BFG K02 Updated? 50k mi? Anyone know about this?

Does anyone know if the K02's received an update in the last couple years? Tire guy claims that since I bought my 285 75 17's in March of 2020 they had made "changes" and even now offer a 50,000 mile tread warranty.

My situation:
I've been generally pleased with the performance and durability of my K02s (purchased 3/2020 with 21k on odometer). However they have worn poorly and unevenly and are not balancing so after ONLY 16,000 miles I am looking for replacements. The guy at Discount suggested giving them another try as they had recently (within the last couple years) updated their rubber compound and or process. They are now offering the 50,000 mile tread guarantee while (allegedly) still being 3 peak rated.

I'm prepared for some..."BFG hate"..followed by "should move to Cooper At3 XLT, Toyo Open Country AT3, or the Falken Wildpeaks...."

KO2s have been great in all conditions for me and my needs. Offroading in rocks and sand, driving in snow and mountain driving in the winter, running around town. Never had an issue with wet traction or hydroplaning. They also look great for an AT.

Basically I like these tires a lot and want them to work and LAST. The Toyo Open Country AT3 is my runner up. I just couldn't really commit myself to get the better on road comfort of C rated over the durability and load capacity of the E rated version and I am convinced (by others reviews) the BFG is the tougher tire and slightly better in the slick stuff.


My Plan:
Discount Tire is crediting me a portion of the 4 tires. I've re-ordered the "newer version" (if there is such a thing) and will test them out. I'll have 30 days or something to decide if I feel its any better. If they don't balance out from the get go I'll just get them to order the Open Country AT3...I think.

 

I’d be asking why they wore unevenly. Need shocks? Bad alignment? Something caused that. I’ve had KO2s many times and they wore very evenly.

If you like the BFG then by all means put another set on.

 

Also, I have TOYO AT3 on now. The BFG are not better in the slick stuff. In fact, not even close.

 

All great questions. I get an alignment every 4-6 months. Have 6112s. Recently installed JBA UCA's just incase that was contributing, but my alignment numbers were always good. Tracked straight and chalk test was used to set tire pressures.

Which load rating is on your Toyo AT3's (in my size they only offer C and E)?
Same size as the KO2s you are comparing them to?
I know that not all sizes of KO2s have the 3peak rating and that those are much worse in the slick stuff but wear much better.
I'm not assuming your wrong with your comment at all I just want to make sure I'm weighing your experience in my decision making appropriately.
Thanks!

 

Both the Toyo and the BFGs were/are 275/70/18 in E load rating. Both were/are three peak rated. Living in Colorado gets me in a fair bit of snow and sleet. After being a BFG homer and running them on Tacos and the Tundra I started to realize that while they look damn good and were always tough as nails they weren’t particularly good in snow or rain.
One place I really see the difference is on the boat ramp. The BFG slid way more than the TOYOs.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing the BFG. If you like them then put another set on. They are tough as nails and generally wear very well. I just think for what they do they are overrated and their are better options.
If everything on your truck is sound then you probably just got a bad set.

 

Yeah I'm 40ish miles from you so your feedback is very relevant for my needs as we likely see the same weather and crappy beat up roads (not to mention traffic that likes to go from 70mph - stopped in less than ideal conditions). Did you notice any change / improvement in ride quality when you switched to the AT3? (sorry to de-rail my own thread and drag you along). I really was 50/50 on the AT3 and giving KO2 another try...you may be nudging me. I only off-road / camp 3-10 times year so I want the toughness, but there are more important factors. Thanks again.

 

My KO2s are rounding off on the outside shoulder. I'm not sure if it is the alignment or a combination of a heavy truck on very positive offset wheels.
The tread blocks on the rear are nice and sharp, but the fronts have started rounding off like any other boring tire.

One of my favorite features of the ko and KO2s are the sharp shoulders.

 

I went from bfg ko then toyo AT2 then back to bfg at ko2. The toyos were light years better on wet pavement than the bfgs.

 

Interesting. Allegedly the AT3 is even superior to the AT2 in wet because that was a primary complaint...or so I've read. Thank you for the feedback!

 

My wife’s 4Runner has had the Toyos for 15k now. Very happy with them. The BFGs she had prior did look cooler. However, ride quality, road noise, wet traction and snow traction all go to the Toyo. The Toyos do seem to be commanding a premium price at the moment.

