers. You are referring to the ko2s correct, and not the rugged trails?

Bugout4x4

I'm going to trust your more recent knowledge about these here. I did see a little cooler talk about the rugged trails but nothing about the Ko2's. And I just went and looked for any recent recall issues and didn't find any.

FoolishDog

Yeah it's the Ko2s I was looking at. I'm still leaning pretty heavy to them, just figured it was worth asking around.

Martlor13

yeah the rugged trails aren't too spectacular. But all the local companies that have company vehicle fleets and what not, they all like to use the ko2. We also sell at least 2 sets a day, minimum. So I pretty much see them coming in for rotations and stuff everyday as well and bad things to say are rarely heard haha

Bugout4x4

Oh man! Fleet maintenance tire observations are the best! You can track and watch a set or multiple sets through their whole service life! And I remember you said you are keeping track of this stuff! Fantastic experience from this that would be pretty hard to argue against Sir!

FoolishDog

Well that's good enough for me, thanks for the first hand experience!

00t444e

I would get the Goodyear Duratracs over the BFG ko2. The BFGs are good for daily driving, snow and rain, but they are terrible in any type of mud. The Goodyear Duratracs are one of the few AT tires that I have seen that do decent in the mud.

Martlor13

well I mean, the duratracs are in that hybrid group. Mud/all terrain tread design. That's a ragimg market right now, with most of the big name brands offering one. So of course they are going to perform better. Their are no true all terrains that are good in mud. Plus the duratracs are a bit more expensive, and the tread lasts less then the ko2. Goodyears true all terrains are nothing to right home about. The duratracs are competing with the nitto ridgegrappler, Mickey Thompson atzp3, toyo open country rt, Cooper st Maxx, etc.

00t444e

That's the truth I think they should change the AT name to MT for most terrain and call the MT tires all terrains since they truly are an all terrain tire.

Martlor13

yeah but mud terrains aren't good in snow or ice. All terrains have them beat ther. Hardback or sand? All Terrain again. Pavement? Duh, all terrain haha Mud terrains are better on rocks, mud, clay stuff. But all terrains are much more diverse haha

00t444e

I have had mud tires on every 4x4 I have owned and I have had no problems in the snow, ice, or sand (really nothing does great on ice, chains or studs are your best bet). Mud tires do much better in sand, snow, and ice than all terrains do in the mud.

Martlor13

everyone has their preferences. Just based on my experiences, all the people and customers I talk to and events I've been too, mud tires aren't much more then that. Good for mud and some rock. That's why they are called mud tires haha

maybe bug out will come back and share his thoughts. He's got lots of insight on the tire biz.

Bugout4x4

Sorry... I missed this, had to go take care of some business.

To be honest, My customers and myself really have not had to deal with mud much here in our desert area. It only rains occasionally and when it does everyone is stuck no matter what they are running for tires. lol

So I really wouldn't be a good judge in your discussion about differences here. What seems to work best for us around here is a "slightly" aggressive tread but with a closed shoulder so they wear even in all around on/off road service conditions. That's the problem I do see with Mud tires though is uneven choppy wear if used on the street. They are kind of impractical and going to wear uneven and prematurely with any amount of use on the street.

What I have found over the years is that in our dry conditions out tooling around in the washes, is that a closed shoulder highway M/S tread actually does the best unless you are hill climbing on purpose. Here's why... There is a crust that forms on the surface in the desert about 3/8 ths of an inch thick. A tighter less aggressive tread area will tend to float on top of this crust because it doesn't break through it and hardly leaves a track, as where an aggressive tread will break through this crust and now you are down in the soft stuff spinning the whole time.

So a mud terrain and even some of the more aggressive all terrains can be worse than a street tire in average normal off road conditions here. Especially if it does not have a closed shoulder.

Martlor13

This is exactly what I meant...mud tires dig in everything, and they slow you down, where an all terrain gets up and goes. All terrains also have more doing which is Why they are better in snow as well. When people come in and ask me they need a tire for a, b, and c conditions and I point them into an all terrain, they are shocked at first until I explain. And then I recommend a tire like a Cooper at3w all terrain and they are even more shocked haha because it isn't too aggressive looking. But man that tire performs great on and off highway.