Factory Falken MT @51K, just changed to BFG AT KO2

[wannajeep]

20 Gladiator Rubicon with factory Falken Wildpeak MT tires, these lasted 51K miles so far and still have some tread (will post them for sale soon). Very pleased with the Falken, and that's after frequent towing and hauling.

Today I had the local garage install new BFG AT KO2, as I don't really do all that much off roading anymore, and was surprised at how much quieter and smoother the ride was, and steering felt much more responsive. By (new) spec, each BFG is 10 lb lighter than the Falken. I swear I can feel it lighter when I accelerate. But of course, much of the Falken rubber has worn away so those might be much lighter now. Anyway it's like a whole new vehicle. It will be interesting to see how the AT does vs the MT Falkens when I try to get into camp over the snow mounds this winter here in Maine. Those Falken MTs could do anything. The garage owner was surprised at how thick the sidewall was. Falken Wildpeak MT is probably the best tire I've run to date (for daily driver and mild off road applications). I hope the new BFGs do the same.

The factory Falkens after 51K miles:

The new BFG AT T/A KO2. Liking the siping and the sidewall grips:

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[Sandevino]

Great wear on the old tires! Are the new ones load range E like the Falkens? That lighter load range might explain the lighter feel and better response.

 

[wannajeep]

Great wear on the old tires! Are the new ones load range E like the Falkens? That lighter load range might explain the lighter feel and better response.

Thanks Mike - I was going to have the shop just dispose of the tires but at the last minute realized there's some life left in them, and prefer to sell them cheap to whoever can get more out of them. II rotated them every couple oil changes so that helped with the wear. They started getting noisier and more vibration in the last 5K miles but nothing too bad. Someone will get some life out of these for short money.

I picked the new tires deliberately as Load Range C, and I'm certain the original Falkens were also C. I've run a D on a Jeep before and it was jarring. For a heavy truck like a Ram 2500, the E was good, but I don't want to try that in a light duty Jeep.

 

[Caveman]

I have E range BFG AT KO 285/75/17s on my truck, and they weigh 2# less new than the slightly smaller Falken Wildpeak MT01 285/70/17s that can be had on many Gladiators, at least going by published specs. I think the BFG AT KOs are generally just a lighter tire than the Falken MT01s.

 

[wannajeep]

I gotta say there's probably more to comfort than the load range rating. Tire pressure might make a big difference. For a daily driver light duty rig a C range might be a good starting point. Depending on the load, as they say, your mileage may vary.

 

[Sandevino]

My Falken AT3W’s are load range E and ride great at 35psi.

 

[TARHEELKIDD]

I had the BFG AT KO2, 325 x 60R 20, load range E, on my lifted 2014 Silverado. They rode excellent and I had 60,000 miles on them when I traded it in. Per Discount Tire, they still had approximately 8 to 10,000 mile left on them. It was mostly interstate driving, but never an issue and the ride stayed quiet and smooth the entire time. Great tires.

 

[Outback_Joe]

Just getting ready to install some new KO2 tires in the 315 size. Its good to hear that they are quiet and ride well. I have used the KO2's for many years on other rigs and have been impressed with the ride and all around handling. Thanks for posting your experience with these tires.

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