KO2s or is the Bronco

[Bluebull]

I'm in Swampscott right on the coast so got very windy here. Went out again yesterday to do some stuff and by taking it easy had no problems.

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[Winds of Change]

Well now I have to wait for a wet day to puy my new Falken Wildpeak AT4W's to the test.

 

[Chrome_Pony]

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?

I honestly wouldn't even bother at this point, maybe around 45K, I'd start looking.

KO2s are plenty fine as long as you keep your foot out of it and/or use 4A. I've run them year round in Alaska for tens of thousands of miles on Jeeps, the Bronco, GM trucks, all on this superdangerous wet pavement, and actual, literal ice, which everyone in this thread makes wet pavement sound like. I've also run Cooper AT3s, Falken Wildpeaks, Hankook Dynapro, and the OG Pirelli Scorpion ATs for tens of thousands of miles as well.

The KO2s work well enough that I don't run winter tires. Add time and space to slow down and take off, and smart throttle use and they'll serve you well.

 

[Bluebull]

I honestly wouldn't even bother at this point, maybe around 45K, I'd start looking.

Would be more by time than miles, the daily I traded in for this had 6,700 miles after 4 1/2 years.

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

I'm in Swampscott right on the coast so got very windy here. Went out again yesterday to do some stuff and by taking it easy had no problems.

So, three days with the N'orEaster, running around Boston and nearby parkways. Mostly in 4A/Slippery* no trouble. Parkway driving south of Boston was mostly straight, so there wasn't any occasion which called for extra traction. On city streets, I disengaged 4A a few times and gunned it around some corners: everything went fine, no slippage or fishtailing.

With my limited experience <1,000 miles) I'm impressed with my KO2s. They performed very well on #5/10 Class IV roads in Vermont, maybe 25 miles. I think the answer is to simply exercise common sense and moderation in inclement weather.


@JediMcMuffin wrote, "4A is fantastic, its meant for maximum traction ON pavement. "

On my OEM Goodyears, it was my practice to drive most dirt roads and moderately rocky trails in 4A, then to engage 4L only when I found myself with a serious obstacle that might lift one wheel significantly into space, slippery rocks in a river, or something that needed extra "umph" to mount and get over, like a serious rock, ledge, or step. Or maybe a log, especially if slippery with rot. I found 4A to be more than adequate in most situations--even deep mud.

*Engaging "Slippery" will automatically engage 4A.

 

[Area51BS]

So, three days with the N'orEaster, running around Boston and nearby parkways. Mostly in 4A/Slippery* no trouble. Parkway driving south of Boston was mostly straight, so there wasn't any occasion which called for extra traction. On city streets, I disengaged 4A a few times and gunned it around some corners: everything went fine, no slippage or fishtailing.

With my limited experience <1,000 miles) I'm impressed with my KO2s. They performed very well on #5/10 Class IV roads in Vermont, maybe 25 miles. I think the answer is to simply exercise common sense and moderation in inclement weather.


@JediMcMuffin wrote, "4A is fantastic, its meant for maximum traction ON pavement. "

On my OEM Goodyears, it was my practice to drive most dirt roads and moderately rocky trails in 4A, then to engage 4L only when I found myself with a serious obstacle that might lift one wheel significantly into space, slippery rocks in a river, or something that needed extra "umph" to mount and get over, like a serious rock, ledge, or step. Or maybe a log, especially if slippery with rot. I found 4A to be more than adequate in most situations--even deep mud.

*Engaging "Slippery" will automatically engage 4A.

Then I must have a mistake and Ford put in a 3.2 liter in line 4 banger instead of 2.3 with lots of power because I can even spin them in a straight line. Never had a tire behave this way so easily. 4A does make a difference.

 

[YellaHEL940]

In a Raptor it is boatloads of fun!!! She’s squirrelly.

 

[Fast Eddie]

So, three days with the N'orEaster, running around Boston and nearby parkways. Mostly in 4A/Slippery* no trouble. Parkway driving south of Boston was mostly straight, so there wasn't any occasion which called for extra traction. On city streets, I disengaged 4A a few times and gunned it around some corners: everything went fine, no slippage or fishtailing.

With my limited experience <1,000 miles) I'm impressed with my KO2s. They performed very well on #5/10 Class IV roads in Vermont, maybe 25 miles. I think the answer is to simply exercise common sense and moderation in inclement weather.


@JediMcMuffin wrote, "4A is fantastic, its meant for maximum traction ON pavement. "

On my OEM Goodyears, it was my practice to drive most dirt roads and moderately rocky trails in 4A, then to engage 4L only when I found myself with a serious obstacle that might lift one wheel significantly into space, slippery rocks in a river, or something that needed extra "umph" to mount and get over, like a serious rock, ledge, or step. Or maybe a log, especially if slippery with rot. I found 4A to be more than adequate in most situations--even deep mud.

