K02 tires with zero grip, despite tread remaining.

[jzweedyk]

What load range are your KO2s? If they are not C range, lower the tire pressure. I have used them for years and like them a lot. The tread mileage is great and off road they are very good. Mine are 37s, C range and I run them at 28-32 PSI unless I am going on a long trip and then use 35. My 2 door weighs in (with two people on board) at 5,600 pounds.

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[rblume73]

I have them on my Bronco and my F-150 (well halve the F-150), and I have not had any issues on wet roads. Mine are E range, and I keep them at 35 psi.

I will tell you the K02's are no longer manufactured. I got nails in two of mine on the F-150 recently that were not repairable, and they had to put K03's on since the K02 is unavailable. Glad I had road hazard.

 

[AZ_Craig]

I have them on my Bronco and my F-150 (well halve the F-150), and I have not had any issues on wet roads. Mine are E range, and I keep them at 35 psi.

I will tell you the K02's are no longer manufactured. I got nails in two of mine on the F-150 recently that were not repairable, and they had to put K03's on since the K02 is unavailable. Glad I had road hazard.

I think it depends on the size and if there are OEM applications.

The 37x12.5R17 on the Raptor in C load for instance is CERTAINLY still manufactured unless they have built up a massive supply in warehouses (which I doubt).

I think if no OEM applications and a size has transitioned to the KO3, they are likely moving on to shutting down KO2 production as they phase more and more sizes in on the KO3.

KO3 for instance isn't supposed to be out in the Raptor size until mid-2026. Will be interesting to see how long the KO2 soldiers on then.

 

[YellaHEL940]

This is par for the course for KO2 tires. I have had a few sets and always saw the same. My current ones on my Raptor have 17k miles and are absolutely terrible in the rain.

10k miles on my raptor and same.
Big balloon floats when it rains.
I know it’s a Raptor but 400 hp shouldn’t rip these tires loose as easily as it does in the dry.

 

[Area51BS]

I initially felt the same about them in the rain under acceleration in the past. I keep PSI @35 or under on my fomore door and they have been fine. 15k miles 2022. Never had slip in turns or stopping. Just rear spin on acceleration.

 

[dreemcatchr]

Has anyone else ran into this? I have about 15k on a set of of k02 tires and if you look at them you can hardly tell, tread depth is still remarkable.

However, what is also remarkable is their grip, especially in the wet. It's just nothing, they let go just during a casual 1-2 shift when trying to drive normally. If you give it decent throttle from a stop, they're guaranteed to spin.

It was especially bad last night in light drizzle. I noted the PSI was 35, figured someone would ask.

I’ll add my input in too but will add my experience with the KO3’s.

Yes, definitely slick on the wet. Having had them on both my F150 and Bronco, can confirm that it’s just what it is. Have KO3’s on my Bronco now and love them, no issues on wet surfaces as of yet! That might also be because they’re quite a bit heavier too…but regardless, I’m BFG for life even if they aren’t perfect perfect

 

[AZ_Craig]

I’ll add my input in too but will add my experience with the KO3’s.

Yes, definitely slick on the wet. Having had them on both my F150 and Bronco, can confirm that it’s just what it is. Have KO3’s on my Bronco now and love them, no issues on wet surfaces as of yet! That might also be because they’re quite a bit heavier too…but regardless, I’m BFG for life even if they aren’t perfect perfect

So what makes someone loyal to a tire company "for life?"

I just don't get it. Not trying to pick a fight, but there are so many good tires out there these days and new technology and options coming out continuously.

Between OEM and repalcements, I think I've run Nitto, Toyo, Continental, Goodyear, Hankook, Yokohama, BFGoodrich, Falken, Pirelli, Michelin and Dunlop in the last ~10 years.

I've yet to find a manufacturer who is so amazing that I'm just going to get tires from them. Hell, it's kind of fun trying differnet options out depending on your overall use case and price.

 

[Snacktime]

The rubber compound tends to get hard in BFG tires. Depending on climate and use you get wildly different experiences. I can tell you in the high desert and dry heat we wouldn't buy a BFG.

 

[dreemcatchr]

So what makes someone loyal to a tire company "for life?"

I just don't get it. Not trying to pick a fight, but there are so many good tires out there these days and new technology and options coming out continuously.

Between OEM and repalcements, I think I've run Nitto, Toyo, Goodyear, Hankook, Yokohama, BFGoodrich, Falken, Pirelli, Michelin and Dunlop in the last ~10 years.

I've yet to find a manufacturer who is so amazing that I'm just going to get tires from them. Hell, it's kind of fun trying differnet options out depending on your overall use case and price.

Well…maybe not “buy exclusively for life” but I definitely feel confident in continuing to be a regular BFG customer for sure! I’ve just had the most peace of mind with them and we have a great shop here too so of course this is all just specific to my experience with BFG.

Definitely agree with you on trying out different options and whatnot though! It can be fun for sure

 

[gbub]

I have run BFG AT tries since 1977 starting with a 73 FJ55 Landcruiser then on an 89 Ranger STX, a 2002 Ranger FX4 and now my 24 Bronco Badlands. I did try ProComp MT tires on my 02 Ranger but they started going out of round at less than 30K miles. Then I tried KM3s on my 02 Ranger and they were just too loud. Both MT tires had better traction off road but not enough better to keep me from going back to BFG AT tires.

