KO2 Issue, what are your thoughts?

I've had these tires on my truck since Oct. of 2019. They have been an outstanding tire to date and have served me very well through four Wyoming winters. I will replace them with another set of KO2's when the time comes (which I think is now). I was adding air to my tires the other evening and noticed I have what appears to be a tear in the carcass and some other cracking in the beefed up sidewall lugs. Has anyone seen this before? Is it dry-rot? I don't believe I hit anything that would have cut into the tire like this but it's not impossible.

 

Looks like it got cut. I’ve never seen tires 4 years old that didn’t have cracking but I live in the desert so

 

2.5 year old Nitto RGs.

 

Time to replace. I have KO's on my 2015 and still going strong.

 

I would also venture a guess that it is a tear, mostly likely from a rocky trail or dirt road. I had a similar tear on my coopers that was up higher on the tread but very close to the sidewall meat and definitely came from a rocky road. I've also seen similar tears from the shale rock that sometimes line's the road shoulders on forrest service roads.

 

I have a few similar cuts on my Volvo's KO2. A few travels up north in remote parts of Canada, they took quite a bit of beating. I still think they are bulletproof, because they survived cracked wheels.

However my Tundra is on General Grabber A/TX now. I think they are a bit quieter and more potent in winter.

 

I had something similar on the 4R with Ko2, and kept driving them for another 30k until the dry rot set in on other tires and started leaking

 

I'm debating whether or not to replace them. I'd hate to have a blow out and wreck my truck because I didn't want to spend $1300. The tread is down to 6 or 7/32nds depending on where you measure. I was planning to replace them sometime next year.

 

I was out hunting a week ago and on some pretty rough BLM roads. I was trying to be careful but it is likely what happened.

 

I’ve had my KO2’s since 2015 with 30k miles and no cracks really. Very very small hair line ones. Tread is now 7.5/32.
@FirstGenTundra , maybe see if bfgoodrich will cover them under warranty if you haven’t hit anything?

 

I have thus far found the wildpeaks to be all around better than the K02’s. however, I have not yet driven them in the snow.

 

Hopefully not playing checkers in Carbon County...

 

Lol, ain't that the truth. No, I was up in Johnson County.

 

Wildpeaks are the only other tire I'd even consider putting on my truck. I'm afraid to stray from what I already know though when new tires are approaching $1400 mounted and balanced. I do believe they are a solid choice.