KO, KM, AT, MT, STT, LT, OMG I've got tire info overload!

Seemed like such a simple thing. Noticing my current tires on my 2009 Tundra SR5 CrewMax TRD Off Road have seen better days, I though I'd spend a hour or so checking out tire reviews. Well... I've spent several hours a day for the last week reading blog and forum posts and watching YouTube videos on tires and I'm more confused and overwhelmed than ever!

My truck has stock suspension (though newly replaced shocks, struts, springs last year with OE style), so stock ride height. Which means I stay with the stock tire size (but in LT) LT275/65R18 or it seems I could go to LT275/70R18 and have no issues. It would also open up a few more tire choices, like I needed more, lol!

I need LT rated tires since I tow a travel trailer sometimes and also like the peace of mind of a stronger sidewall when I might do some light off-roading, though I'd like to do more. In the next year or two, might be moving to a rural area, so could be driving on a lot of gravel roads, so potentially more wear and tear.

It's a bonus if they have the 3 peak mountain & snowflake symbol. I have a set of studded winter tires. There's a tire law requiring winter tires where I live from October 1 to April 30, but it would be nice to only put them on in mid-November and take them off in late January so they don't wear too quickly, especially if I don't go into the higher mountain passes where winter comes earlier and stays later, and is more intense.

If I go for an All Terrain Tire, (probably the most popular tire type amongst Tundra owners on this forum, and with many truck and SUV enthusiasts), I've narrowed it down to:

• BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 (well known, widely available, and I had them before)
• Falken Wildpeak A/T3W (many prefer it over BFG, slightly cheaper, slightly more prone to punctures than BFG possibly)
• Cooper Discoverer LT and AT3 4S (seems not as common, but mostly positive reviews)
• Toyo Open Country AT2 AW (I wanted AT3 AW, won't be available in Canada for another year)
• General Grabber A/TX AW (looks like KO2, only slightly cheaper, many people prefer it)
• Sumitomo Encounter AT (lowest priced, very few reviews but those I could find are positive, a bit less aggressive tread design)

Then I thought it would be good to have a Mud Tire so I don't have to worry about mud caking on my tires and can be a bit more adventurous when off-roading, and will hold up better on gravel roads which I might be driving on frequently if I move to a rural area next year. And bonus: they look bad @ss!

• BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 (again, BFG name recognition, well known and liked by many)
• Cooper Discoverer STT Pro (more expensive, good performing on and off road, quieter on road, longer lasting according to reviews, strong puncture resistance, but it is as good as KM3 for puncture resistance?)
• Nokian Rockproof (virtually indestructible, industrial grade, used by logging and mining industry, definite overkill, will be very loud on highway and hurt fuel economy more than other mud tires, smaller distribution network, mid-range price seems reasonable)

Or maybe an in-between Hybrid Tire - part All-Terrain, part Mud-Terrain.

• Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX (not very common, mostly used on 3/4 ton pickups with good results, not as good on 1 ton, commercial rated, not sure it's a hybrid, maybe more mud?)
• Nitto Ridge Grappler (a popular choice for a hybrid tire, maybe most popular)
• Goodyear Duratrac (not sure if it's a Hybrid or All-Terrain, seemed great until I heard a lot of complaints about weak sidewalls and punctures easily, not sure I'd be that rough on it, or maybe it happens easily)
• Toyo Open Country RT (newer design and technology, can't find much negative on it other than it's a heavy tire, hurts MPGs a bit more than others)

It's great to have so many choices of tires, and such an abundance of reviews, most of which are pretty good. But, this makes it so hard to choose and worry about making the wrong choice, wondering "what if I had chosen..." Should I just randomly pick one? lol! Or buy BFG KO2 again since I've had them before and liked them? Can't help but think there might a tire that would serve me better. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

I don’t get much snow here in South Carolina, but I’ve been running Ridge Grapplers since I got the truck (28,000 miles now) and love them!

 

This is not complicated but if you think so just get the KO2.

 

Good to know, a lot of people seem to really like the Ridge Grapplers. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. Might be a good compromise between an All-Terrain and Mud-Terrain tire. If they're holding up well after 28,000 miles and still have a good amount of life left in them, that's good. I hate hearing about people who say their tires are worn out by that mileage, while others get way more. Maybe it depends on driving style and the type of vehicle they're on.

