New tires

[Glen24]

Ok so I am looking for new tires for my '24 Bronco Wildtrak. Has any one switched out the factory
Goodyear WRANGLER TERRITORY MT
For Bfgoodrich ALL-TERRAINT/AKO3 tires?. How would you compair the everyday ride? Do you notice the extra 18lbs per tire?. 90 % of my driving is on black too, 10% off roading.

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[Gut]

I used to work in the parts departments for several Dodge dealers. When tire would arrive, I'd poke the sidewalls to see how well constructed they are. Wranglers made me laugh. They are incredibly soft and pliable. BFGs are very stiff. Soft sidewalls in 70 and 75 series tires make the truck feel less planted around corners. They tend to wallow. I changed tires on my FJ years ago from Generals to BGFs and the difference was amazing.

As to the weight, you're unlikely to notice the difference unless you are the guy mounting them. An additional 72 pounds is less than a bag of concrete mix. That won't affect anything. Run the correct pressure for the truck/tire combo and you'll be fine.

 

[Valhalla]

Hi, lots of posts on this sight about the KO3's feel free to search!!

 

[J-Lugster]

When my Goodyears need replacing, I'll be replacing them with Cooper Discoverer STT Pro's.

I had them on my previous pickup truck and loved them.

 

[wjtinfwb]

When my Goodyears need replacing, I'll be replacing them with Cooper Discoverer STT Pro's.

I had them on my previous pickup truck and loved them.

I can't comment on the stiff vs. "Soft" sidewalls but can opine on the heavier tire. The weight is due to the additional plies or layers of reinforcement in the tire. This drives the load rating which impacts the Load Range rating of "E". The plus is you end up with a very heavy and robust tire more resistant to rocks and sharp punctures. The bad is the ride suffers, the handling suffers as well due to the additional unsprung weight and the fuel economy drops as a heavier ire has more rolling resistance. The Bronco comes with Load Range "C" tires as Bronco's don't have a lot of cargo capacity to increase load weight. "E" tires are commonly found on 3/4 aand 1 ton trucks designed to have 2500-3000 lbs in their bed. Like everything it's a trade off and you have to determne the value of capacity and strength vs. comfort and economy.

 

[crenca]

An additional 72 pounds is less than a bag of concrete mix. That won't affect anything

On the contrary, it is very significant and will effect suspension response and thus vehicle handling and acceleration (but still a trade off the OP may want to make).

See: difference between sprung and unsprung weight

&

rotational mass

 

[Brian_B]

You will notice 18lbs per tire. It may or may not matter to you though. Mostly it will just be in loss of fuel economy if you are at the same size (or nearly) tire.

You can get KO2s in LR C in most sizes that are a lot lighter (love them or hate them, they are divisive). KO3s are still being filled out in all sizes and load ranges, so depending on size, it may or may not be an option.

 

[Peitnahtan]

When my Goodyears need replacing, I'll be replacing them with Cooper Discoverer STT Pro's.

I had them on my previous pickup truck and loved them.

Same!!

 

[Gut]

You will notice 18lbs per tire. It may or may not matter to you though. Mostly it will just be in loss of fuel economy if you are at the same size (or nearly) tire.

I disagree and the math proves it. Most guys complaining of loss of MPG due to heavier tires do not have the pressure adjusted correctly. Here's why-

Two tires, same diameter (32"), same tread, same size — only difference is weight. One is 50 lbs, the other is 65 lbs. 32" diameter is r = 0.4064 m. Speed is 50 mph, which is 22.352 m/s. Converting weight to mass: 50 lbs = 22.68 kg, 65 lbs = 29.48 kg.
We model the tire as a thin-walled hoop, like a pipe, with the mass concentrated at the tread, instead of a solid cylinder like a bar.
Total kinetic energy per tire at speed v is the sum of translational (moving forward) and rotational (spinning): ½ m v² (forward) + ½ m v² (spinning) = m v²
So at 50 mph-50 lb tire: 11.33 kJ, 65 lb tire: 14.73 kJ
Difference: 3.40 kJ per tire, or 13.6 kJ for all four.
Convert that to fuel use:
13.6 kJ / 0.20 drivetrain efficiency / 120,000 kJ per gallon ≈ 0.00057 gallons

So the extra fuel needed to spin up four tires from 0 to 50 mph is about half a thousandth of a gallon. In real-world terms: nothing. A vehicle making over 300 lb-ft of peak torque barely notices that load, especially compared to the energy required to move a 4000 pound vehicle.

