Falken AT4W vs KO3

[Pressurized]

I watched the TFL video, very limited in what they did. I was surprised at the WildPeaks performance, but it's not enough data to know anything.

One try per tire is hardly enough evidence to be able to determine anything.

I believe that review is an outlier.... I've watched and read a dozen or so comparisons of the 2 tires and nobody has ever produced a result like that.

I consult for tires at an offroad shop as a hobby and have sold and installed hundreds if not closer to a thousand tires over the last 4 years and fortunately, these are the 2 top brands I recommend and sell. Unfortunately, I prefer the previous versions of both....

The KO3 isn't yet available in the appropriate load ranges for our vehicles. The AT4W is, so that makes a difference for me. The KO2's are still readily available and haven't been discontinued. The AT3W is on it's way out. Which is a bummer, because that's the best tire of the 4....

I'm probably going to do a set of KO2's in a couple months unless I get a tire to try from a different MFG.

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[DriveAllNight]

I believe that review is an outlier.... I've watched and read a dozen or so comparisons of the 2 tires and nobody has ever produced a result like that.

I consult for tires at an offroad shop as a hobby and have sold and installed hundreds if not closer to a thousand tires over the last 4 years and fortunately, these are the 2 top brands I recommend and sell. Unfortunately, I prefer the previous versions of both....

The KO3 isn't yet available in the appropriate load ranges for our vehicles. The AT4W is, so that makes a difference for me. The KO2's are still readily available and haven't been discontinued. The AT3W is on it's way out. Which is a bummer, because that's the best tire of the 4....

I'm probably going to do a set of KO2's in a couple months unless I get a tire to try from a different MFG.

Yea, I'm thinking Falken went to far with the AT4Ws, evidently for the truck market, the AT3W was going to be my tire of choice for the Bronco. I was excited for the new version until they released the stats and the weight, now I'm wondering if they just don't work so well for the Bronco. Same tires on different vehicles perform very differently.

My personal opinion, it's easy to get a tire to perform on dry roads, it's when it rains I want to know they will grip. Confidence in your tires in bad weather is everything. I'm hoping to figure it out soon, I've read and watched a lot of reviews, none of which have been on Broncos. This was the first on a Jeep, so I want it to be more comprehensive - it wasn't.

 

[SoDak1623]

I wouldn't trust TFL at all if they publish a result that nearly doubles the distance of the other similar tires. That just shows their testing is flawed and they don't really know what they are doing. I'd recommend watching Outdoor Auto's in depth video on the AT4W and his comparisons to learn more about each tire.

The AT4W does seem to sacrifice performance in some areas in order to meet others that make it a better tire for the truck market. These sacrifices are likely marginal, but time will tell with more data over time. The AT3W really did hit all the marks for my use case: Load range C that is still tough and not too heavy, more tread depth than a KO2, better longevity, cheaper, 3PMS rating with great snow and wet performance.

 

[DriveAllNight]

I wouldn't trust TFL at all if they publish a result that nearly doubles the distance of the other similar tires. That just shows their testing is flawed and they don't really know what they are doing. I'd recommend watching Outdoor Auto's in depth video on the AT4W and his comparisons to learn more about each tire.

The AT4W does seem to sacrifice performance in some areas in order to meet others that make it a better tire for the truck market. These sacrifices are likely marginal, but time will tell with more data over time. The AT3W really did hit all the marks for my use case: Load range C that is still tough and not too heavy, more tread depth than a KO2, better longevity, cheaper, 3PMS rating with great snow and wet performance.

Yea, I watch Outdoor Auto also, he really gets into the science of tires - which is really good.
The big problem is his use case is trucks in very harsh off road conditions. Very informative, and helpful, but doesn't address my concerns for the Bronco.

 

[Wildruby]

I believe that review is an outlier.... I've watched and read a dozen or so comparisons of the 2 tires and nobody has ever produced a result like that.

I consult for tires at an offroad shop as a hobby and have sold and installed hundreds if not closer to a thousand tires over the last 4 years and fortunately, these are the 2 top brands I recommend and sell. Unfortunately, I prefer the previous versions of both....