Although not absolutely essential that they do well in snow, it would be a bonus if they did, so I wouldn't have to worry about putting on or taking off my studded winter tires. Or, if I drive to southern California in the winter - you need winter tires for part of the drive, but definitely not in SoCal when it's 85 degrees, sunny, dry and warm. Been there, done that on winter tires before. With the border closed to non-essential travel, and the COVID situation in general, it might be a while before I go down there again.

 

It might come down to that! I know I like those tires since I had them before. Just thought there might be something better out there, or something that might suit my needs better. There is no single tire that is 100% perfect for every situation. So, if I still can't decide by next week, or whenever I end up buying tires, I'll just go with what I know.

 

I picked up this brand new Sequoia in Indy and drove it to Big Sky Montana in December and it had a 3" lift and Ridge Grapplers on it ad I was stunned at how well they ride on the road!

I was not as stunned by the performance in deep snow as they were exactly as expected which is amazing!

I worked there for a few weeks up to Xmas and never had the truck out of 4wd the whole time there as there are 52 miles of private resort maintained roads where the house is that I was working and it was like driving on dry pavement most of the time but with 300" of snow on the ground,not all at one time.

I was worried that the truck would be all over the place in Wyoming as there were 70 mph crosswinds on the way there and I was pulling a small trailer too but the tires were really just amazing all around.

But no one ever got fired for buying the BFG either!

 

Just get the K02’s and be done with it. I think your overthinking the process. If you want to try something different, get the Wildpeaks. Check out Walmart for the Wildpeaks. Cheapest I’ve seen yet in the US.

 

I hear the KO2's are horrible to balance which indicates to me their manufacturing isn't very good.

 

Check out the Kenda Klever RT. Super aggressive looking and surprisingly quiet. I absolutely love them but they might not get as much praise here for being an offbrand tire. But after rebate I got them for $185 a tire. Manufacturer specs have these on the bigger size of 275/70R18 at 34". Pic below is when they were installing them on my truck.

 

Nice! I like that Sequoia. Did it already have the lift and Ridge Grapplers, or did you get to choose those? If so, what swayed you towards those tires? Good to hear those tires did well in the Montana winter. I don't think it has the 3 peak mountain and snowflake symbol or even an M+S (Mud+Snow) rating, so it wouldn't count as winter tire where I live. But that's ok, not a total dealbreaker since I have dedicated winter tires, but would have been nice in case I don't have them on in time or take them off early. I found a review online for the Nitto Ridge Grapplers, and in it they said:

"Pitted against a set of BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2s—the time-tested, revered tread that often serves as the yardstick tire in the truck segment—we’ve noticed a similar ride quality and quietness, but have been pleasantly surprised to find that the Ridge Grapplers aren’t nearly as prone to picking up rocks."​

Yeah, I know I'm overthinking it. I should have just gone to the tire shop and asked for the KO2s without thinking any further - would have been so much easier. That being said, I hear the Wildpeaks are great value for the money, cost a bit less than the KO2s and many people would rather have the Wildpeaks instead of the KO2s anyways. There's a decent amount of reviews online for them, mostly all glowing positive reviews, I had to look long and hard to find anything bad about them. The worst was one guy who had two tire punctures in one weekend in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. He still likes the Wildpeaks, though he doesn't rave about them as much now.

I've heard that too, as well as other brands. I think it's more the larger sizes that have the balancing problems, and in some cases, you have to drive about 500 miles before they can be balanced properly. I'd be getting LT275/65R18 (stock size) or maybe LT275/70R18 (DT, different tread, no 3 peak mountain and snowflake in this size though, bit of a disappointment). But, maybe if it's a stock, smaller size, they'll be easier to balance? I had KO2s in LT275/55R20 (stock size) on my former 2011 Tundra Limited DC and I think LT235/75R15 KOs (not KO2) even further back on an old 60 series Land Cruiser. On both of those, the tires balanced ok. Maybe I was just lucky?

 

There are two levels of wildpeaks I think. a few ply (4?) and lots of ply (10?) for the LT tire. If you're getting punctures off-road, it ain't the 10 ply... That said, the 10 ply is like strapping an extra gym plate to your wheels. Even the v8 wheezes to turn them.

