KO2s or is the Bronco

[Fast Eddie]

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4s.
Toyo Open Country AT3.
Falken Wildpeak AT4.

I'd also add Nitto Terra Grappler G3's in that mix.

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[timhood]

What tire pressures are folks running in the KO2’s?
I ran 35 psi last winter with manual Badlands with 4A engaged and I don’t think I ever slipped a wheel.
More of a testament of the 4A transfer case than the BFG’s I guess.

You must not exist. I don’t exist, because everyone says they’re the worst. At least that’s what I’ve been told.

 

[Brian_B]

So what would people recommend for a year round tire that is good in rain and rated for severe snow?, Off Road not needed. Am surprised with all the bad reviews on them in wet that they have snow rating? Figure since mine only have 200 miles on them maybe test them a bit and if I don't like switch.

For AT tires:

The KO2s are the most popular AT tire I see, bar none. But you either love them, or you hate them. Not advocating for or against them, as they have been well hashed out here.

Falken Wildpeak is a distant second - most folks mention they liked the AT3W better, but that's been discontinued and replaced with the AT4W. The 4W is still a good tire though. This is the second most common tire I see out and about on all kinds of vehicles.

Everything else falls out into third place.

On these forums, the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT is probably the most well regarded. The only ding anyone has against them is they are a bit on the heavy side. But they come in a ton of nice sizes and load ranges. I don't see a ton of these out and about, but I don't see a ton of Broncos out there either (yet).

All three of those tires mentioned so far are 3PMSF rated. Other than the aforementioned love-or-hate relationship with the KO2's in the rain, they are all also well regarded on and off road. The AT4W is noted to be a bit worse in the snow than the AT3W was, but I have vehicles with both right now and would be hard pressed to tell you a significant difference between them - and the AT4W is a great tire regardless of how it stacked up to the previous 3W edition.

And there are a whole slew of other brand names that I would say are decent enough to be worth mentioning, just don't have the popularity and the list is long (either on these forums or from my limited sample set of what I see driving around Central CA) -- Cooper, Nitto, Toyo, Kenda, Geolanders, the other trim OEM tires (including the Goodyear, they have their fans), etc.

 

[Bluebull]

This thread has my head spinning. Hate to change brand new tires for a tire that might not be that much better. So looks like my plan will be just to give them a shot. We will be getting heavy rain the next couple days so will be able to give a good test. But being new with only about 200 miles on them could that make them worse than a tire more broken in? Also keep hearing "Heavy Tire", how does that effect things?

 

[Brian_B]

This thread has my head spinning. Hate to change brand new tires for a tire that might not be that much better. So looks like my plan will be just to give them a shot. We will be getting heavy rain the next couple days so will be able to give a good test. But being new with only about 200 miles on them could that make them worse than a tire more broken in?

Well, the good news is that for 17" AT tires, there is a very robust gray market - so if you try them and don't like them -- some tires/tire shops will allow you to return, and if they don't, you will have no problems selling them either on these forums or something like eBay/Facebook/etc.

 

[Bluebull]

So anyone want to buy some almost new Ko2's? Probably the wrong thread to ask in

 

[23OBX2.7]

They're all excellent tires. I believe the falken is a bit heavier than the others, if that matters to you in any way.

Falken are great tires!

 

[Brian_B]

So anyone want to buy some almost new Ko2's? Probably the wrong thread to ask in

Go make a For Sale thread (makje sure to read and follow the rules for the forum) and you'd probably get a bite

 

[BroncoChallenger]

Part of it might be that some folks have driven trucks all their life and just accept the status quo. Others might be coming from cars where the behavior of the KO2s just wouldn't be accepted. Also, some folks prefer hard tires that last forever, vs softer tires that need replacing more often. So many ways to drive, different vehicles, different values of what is good or bad.

For example, I would never claim that any AT tire is good in winter, compared to a winter tire they might as well be made of glass. But then there are tons of people that swear by them as winter tires and claim that winter tires aren't needed.

This is a huge part of it - none of us drive the same, and have different experiences.

There are some AT tires I've used in the past where I would rather have a set of winter tires...I'm just too cheap to buy another set of rims or take them in to be mounted every spring and fall.