The KO3 isn't yet available in the appropriate load ranges for our vehicles. The AT4W is, so that makes a difference for me. The KO2's are still readily available and haven't been discontinued. The AT3W is on it's way out. Which is a bummer, because that's the best tire of the 4....

I'm probably going to do a set of KO2's in a couple months unless I get a tire to try from a different MFG.

Either @Pressurized or @Gotchaa know when roughly 315/70/17 or 35/12.5/17 coming out in a better load rating?

 

[Gotchaa]

Either @Pressurized or @Gotchaa know when roughly 315/70/17 or 35/12.5/17 coming out in a better load rating?

There's no LRC for the LT315/70R17 KO3 ...

 

[NaMinesClarence]

I wouldn't trust TFL at all if they publish a result that nearly doubles the distance of the other similar tires. That just shows their testing is flawed and they don't really know what they are doing. I'd recommend watching Outdoor Auto's in depth video on the AT4W and his comparisons to learn more about each tire.

The AT4W does seem to sacrifice performance in some areas in order to meet others that make it a better tire for the truck market. These sacrifices are likely marginal, but time will tell with more data over time. The AT3W really did hit all the marks for my use case: Load range C that is still tough and not too heavy, more tread depth than a KO2, better longevity, cheaper, 3PMS rating with great snow and wet performance.

Real data vs a guy touching tires in his garage ... toss up.

 

[Gotchaa]

Real data vs a guy touching tires in his garage ... toss up.

I watched them all and what I find is some of the explanations show up in tests done by others and some do not. At the end of the day I think outside of real track testing in a controlled environment you are not getting great data, just average at best.

When it comes down to it it’s going to be dependent on your own daily driving conditions and what you want out of the tire for performance dry/wet/snow/sand/rocks.

For me it seems like the KO3 is the best all around if you have a mix of many snow days in your daily, otherwise the ATW4 is probably best all around if you are okay with the weight trade off.

While I would like to hold off for KO3 I am not waiting till 2026

 

[NaMinesClarence]

I watched them all and what I find is some of the explanations show up in tests done by others and some do not. At the end of the day I think outside of real track testing in a controlled environment you are not getting great data, just average at best.

When it comes down to it it’s going to be dependent on your own daily driving conditions and what you want out of the tire for performance dry/wet/snow/sand/rocks.

For me it seems like the KO3 is the best all around if you have a mix of many snow days in your daily, otherwise the ATW4 is probably best all around if you are okay with the weight trade off.

While I would like to hold off for KO3 I am not waiting till 2026

Those are far from the only two tires to pick from lol

 

[5280Bronco]

Those are far from the only two tires to pick from lol

What other options exist in a C load rating that is 3peak rated?

 

[NaMinesClarence]

What other options exist in a C load rating that is 3peak rated?

For the second time ... my E-rated tires ride better than the stock C-rated tires I replaced them with in every way. I drove my Bronco to work the last two days, and I have been incredibly impressed with the road feel, handling, and compliance at below-freezing temperatures.

 

[DriveAllNight]

For the second time ... my E-rated tires ride better than the stock C-rated tires I replaced them with in every way. I drove my Bronco to work the last two days, and I have been incredibly impressed with the road feel, handling, and compliance at below-freezing temperatures.

What tires are you running?

 

[5280Bronco]

I would also like to know what psi you run them at on the road. Is there any negative to running an E-load rated tire at a low pressure in order to make it ride better? I honestly don't know.

 

[NaMinesClarence]

What tires are you running?

Yokohama Geolander G018's

I would also like to know what psi you run them at on the road. Is there any negative to running an E-load rated tire at a low pressure in order to make it ride better? I honestly don't know.

The same 35psi I ran the Goodyears at.

 

[GroovyGeek]

What other options exist in a C load rating that is 3peak rated?

Toyo OC AT3
Nitro Ridge Grappler
Toyo OC R/T

I personally would not touch the Falken AT4ws due to the excessive weight for what the tire gives you. These things weigh more than an E rated Baja Boss AT. If you want good wet traction get the AT3w. If you want a good all rounder go with the KO3. If you want to save money without sacrificing much go with a Toyo. And if you want a bullet proof tire with a reasonable weight go with the MT pizza cutters.

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