 

Thanks, I needed a few more choices, there wasn't enough. Just kidding, lol! I actually never heard of Kenda Kelver. They look bad ass! I did a quick Google search, they say they ride nice and quiet for such an aggressive tire, as you said too. The price is certainly good. I don't know if any tire shops in my area sell them, but I'll check and see what the local price and availability is, and maybe read a few more reviews on them. Although I was trying to narrow down the list, not add more to it, haha! Maybe I'll buy all of them and try a different set of tires each week. If only I could afford that!

 

The KO2's are a mediocre tire at best. I ran a set of LT265/70R18 (E load rating) for 10,000 miles and they had poor wet traction, weak sidewalls (chunks of polyester sidewall were missing by the time I got rid of them), and wore down the tread extremely fast (one tire was down to 5/32nds). The Nitto Exo Grapplers (LT285/70R18) and my current Yokohama A/T (LT285/75R18) have exhibited far superior performance over a much longer life. BFG tires are middling at best and way overpriced for what you get.

 

Good point, I was thinking about that. The guy who got the two punctures in one weekend might have got the 4 ply since he may not have needed the capacity of an LT tire and wanted the smoother ride. But the trade-off is the weaker sidewall. I'll see if I can find that video again and maybe post a comment or send him a message and ask, or if I'm lucky, there's a good close-up of the tire and I can see that info on the sidewall. But overall, just about everyone who has the Falken Wildpeak really likes them and there are very few negative comments, which is a rarity.

 

Wow! That's bad experience with those tires! And that's the exact size I'd be getting. Maybe the quality has gone down since I last bought them. I have to agree with wet traction, that was one of the weak points of the KO2s when I had them, though I was surprised to hear about the chunks of sidewall missing and wearing down so fast by only 10,000 miles. Maybe BFG is riding on its reputation now? I think they're a bit pricey compared to some of the competition. Long ago they used to be the only choice, and then one of the only choices in All-Terrain tires. The first to market always seems to get that brand name recognition.

I looked at the Nitto Ridge Grapplers, but not the Exo Grapplers. Maybe I should have. I see it's rated as an all-weather tire, and I think it's got the 3-peak mountain and snowflake symbol, so that's a big bonus. Not bargain priced, but not outrageously priced either. Not that I wanted more choices, but I think I might add this one to the mix, looks like a good contender! I'll check some reviews on it.

 

They do well in snow and have great sidewall strength (heavy though).


The Yokohama A/T tires are also holding up well:

 

Good to know. Nitto tires weren't really on my radar until I started looking for tires this time. Those Yokohamas look good. I had some Yokohama Geolandar winter tires, non-LT, I forget which model of tire, but probably one that's not sold now as it was about 10 years ago on an Astro van, and another Yokohama winter tire on a Corolla. Both wore down fast, even for winter tires. But they performed well.

I found a picture of my previous 2011 Tundra Limited with the KO2s when I was just outside Yellowstone around 2015. It looks kind of odd with such a short sidewall, but then again, I didn't have much choice, the Limited came with 20" wheels and it wasn't in the budget to get new wheel rims. I thought it odd to have such a thing as low profile All-Terrain tires. Glad my current Tundra has 18" wheels so I can have a more meaty sidewall. Even better would be a 17" rim, but I'm not going to that expense.

 

Just my .02. I've owned both the KOs and the Wildpeaks; in fact, I wasn't even looking at the Wildpeaks, but local shop said "Just get them, you'll be pleased."

Heavier than my previous tires, but IMHO they were quite a bit better, both on road and off, than the KOs were. Unsure if I'll get them when the time comes to replace the tires, as I actually kind of like the ones that came with my truck (Michelins), but they're a very good tire.

 

Did the heavier weight have a noticeable effect on fuel consumption and acceleration? Was there anything else you really liked or disliked about them? And which version of Michelin did you have before that? The LTX M/S2 is quite popular, I considered that, but it's more geared towards highway driving, though I know it's a very popular and well rated tire if that's the one you had. Probably quieter, smoother and less rolling resistance, so better MPG's.

BTW, nice truck! looks like mine, but in regular cab. Same color, wheels, TRD Off Road package, etc.

 

I've got about 30k miles on my Ridge Grapplers, and overall I have been pretty pleased. I'm also in SC, and we haven't had snow in a couple of years, but these tires do fine on the road. Mine are at about 9 or 10/32's all around, and I think they come with 16. The only thing I have been disappointed in on them, they all have dry rot/surface cracks in the tread, and I have had them about 28 months. The cracks have been there probably at least 8-10 months. For $250 a tire, I wasn't expecting cracks in them like that. I would probably buy them again, simply because I love the way they look, and I have seen plenty of others that don't show them, so I could have gotten a "bad" set. My next ones will likely be the RG's, Yokohama MT's, or Cooper AT3 XLT.