There are other AT tires that I have had absolutely zero issues with in snow, and have no need for winter tires, because the ATs are THAT good. In fact, any vehicle I've had Generals on, I have only gotten 'stuck' once, in my own driveway, because I couldn't get through a particularly large drift. Left it sit til morning and pulled it off with another vehicle that ALSO had Generals on it.

So let's put it this way - if the AT tire is good enough, no, you don't need winter tires. But depending on what you DO have on there in the summer...you might need or want them.

 

[Bluebull]

So got out for a drive this morning in our very hard rain. Playing around some in 2wd car was getting some slipping around corners but did ok on accelerating and stopping. Was also pushing it a little harder than what I would be doing in wet/slippery conditions, Then used this setting and it automatically put car in 4A, did not even know Bronco had these settings. Noticed difference right away and no slipping , driving more aggressive did get some. So I think I will try them for a couple months and see how they are in the snow, if I don't like will probably go with the Falken, but was reading they can be tough to balance. Some are saying they are heavy, what exactly does that mean in terms of driving?

 

[not on the rug]

So got out for a drive this morning in our very hard rain. Playing around some in 2wd car was getting some slipping around corners but did ok on accelerating and stopping. Was also pushing it a little harder than what I would be doing in wet/slippery conditions, Then used this setting and it automatically put car in 4A, did not even know Bronco had these settings. Noticed difference right away and no slipping , driving more aggressive did get some. So I think I will try them for a couple months and see how they are in the snow, if I don't like will probably go with the Falken, but was reading they can be tough to balance. Some are saying they are heavy, what exactly does that mean in terms of driving?

The heavier the wheel and tire, the more rotational mass it has. That means slower acceleration, longer braking distances and a loss of MPG. I like the Falkens, but am likely going to go with the TOYO Open Country AT3 when it's time to replace the stock goodyears. I've had the OC 2 and OC3 on other vehicles and they are fantastic. The OC3 dramatically improved wet road performance over the OC2. I've had the Coopers AT3 on a truck before and I loved them too. Great in all conditions.

I've heard the Falkens can be tough to balance sometimes, same with the Generals. You could give them a whirl and see how it goes. My brother had the Generals on one of his trucks and said they were a lot nicer in wet conditions than the K02s he had

 

[JediMcMuffin]

So got out for a drive this morning in our very hard rain. Playing around some in 2wd car was getting some slipping around corners but did ok on accelerating and stopping. Was also pushing it a little harder than what I would be doing in wet/slippery conditions, Then used this setting and it automatically put car in 4A, did not even know Bronco had these settings. Noticed difference right away and no slipping , driving more aggressive did get some. So I think I will try them for a couple months and see how they are in the snow, if I don't like will probably go with the Falken, but was reading they can be tough to balance. Some are saying they are heavy, what exactly does that mean in terms of driving?

4A is fantastic, its meant for maximum traction ON pavement. That's why slippery mode turns it on. If you floor it in 4A you'll send power to all four wheels and then you'll see it bias to the rear as you pick up speed.

I spent the better part of three years hardly using it, now I hardly run it off except when off-road or just trying to conserve a little fuel usage.

 

[broncobase1]

What driving mode were you in? Maybe traction control is less effective in some driving modes. Are you sure it was just a little gas?

 

[Area51BS]

What driving mode were you in? Maybe traction control is less effective in some driving modes. Are you sure it was just a little gas?

Normal and normal acceleration.

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

So anyone want to buy some almost new Ko2's? Probably the wrong thread to ask in

The Northeaster' blew into town. (You know that.) I got out on some errands a little yesterday, nothing more than 60mph on Blue Hill Ave, but I tried hard acceleration and sharp turns in my 2022 Badlands/4DR/Sas/2.7, with 4A and "Slippery" engaged. Also a few very hard stops, some to test and one by traffic necessity, sending loose stuff in the back tumbling: stopped fine. Not much of a driving sample, but no slipping or fishtailing on my brand new KO2s. Very early, but no complaints.

I get up to Hanscom once in a while. Whereabouts "north of Boston" are you?

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