Which rating for 265/70/17 KO2?

Seeing a few different options for load ratings on these and not sure which ones to get - are the balancing issues some are experiencing particular to any ply rating?

looking to run the tire as an all-year summer/winter all terrain.

LT265/70R17/E 121S
LT265/70R17/C 112S
LT265/70R17/C 112T

 

C. E ratings are for heavy vehicles like full size diesels.

 

I hate Load E for ride comfort Especially tires like Load E BFG KO2 which has real 3 ply side wall. Those Load C are my favorite. Very nice balance for strength on trails and long road trip comfort. So I would vote for 112 with the speed rating of your choice;
LT265/70R17/C 112S
LT265/70R17/C 112T

 

I would definitely go with load C, 1 ton pickup trucks come standard with load E, if that puts their intended application into perspective.

As far as the speed rating, I don't think it matters unless you typically drive over a hundred mph, haha.

I actually run standard load, or P rating, on mine since I don't really do a lot of off-roading and never tow or carry much weight. I don't think the BFGs come in a standard load in that size though.

 

FWIW, I ran the E rated on my Tacoma and it pretty much ruined the ride quality.
They were super tough and lasted around 60,000 miles, but on my 4runner I run C .I was not willing to have it be so rough.

 

C

 

Same here. Mine are C-rated (3-ply sidewall) and have over 50k miles on them. Great ride and no sidewall cuts when on the rocks. I've heard the E-rated (10 ply sidewalls) ride harsh. They also do not have the same tread warranty.

 

ok - so for the speed rating specially for c load tire - any meaningful difference?

 

Little correction to your post. MY BFG KO2 Load E had 5ply on the tread and 3ply on the side wall. They say it is 10ply rated on the main tread, not the side wall.

I think not many 10ply rated A/T tires have 3ply sidewall like BFG KO2.

 

My BFG KO2 285/70R17 Load C had speed rating of Q = 100mph. That was enough my my speed requirement with the 4runner. I don't remember S & T speed. Higher the letter more the max speed.

 

When I called BF good rich to ask the recommended psi for the stock size ko2 in a load range C they wouldn’t give me any numbers because the tire was not meant for the vehicle apparently because of the 112 number vs the 113 on the dunlops whatever what number means. That being said depending on the temperature outside I go from 35-38 cold and have taken my 4 runner *past certain speeds* and I am still alive, vehicle handled great, and it’s a smooth ride. Better ride vs the duncraps.

 

I had a similar exchange with BF Goodrich:

BFG:

Thanks for contacting the BFGoodrich Consumer Care Team. My name is Carley and I look forward to helping you out. You've been assigned case number 02858938. This will allow my team to quickly pull up your case details if any further questions arise.

Thank you for your interest in BFGoodrich tires! We do not recommend changing from the originally recommended size or ply rating of a tire as it can affect the performance of the tire and its compatibility with the vehicle.

We hope that this issue has been resolved or addressed to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 866-866-6605 (toll-free) between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, or between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.


We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing BFGoodrich.​

Spalding:

Hi Carley. Thanks for your reply. When I asked about putting T/A KO2’s on my 2022 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off Road Premium the other day I specifically said that I wanted to stick with the stock size, and was asking whether the C or E rating would be more appropriate. I have no idea what the ply rating is on the stock Dunlop AT20 Grand Trek tires that came with my 4Runner. So I went to the BF Goodrich website and used the find tires by vehicle feature to enter in my Toyota 4Runner. Only two tires came up: the Trail Terrain T/A and the Advantage T/A Sport LT. Based on these findings and your email, am I to understand that it is BF Goodrich’s official word that T/A KO2’s are not recommended for the 4Runner? If so, there are dozens, maybe hundreds of members of online 4Runner owners’ forums who would be interested to know that. If there is a version of the T/A KO2 that is appropriate for the 4Runner please let me know which it is.

Thanks again,
[Captain Spalding]​

BFG:

Hello [Captain],
I can confirm we do not recommend the All Terrain T/A KO2 for your vehicle.
Thank you,
Carley
Consumer Care​

I wonder if putting KO2s on a 4Runner invalidates the tire warranty.

 

it's the most popular single tire for these trucks, I find that a bit crazy.

ordered the 265/70/17 C 112T tires - had them on my Tacoma and they were solid except of course on very wet roads.

 

If it was so terrible I don’t think a smart tire shop would put them on since they could be held ‘liable’ if not stopping the customer? That’s what I thought at least. I don’t see how these tires can’t be on a 4 runner lol

 

Thanks for the knowledge!

 

I just had KO2's put on my rig. I ordered the C, and they put on E. I notified them of the error and was leaving for a road trip (last week) so I haven't had a chance to follow up with them. I don't think it really impacted MPG's, and though it is rougher, I ran E rated on my FJ Cruiser for years, so maybe I'm just used to it. Since I managed to average 21 MPG for my trip, and mileage impact was my main concern, I think I might just accept the mistake and feel better about the extra rock protection. Oh and they're better for towing too.

 

Maybe they're just covering their asses since they don't offer them in the OEM load range.

Honestly, if one isn't planning on off-roading, I wouldn't put LT tires on a 4Runner.

 

I run E load LT tires. Our trails are full of sharp lava rocks.

 

need a set of year-round tires and 5 months out of the year in Canada our pre-plowed roads resemble off-road trails. Needs somethingh better than the stock highway tires as well KO2s also look amazing.

 

I ran E Load Michelin Agilis Cross Climate and loved the ride. It was much better than my stock Duelers. Also much better than the Pirelli Scorpion ATs in 115T load index (which I think correlates with the old "C load" scale) that I'm running now.

Those E Load Michelins smoothed out small road imperfections, like they had an extra layer of cushion. On bigger bumps the suspension just felt firmer and better damped. Less bouncy. It was great.

I'd love to still have those E Loads, I just couldn't get them to balance well enough and so had a lot of steering wheel shimmy at highway speeds. I still get that intermittently with the lighter Pirelli's, but it's much less common. (No shimmy at all with the OEM Duelers).

 

just picked up my set! a bit miffed the ones they ordered didnt have white lettering but oh well.

do you guy recommend a road force balance from the get go? it's more expensive but I really don't want to go back and forth to the shop because of vibration issues.

 

Most people on this forum go with the road force balance.

 

Mine has been a pavement princess, but living in the lake effect snow belt and taking trips to atv parks which have muddy parking lots sometimes I always go with ko2’s on my vehicles. Rather have them and not need them vs need them and not have them! + they last a long time compared to any other tire I ever purchased.

 

What's the largest sized K02s that can go on the stock TRD Pro wheels without rubbing?

 

I have noticed that with some of all terrains, the SL rated versions have more siping than the LT versions, which would actually make them better in the snow.

It's unfortunate that BF Goodrich does not offer the KO2 in an SL version anymore. I thought they used to come at least.

Load range C isn't really bad. I just personally would go with whatever is going to be the best for on-road use if I weren't planning on off-roading.

 

I’m used to the load range E’s on my half ton I only went with c’s on the Runner because of being lighter and less powerful. I don’t even thing the E’s are rough

 

I was just thinking about traction and fuel economy.

Ride quality is so subjective. I have heavy ass MT's on mine, and the ride is fine (albeit a tad noisy ).

 

I envy your set up though! Ready for whatever it seems like (more than a hair of mud or snow)

 

C rating. If your steering wheel shakes get it road forced balanced. Toyota rotated my tires and messed up the ride quality. Took it to discount tires and had them road force balance. No issues since then.