 

Yes, I did notice some difference; I'd say I lost about 1MPG; though that was with my F150 (which already lacked low-end torque). I'm guessing the difference would be a bit less noticeable on the Tundra. I quite liked the Wildpeaks because in my opinion they were just all around very good tires - good grip on road and off, decent traction in mud, great traction in the snow, etc. If there was any dislike, I'd say mud traction - though I can't say it was bad at all, as it was pretty darn good. It just wasn't as good as on-road and snow traction.

I've currently got the OEM Michelins (which I *think* are the LTX A/T2's), and for what they are/do, I quite like them; they're probably the best OEM tire I've owned. The F150 came with touring Continentals when I bought it. While I need decent traction year round (I live down a crap gravel road LOL), I don't go seriously off-road, so I might just stick with them in the future. Were I to get heavier/more 'serious' tires again I'd definitely go with the Wildpeaks.

And thanks on the truck! I like the color but the wife LOVED it, and I realized that my best chances of getting the exact truck I wanted came if I got a truck that the wife liked. LOL

 

The dry rot in the tread might be a Nitto/Toyo thing. The previous owner of my truck put on Toyo Open Country AT II, date stamp shows they are 4 1/2 years old, not sure when they were installed, but they've got the same kind of cracking you describe and one of the reasons I'm replacing them, even though they still have some usable tread. But 28 months for yours... that's not very long. Sounds like otherwise they have been pretty good. I was also looking at the Cooper AT3, still undecided.

Losing 1 MPG isn't that bad - I've heard of worse. But with a truck that has a healthy appetite for gas like the Tundra (and maybe the F150 too), every little bit counts! The more I read about the Falken Wildpeaks, the more I like about them. I wasn't sure if I wanted something more aggressive like a hybrid or mud tire, but I think a decent All-Terrain like the Wildpeak would be good. I'm also thinking of gravel roads, and maybe a bit of off-roading, either for fun or for times when I take the travel trailer out somewhere off the beaten path. I've heard of a few people getting sidewall punctures with the Wildpeak, even in LT form, but very few. I guess no tire is immune to that, no sure if I should rule it out because of that. Could happen to anyone. I ruled out the Goodyear Duratrac because I heard a lot of people were getting sidewall punctures due to a weak sidewall though.

Bonus that your wife liked the color of your truck! If that made it easier to get, why not, lol!

 

It was a brand new truck but not mine,I facilitated the deal and drove out out to a Client in MT and the dealer who is a friend of mine had one of their suppliers do the lift and tires the client was more about looks really than anything else but I steered the tire choice because I have read and heard good things about them and wanted to give them a try.

The Truck will live in a Garage nicer than my house with a radiant heat floor and will only be driven when someone is out there vacationing.
Almost always in Winter unless I go in the Summer which is my favorite time out there for sure.

Anyway like I said I didn't take the truck out of 4wd most of the time that I was there and could not have been more impressed with how the thing handled deep and persistent Ski Resort Snowfall.

 

Oh wow, sounds like a cool deal for you - get to help spec a nice Sequoia with a lift kit and tires and then drive it across the country, even getting to try it out during a snowstorm! Although it's a really capable SUV (even more so with the mods), it's a shame it won't ever be used to its full potential, between being done up mostly for looks, and being a vehicle left at a vacation home for occasional use. Sounds like quite the house they have there too!

This December, I drove through a nasty snow storm from Lethbridge, Alberta (more or less lining up with Butte, MT but about 300 miles north, across the Canadian border) to around Kelowna, BC (roughly the middle of the Rockies on the Canadian side). I took the route closer to the US border, tried to get ahead of the storm but eventually it caught up to me. A trip that normally takes about 9 hours took almost 15 hours. Nasty snow and ice on the roads. I found out later that portions of the highway had been closed shortly after I passed through. I was driving towing a 22 foot trailer with my Tundra, equipped with studded Firestone Winterforce LT tires in the stock size LT275/65R18. I also kept it in four wheel drive for much of the time and it felt very safe. But even with studded winter tires, I could still feel a bit of slippage, especially going uphill when I was still in two wheel drive. Between the tires and 4WD, it made all the difference. Not sure how it would have done with all season or 3 peak mountain/snowflake rates all terrain tires with the studs, but I'm sure it would have still been pretty good in 4WD. When I had my last Tundra with the BFG KO2s which are bad on ice, I was usually OK once I put it in 4WD on icy roads going uphill. Otherwise I wouldn't have made it, or if I did, it would have been slowly and slipping/sliding all the way to the top.