*Engaging "Slippery" will automatically engage 4A.

If you gunned it around the corner in the wet and didn't spin your tires, I'd say your truck accidentally received a 1.3L engine, or you aren't really sure what "gunning it" means (just to be clear, there are no guns involved). Even when I had Michelin Defenders on my truck (gold standard in highway all seasons) I would spin if I went too deep into the throttle in a corner. If you can't spin ANY tire flooring it in a corner in the rain then your truck is broken....

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

If you gunned it around the corner in the wet and didn't spin your tires, I'd say your truck accidentally received a 1.3L engine, or you aren't really sure what "gunning it" means (just to be clear, there are no guns involved). Even when I had Michelin Defenders on my truck (gold standard in highway all seasons) I would spin if I went too deep into the throttle in a corner. If you can't spin ANY tire flooring it in a corner in the rain then your truck is broken....

It wasn't a garbage truck which ran Alec Baldwin off the road.
It was me.

 

[Fast Eddie]

It wasn't a garbage truck which ran Alec Baldwin off the road.
It was me.

Just saw the video of him running himself off the road trying to pass the garbage truck on the median. What a toolbox he is...

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

Just saw the video of him running himself off the road trying to pass the garbage truck on the median. What a toolbox he is...

A LandRover is no match for a Bronco.

 

[PurpleBronco2.3]

I may have to look into those. Don’t care about mileage as it’s garage kept and is only used for fun as you can tell by my low mileage. This isn’t cool. I’ve owned 7 pick up trucks and none slide like this thing. None of those had KO2’s either.

I picked up a set of Cosmo Mud Kickers, a Mud Terrain and I throw the Bronco in Sport Mode, switch back to 2H in rain and I have a hard time losing traction in them even on the oiled newer roads of Phoenix. These tires are incredible. Do well off road as well. Cosmo is most notably in the drift discipline but have a few off-road tires. They were about $210 a tire from Walmart so just over 1000 for all 5. I will be buying another set. Just over 10k miles on them after 29k on the stock Territory’s. They still look new. Been off-roading on them more there the Territory and those were shredded. If you need a new set, look for these tires.

 

[Fast Eddie]

My wife likes cosmos, thy were the rage in the 90's and have made a bit of a comeback.

 

[fuesting]

I have a non-SAS badlands and have been running the OE 33" K02's for 2 sets of tires. Both basically behaved the same. I found that they were a very good tire on road and off. As they wear, the first thing I start to notice is on road wet performance. Not so much in cornering as 2WD traction starting out.

After the second set wore out, I went to Nokian Outpost nAT's in size LT285/75R17 E1. It's been dry here in Pittsburgh for a month+ and I never got to drive them on wet pavement. Well I hate to say that they are terrible in wet conditions. Not what I was expecting from Nokian. Measurably worse than my K02's. I recently added Bilstein 6100s and SAS springs to the setup, but with same wheels and tires + 1" spacers. This did not improve anything. I'm now working with Nokian and Discount Tire to replace the tires. They are simply unsafe in wet conditions IMO.

I'm now back in the hunt for new tires. 35's this time as my suspension geometry should be almost identical to a OEM SAS setup. I have no idea what to go with. I was thinking K02's or K03's but after reading this thread, I'm just not sure.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a new tire that performs very good on road and in wet conditions?

 

[jensht]

I have a non-SAS badlands and have been running the OE 33" K02's for 2 sets of tires. Both basically behaved the same. I found that they were a very good tire on road and off. As they wear, the first thing I start to notice is on road wet performance. Not so much in cornering as 2WD traction starting out.

After the second set wore out, I went to Nokian Outpost nAT's in size LT285/75R17 E1. It's been dry here in Pittsburgh for a month+ and I never got to drive them on wet pavement. Well I hate to say that they are terrible in wet conditions. Not what I was expecting from Nokian. Measurably worse than my K02's. I recently added Bilstein 6100s and SAS springs to the setup, but with same wheels and tires + 1" spacers. This did not improve anything. I'm now working with Nokian and Discount Tire to replace the tires. They are simply unsafe in wet conditions IMO.

I'm now back in the hunt for new tires. 35's this time as my suspension geometry should be almost identical to a OEM SAS setup. I have no idea what to go with. I was thinking K02's or K03's but after reading this thread, I'm just not sure.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a new tire that performs very good on road and in wet conditions?

I've been very happy with the General Grabber AT line of tires. Much better on road manners and traction than the KO2s. Offroad, they are a bit softer. So depending on the terrain that might be a pro or con.

Also, I can attest to the Nokians being pretty bad in the wet. So far I haven't been impressed by their non-winter tires to be honest.

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