KO2 fail on FIRST trip

I don’t know what to think…. I bought my KO2’s to specifically handle rough road conditions in West Texas. I spent three days, covering a total of 20 miles MAX, setting up deer stands and then this happens. Fortunately I had a portable air inflator to help me get me back home to the place where I bought them. Turns out a shard of WOOD, or possibly a thorn, stabbed my tires shoulder. Is this a fluke? This certainly doesn’t inspire confidence for future trips to my deer lease.

I thought these tires were built for off road applications and could take it? Apparently not. Yeah, some of the roads I was on were rough (chunk rock, low wet spots, steep sections, some cactus, occasional small mesquite) but they are still roads.

The tires had a total of 700 miles on them, so this incident was covered by a road hazard warranty. They would not repair the tire due to the location of the puncture. I wonder if it could still be repaired by another shop and used as a spare on future trips? Thoughts on that?

 

Sadly I'd say its more shit luck than the tires.

They are well documented and been around long enough to know higher than average the KO2s have little issue.

Depending on where you bought them, were they old expired rubber? I'd check the dates on the stamping to be sure, as I've seen that in the past where someone had been sold old tires.


https://www.tireamerica.com/resource/tire-date-code

 

No tire is impenetrable.

 

I've got K02 tires. I had one mishap on the old ones that were already beat to shit. My new ones are E rated. I run these hard. 1000 miles off-road so far. no problems.
Check my build page to see some of the terrain I run them on.

 

Only KO2's I have had were punctured by a pinecone out in the middle of nowhere.. got rid of them and put on General Grabber AT 2's and never had a flat after that in many of the same places.

Was most likely a fluke but confidence was shattered and didn't feel safe with them on anymore.

Sorry OP

Plug it for a spare.

 

Just so happens physical conditions were just right for that to happen. Different tire same conditions, likely same result.

 

Thank you. I will check that but I did buy them from Costco so I know they do volume sales.

 

Could happen to any tire. Plug it and send it.

 

That sucks,
My 2014 new had KOs on it.
40k miles later I bought KO2s.

In that time I had a few trips to the deer lease to bird hunt.
I will say I never had a flat with either one of them.
Maybe I'm just lucky..

At 80K I bought Discount Tire, Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain AT tires.
Realized I didn't really need a D or E rated tires.

 

I remember when Goodyear came out with the Kevlar wrangler 15 years or so back. I saw one come in with a small piece of gravel that had gone all the way through the tread area. That was a fluke as is this incident with the bfg.

The BFG all terrain off road racing pedigree makes me feel fairly confident in them. The KO/2s are still run at baja on the smaller class vehicles.

 

It's not a bad tire. I've run them. Sounds like conditions were just right to puncture the tire. If the stick was at a slightly different angle, probably wouldnt have happened. I've seen pictures of sticks that punctured the rim and others that went through the floorboard and almost through the driver's seat too.

IMO you should have a spare, plugs, and tools to change a tire if you're in a remote area anyway. Tire issues are going to happen off road. As you have experienced, just twig can put you out of the game.

 

I’m not a fan of the KO2.

However, I would chalk that up to a fluke.

 

I'm in the fluke camp as well. I'd plug it and use as a spare if you off road frequently.

 

I know guys that run ten ply tires in West Texas because of the mesquite and cacti!!! Run 12 or even 14 ply I saw guys running the 12s and they complained about how hard they were to get on

 

Yep, not the tire’s fault. And I am no fan of KO2s…