 

Actually it is never not a Snowstorm in Big Sky in the Winter and I imagine this Sequoia will always be in 4wd when in the Club then too,
I have been there twice with 2wd vans and one time could not even get up to the club entrance and the other I could get in but could not get up the driveway at all.

So they rented a Sequoia last year and it was $13K for the 3 weeks before XMas and they couldn't even get one this year so I convinced them that they needed to have a car there anyway really,they have a heated Garage and after a few trips there they could just pay for the new truck and always have it up there.

Plus I will use it when I am there in the Summer!

You could not live in there without 4wd really.

 

Tires are like sneakers. You’ll love them for a week, after a while they won’t matter much to you. That being said, I went with Goodyear AT Adventurer with Kevlar. I live in Maine so I understand the need for good snow tires. I’ve only had these for one year but they withstood a Maine winter with no issues. The only issue I have is since I drive pavement mostly, the front tires wear a bit quicker on the edges than the rear due to turning in the city. I would recommend these to anyone looking for tires.

 

I never realized it was that snowy in that part of Montana, and I've been through Montana from time to time during the winter months. I guess it depends on the area, and elevation. $13k to rent a Sequoia for three weeks - wow! With rates like that I guess it's not so extravagant to buy their own after all! Nice that you'll get to use it during the summer!

Yes, that's probably the way it will go. I guess I'm just being overly cautious right now because there are more demands put on All-Terrain type tires, and it's a decent amount of money. Those Goodyear AT Adventurer tires look good. I'm kind of leaning towards the Falken Wildpeak AT3W but not 100% sure yet. I'll probably decide in the next few days. They are supposed to be decent for winter driving, although I've got my studded Firestone Winterforce LT for the worst part of winter. I've posted a couple of pictures. I had to temporarily put them back on so I could refinish my other wheel rims in preparation for whatever All-Terrain tires I get.

Maybe some others can chime in, but after reading through a bunch of posts in other threads, and talking to a guy at a local tire shop who used to own a Tundra, I know a 275/70R18 will fit with no modifications on stock suspension. Might possibly have to remove the front mud flaps or heat with a heat gun to move them back if it's a tight fit at full lock of the steering when backing up. That tire is 1" taller than stock, at least for my generation Tundra (2009). I've heard a 285/65R18 will also fit. A 285/70R18 or 295/70R18 might be a tight fit, I think there might be some clearance issues. This thread might help https://www.tundras.com/threads/largest-tire-you-can-run-stock-for-all-generations.9762/ and you can also use this website to compare tire size dimensions

 

It’s time to buy your tires. Good Luck

 

I was a Cooper tire fan boy. Still am actually. Great tires. I've had the ST Maxx's and the STT Pro M/T's. Both were way better than the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T's that came on my 07 when I bought it. The Nitto rubber was too hard and chunked severely in rocky conditions. My Coopers didn't have that issue. I'm now running with Milestar Patagonia M/T's. Woah...I'm quite pleased with these tires. Did great in snow this past CO winter. I finally got to use them offroad last weekend for the first time. Rocks, sandy spots, wet muddy spots, going up to my friend's property. All in one exposure. Even more pleased that I bought these...LT's, E rated, 10 ply with tough 3 ply sidewalls like Cooper's ArmorTek's. Decent sipping. One caveat..my Tunny is a DD and my drive to work is maybe 3 miles round trip... the Patagonia rubber is on the soft side. Not too soft. I got zero chunking on the main treads on the "corners" that I had with the Nitto's, and the sidebiters had no chunking off either. A huge plus for me. Do not expect to get high mileage with these due to the softer rubber. These aren't Michelin's. I've "tested" several brands of tires since 2004 at these same old crappy mining roads where I go. These Patagonia's are my favorite so far. I had GY DuraTracs that were a great all around AT hybrid. Had them on my 09 Taco. Those Duratracs did quite well in most conditions on my way up to AK. Softer rubber too but worthy of consideration. Not a KO fan at all. Typical previously noted balancing issues. That's my 4 cents....





An added bonus...