My 02 Ranger currently has K02s as does my Bronco. I have no complaints about the KO2s in the rain. However I usually drop in to 4WD or AWD when taling out from a stop in the rain. I feel the cornering and braking is decent in the rain and I tend to push my vehicles in corners rain or shine but give more stopping room in the rain.

I can't speak about KO2s in the snow but the original BFG AT tires were great in the snow. I was driving in the Sierras on an uncleared road with deep snow. As I was getting higher in altitude the snow kept getting deeper. Eventually, the snow got so deep that the front bumper of my Landcruiser started kicking so much snow up into the windshield that I had to stop because I could not see where I was going. I was still able to turn around without getting stuck and headed back down. On the way down, we came across cross country skiers using my tracks to get through the deep snow.

 

[Brian_B]

So what makes someone loyal to a tire company "for life?"

Tire companies - I dunno.

But there are some companies out there that have won me over to the point I will ~almost~ not even consider the competition. I tend to be a pretty brand-loyal guy though, treat me right and I have no problem being a repeat customer - I don't really care to go shopping for the absolute best rock bottom price or best absolute deal.

But the old adage of screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice.... I take that to heart, and I hold a grudge.

So, for tires, no, no one has really impressed me to the point where I would go for life. But there are some vendors where I have no problem paying a bit more knowing that I'm in good hands.

I do have a good tire story though:

We got like 5 feet of snow a few winters ago. Neighbor in a 2WD Excursion was able to just plow right through it like it was nothing in a pair of Michellen Cross Climates. Until he put it in reverse, then totally stuck and we had to dig him out with a front-end loader. But that impressed me about the Michellens.... all the way until the Wife got her Bronco Sport. It came with a set of Michellen Primacies. They were done by 12,000 miles - down to the wear bars. Dealer wouldn't warranty them, saying tires have their own warranty. Michellen wouldn't warranty them, saying they were OEM tires and should be covered by the factory. Dealer was an "authorized Michellen dealer" and wasn't willing to step up and say one way or the other. Michellen offered pro-rated "goodwill" credit towards the same set of tires again.

We just left it on the table, not even worth hassling with for that kind of service, and no longer go to that dealer for work. Now running Falken AT3S on the Sport, from a local tire shop, and much happier all the way around.

 

[AZ_Craig]

I do have a good tire story though:

We got like 5 feet of snow a few winters ago. Neighbor in a 2WD Excursion was able to just plow right through it like it was nothing in a pair of Michellen Cross Climates. Until he put it in reverse, then totally stuck and we had to dig him out with a front-end loader. But that impressed me about the Michellens.... all the way until the Wife got her Bronco Sport. It came with a set of Michellen Primacies. They were done by 12,000 miles - down to the wear bars. Dealer wouldn't warranty them, saying tires have their own warranty. Michellen wouldn't warranty them, saying they were OEM tires and should be covered by the factory. Dealer was an "authorized Michellen dealer" and wasn't willing to step up and say one way or the other. Michellen offered pro-rated "goodwill" credit towards the same set of tires again.

We just left it on the table, not even worth hassling with for that kind of service, and no longer go to that dealer for work. Now running Falken AT3S on the Sport, from a local tire shop, and much happier all the way around.

So two thoughts:

One, I always have heard that OEM tires are not covered by any warranty and they are notorious for wearing out quickly. Too much emphasis on trying to make a car "ride and handle" as good as possible on the test drive without any focus on long term durability and wear.

Second, I've kind of come to the conclusion that MIchelins are overpriced despite having some pretty decent tires. I ran Pilot Super Sports on my Audi for a bit and they were pretty awesome. They also cost more than anything else out on the market at that point and I think only held up for maybe 20 to 25K miles from what I remember (max performance summer tires are always a financial loser though unless you are tracking your car). I considered a set of Pilots for my EV6, but with it on a lease and going back to Kia in December 2026, I figured I'd go with the Falken FK460 which undercut Michelin on pricing per tire by around $150 each. So far it's been a wonderful decision.

 

[Bronc6g22]

I can say I miss the accidental drifting with my old K02s...and the light weight.

 

[Techun]

I have run BFG AT tries since 1977 starting with a 73 FJ55 Landcruiser then on an 89 Ranger STX, a 2002 Ranger FX4 and now my 24 Bronco Badlands. I did try ProComp MT tires on my 02 Ranger but they started going out of round at less than 30K miles. Then I tried KM3s on my 02 Ranger and they were just too loud. Both MT tires had better traction off road but not enough better to keep me from going back to BFG AT tires.

My 02 Ranger currently has K02s as does my Bronco. I have no complaints about the KO2s in the rain. However I usually drop in to 4WD or AWD when taling out from a stop in the rain. I feel the cornering and braking is decent in the rain and I tend to push my vehicles in corners rain or shine but give more stopping room in the rain.

I can't speak about KO2s in the snow but the original BFG AT tires were great in the snow. I was driving in the Sierras on an uncleared road with deep snow. As I was getting higher in altitude the snow kept getting deeper. Eventually, the snow got so deep that the front bumper of my Landcruiser started kicking so much snow up into the windshield that I had to stop because I could not see where I was going. I was still able to turn around without getting stuck and headed back down. On the way down, we came across cross country skiers using my tracks to get through the deep snow.

Using 4wd due to rain is just...silly to me. With average tires there's no need.

 

[gbub]

Using 4wd due to rain is just...silly to me. With average tires there's no need.

This is true for the average driver.

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