That’s why you don’t lose 2 mpg from 15 lb per corner. The mileage change people see isn’t from weight — it’s from rolling resistance, tread design, and PSI. Think about it this way- if adding 60 or 100 pounds, sprung or unsprung, dropped your mpg by two points, every time you load the family in the truck, you'd drop under 10 mpg. Forget about towing anything.

 

[Brian_B]

I disagree and the math proves it.

Your math skills are quite impressive.

They do not reflect my opinion, so I choose to reject it.

 

[dpAtlanta]

I wonder how the 0-60 times will be affected?
I know that a heavier tire affects acceleration.
I am planning on changing to a heavier tire, and would hate to lose the zip this little 2.7 delivers with the SAS package gear ratio.
I didn't buy this for acceleration, but I enjoy what it currently can do.

 

[userdude]

Your math skills are quite impressive.

They do not reflect my opinion, so I choose to reject it.

I guess you could rub your tires down in some good '80's stickum from the NFL and see if you lose gas mileage...

I feel like he's probably right, but the only thing impressive about me is the shape I leave on the couch when I get up.

 

[Brian_B]

I guess you could rub your tires down in some good '80's stickum from the NFL and see if you lose gas mileage...

I feel like he's probably right, but the only thing impressive about me is the shape I leave on the couch when I get up.

Yeah I can't argue with the math.

But every time I see posts about trying to improve quarter mile times or anything, rotational mass is always the first thing they look to cut and the thing they say improves their time the most. And I know in my own experience - I could feel a 10lb difference in the response of the Bronco when I was switching between different 35s, and it showed up on the DTE counter as well affecting mileage.

Now, maybe that's just placebo effect or the difference between side wall stiffness in LR C and LR D or something. I don't think his math is wrong - just ... maybe missing a variable that isn't being taken into account. What, I can't say - but it doesn't reflect what I've seen myself or read about from others.

 

[userdude]

Yeah I can't argue with the math.

But every time I see posts about trying to improve quarter mile times or anything, rotational mass is always the first thing they look to cut and the thing they say improves their time the most. And I know in my own experience - I could feel a 10lb difference in the response of the Bronco when I was switching between different 35s, and it showed up on the DTE counter as well affecting mileage.

Now, maybe that's just placebo effect or the difference between side wall stiffness in LR C and LR D or something. I don't think his math is wrong - just ... maybe missing a variable that isn't being taken into account. What, I can't say - but it doesn't reflect what I've seen myself or read about from others.

Yeah, I wouldn't be able to say one way or the other. All I know I got heavier/agressive/slightly taller M/T's and my mpg dropped by 3mpg (my psi is reasonably similar). It was the tires in the alley with the throttle, Colonel Mustard, that's all I know.

 

[Gut]

There are a LOT of variables that can affect mileage.

PSI, different tread patterns creating different resistance, different fuel blends, different driving styles with new tires, even speedometer error if the sizes have been changed.

My point is that weight is pretty far down the list. The biggest one that I have seen in my experience as a mechanic and parts guy for way too long to admit, is that most people run their tires under inflated. People go off the sticker on the door and don't realize that you need to run the proper pressure for that tire and that vehicle. I can use my old FJ cruiser as a perfect example. I put new BFG's on it and the mileage was horrible. I started running at 34 to 36psi. I saw a gain of 2 miles an gallon running at 40 psi. I haven't had the bronco long enough to drive it much, let alone calculate mileage, but you can bet I will be adjusting the pressures for the best mileage and ride without consulting the sticker on the door.

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