 

Just picked up a set in 285/75/17 last month when I got my used RW wheels. Ride quality and MPG have improved vs. the previous setup of 295/60/20 WildPeaks. Will be keeping an eye on wear. Had KO2s a while back and thought they did great on snow and ice here in MT ... never felt like I was lacking for traction. Same with the WildPeaks for that matter. I like the look of both tires ... the KO2s look a bit more aggro with the sharp edges.

 

I'm not sure if anything has changed recently, but years ago the BFG KO was the A/T tire to buy. I've ran them before and liked them. There are so many better options now to choose from IMO.

I liked the Nitto terra grapplers that were on my truck when i bought them. Toyos have been one of the best for years. I've been impressed with the Yokohama and Maxxis M/Ts I've bought recently their A/Ts might be worth checking out. I know the nittos and toyos can be pricey.

 

I had KOs, then KO2s, now DTs Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain AT

Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain AT | Discount Tire

I went in to buy Cooper AT3s but the sales guy suggested the Goodyear.
Never was a Goodyear fan, but for the price and the 30 day trial, I went for it.
No regrets, I really like them.
I'm my size 275/60/20 they are SL rated and ride MUCH smoother than the D rated KO2s.

The KO2s slipped and slid all over the road under the lightest misting.
The KO2s wore and balanced OK, but got louder and louder as they wore.

While you are at Discount Tire, I'd at least take a look at the Goodyears..

 

Not going to say should have bought this or that...

Buy I will never buy another BFG product.

12 tires within a couple months is ridiculous. Garbage ride, garbage balancing, garbage garbage garbage.

They seem to be a hit or miss. 99% of the miss are on Toyota platforms, they seem to be picky with regards to tires.

 

I just noticed your size,

I'd say, when comes time for new tires, check out Kenda Klever -they have a 35x10.5x17 that could work very well for you!

Buddy with a RAM made the switch from a 34x10.5x17 BFG to the 35x10.5x17 Klever and will be purchasing another set of Klever when the time comes.

 

I have run BFG ATs since 1980. Scouts and Jeeps. They used to last 50K to 70K and performed beautifully in all conditions. Recent iterations have too much synthetic rubber in them, which makes them slick, especially on wet streets. I now find them totally unreliable on wet roads. Thanks for the recommendation for the Toyos. There's a small family tire business here that specializes in Toyos. Though I have less than 10K on my latest Jeep KO3s, I think I will swap them for Toyos. I'm quite annoyed at how dangerous the BFGs are in the rain.

I put Michelins on the Tundra, on the recommendation of the shop owner, who reported that Michelin retained the highest percentage of genuine rubber in their formulation. So far, the Tundra has been much more stable in rain than the Jeep.

 

If I recall correctly, there were two SKUs for KO2 when I was last shopping for them - one was 3PMS rated and did NOT have a tread wear warranty. The other had the warranty, but was not 3PMS rated.

Either way, my last pair of KO2s didn’t do great for me in wet (which we get a lot of around here) and weren’t really all that good in the snow either. So I looked elsewhere when I got tires for the new truck.

So far the Falken Wildpeak AT3 have been phenomenal through two PNW winters (and a really wet spring this year). The Toyo AT3 would have been another choice for me be they were unobtainium when I was buying tires.

 

This is correct right here. Two different tires, part #s, SKUs, load ratings, limited sizes, pricing, snowflake rating, etc.

 

Something is wrong with your setup if you're only getting 16k out of them. I've run them before , and have seen numerous other run them too up to in the 70k range. I'd have your suspension checked out

 

been running KO2s for a long time.
New tires on our two 4x4 last year and you guess it, they were KO2s.
I did have toyo AT/2 and R/T in the past on the Tundra. I feel the KO2s are better: sand, rock and the occasional ski trip. Never had an issue. Same truck with AT/2 was sliding in the snow/ice
With a good alignment and proper rotation/balance, a set of tires should last quite some time no matter the brand.
I only run E load /3PMS in KO2s.
35 and 275/65 R18 on our 2 vehicles.
I only buy them at Costco for the warranty/price. maintenance.

 

Thanks for all the responses. To be clear there is still plenty of tread left. They just are not balancing well enough for me to want to continue with them and I can tell they are wearing unevenly. They were great for first 12k now are unpleasant over 55mph. Still lots of grip and tread depth. Have had rebalanced multiple times, alignment, and now new UCAs. I will continue to monitor obviously and understand this is “abnormal”.

 

That makes more sense. If it's just a vibration issue is it in the seat of the pants or more in the steering wheel? If seat of the pants you can isolate it to a rear tire , steering wheel would be front. Also good try and see if moving tires front to back changes the vibration as well to isolate the problem. It may just be one tire that's out of round. Also check your wheels out and see if any of them have lip damage, curb rash , dent etc. If you curbd a wheel or something could be throwing it off.

 

Lots of people run bfgs 50k-ish with no issues. However, bad sets do exist. Discount tire can road force balance them and if they are out of spec, possibly replace them under warranty. Hopefully you got them from somewhere that will stand behind their sale.

Hope this isn't a hijack, but I'm not thrilled with how mine are wearing. The edges are staring to round off from use on the front.
Rear tires (rotated to the front yesterday):


Front tires (rotated to the rear yesterday):

 

Actually, the tires currently on the front vibrate LESS than the ones on the back...prior to a trip we took recently I had them "undo" a tire rotation (after 2 attempts at re-balancing & alignment) because steering wheel wobble was so bad. Seems as though at least one on each end is off balance or out of round. That is what set all this in motion.

Wheels are another good suspect. Mine have been considered and may be contributing, but have no visible damage / dents etc on inside or outside rim. they are 17"s on a 34" so lots of sidewall and impact cushion.

All good thoughts though and need to be considered!

FWIW I have retorqued everything to spec a few times and even use a torque wrench when I put wheels back on the vehicle. Not saying that matters, just saying I do my best to be mindful of details and execution.

Still, I certainly could have done something wrong somewhere or overlooked some component contributing to this issue. Again thanks for the ideas.

I did get them at discount and they are offering a partial buy back / adjustment. I think part of the problem is that they may have been "off" even when new, but it was march of 2020. Everything shut down like a week after I got them mounted. I only did short drives for nearly 12 months as I was working remotely and my kids were schooling remotely. So they may have just been bad from the beginning and that is what I am HOPING. I was just surprised by what the salesman at discount told me as I had not heard of any changes made to the K02.

 

I’m running 17s with KO2s. I’d get them balanced and have issues later. Rebalance the issues a few days later. This went on for months. I kept went back to DT and they finally found that the center disk on one wheel was slightly off. They replaced all 4 wheels no charge and all is good now. Keep on ‘em!

 

Happy to help. I haven’t noticed any significant difference in ride quality,MPG or anything else to mention. I do notice they have better traction in any wet conditions.

 

Another bfg k02 275/70/18 user here. I have just over 40k on mine and performance wise they are outstanding. Mud snow rain and clay they have been great. Unfortunately they have become so loud I can’t hardly handle them. I have good alignment and I have rotated every 5k they have even wear and still look good. I’ve tried running different psi’s and no luck on noise. I’m looking at the AT3 now as well

 

I’ve only used ko2 on my fj and tundra and never had that issue. I’ve been using them since 2011, and bought my last set 2019. I do get tire rotations a couple times a year. My current set has 45k and still have half the tread left

 

My new set arrived and is installed. It didn’t feel great to rebuy the same tires after so few miles but the ride is much better with 0 shimmy /shake. Time will tell if it was a bad batch or something in my vehicle is the culprit (?).
In other news we had a bunch of rain one of the last few days with my “old” tires. I figured I’d try to find the break point. From a slow rolling turning start I floored it (and tried in several other situations) and had minimal slippage. I would have to drive irresponsibly to feel that my set was “terrible in wet”. Idk why results / reviews vary so much. I don’t baby my truck but I also don’t drive it like the tuned AWD turbocharged cars it replaced.
Happy to give them another shot! I still would be interested in trying the Toyo AT3.
Thanks again for all the helpful feedback!

 

I'm getting ko2s installed on my truck Friday. I was initially leery of getting ko2s and planned to go with Nitto Ridge Grapplers for a 3rd time, but the Discount Tire rep put my mind at ease. He, like others I've spoken to, said that BFG changed the material/composition on a lot of the ko2s a few years back and the new composition was slick on wet roads. The change was allegedly made to offer better support for the larger 3/4 or 1 ton trucks. He explained that BFG was making two versions of the tire and that the heavier duty version sucked on wet surfaces. The name of the slick tire was similar to the other version, except it ended in "DT." Example: ALL TERRAIN T/A KO2 DT. Discount tire no longer carries the DT version in the size I was getting and the representative believes they were discontinued by BFG. Hopefully the guy knew what he was talking about.