BFG KO2... C or E Rating?

[Natchez]

I am soon to be in the market for some A/T KO2s and wanted to know the forums opinions of going with the C or E range tire. They will be going on 2015 Silverado that rarely tows anything. Will the E range last longer? Unfortunately, for my moral, the truck is mostly street driven as well.

 

[Cort]

What aftermarket equipment is going in your truck? The E rated tire would hold more weight.

I have the E rated KO2 on my F150 and they are awesome when I tow but are also a much rougher ride unloaded.

Being a 10 ply they “may” hold up better to abuse but I don’t expect more mileage out of them.

If you don’t tow the C rating is likely your best bet but I’d need more details.

 

[Road]

Exactly, there are a lot of variables to consider. I've run E rated tires (not KO2) for many years on a heavy extended body GMC Savana van and love them for the stronger sidewalls and less puncture/wear problems in general but especially when down in the borderlands where I always seem to catch a nail or two.

My concern would be the airing down when you want and to what pressure, with the stiffer sidewalls on E-rated KO2 tires. Haven't done that with KO2's, so can't advise in that regard, but am certainly interested in other replies here. They're the tires I'm looking at for next round of rubber.

My E rated tires on the van run at 75-80 lbs pressure, and most every thread/post/article you see about airing down is meant for lighter-weight smaller vehicles, that typically run at what 35lbs full and go down to 12-15 or so when aired down?

I'd be worried about running C-rated on a heavier vehicle, personally, but I'm far from an expert.

 

[Cort]

Here is a spec sheet on the size tires I’m guessing you are looking at. The c or e rating is a single or dual ply that is equivalent to the older 6 or 10 ply tires. You will see the max carrying capacity per tire is significantly different, this will also tell you about the rougher ride for the e rating

The psi rating on a tire is the max psi the tire can hold at max weight. You should always use the sticker on your vehicle to determine the correct psi and make adjustments from there. @Road, your van might fit the need for 80psi for sure. I’ve had good luck running my e rated ko2 tires at 20psi Offroading with great results.

 

[Overland California]

I used to run a 35x12/5R15 C rating on my Bronco and recently moved to 35x12.5R17 E rating. Same tires. I haven't noticed any difference is ride quality but can definitely say the beefier sidewalls (or slightly smaller sidewall) lead to better highway and cornering manners. The truck definitely feels more stable and wanders less.

 

[Cort]

I used to run a 35x12/5R15 C rating on my Bronco and recently moved to 35x12.5R17 E rating. Same tires. I haven't noticed any difference is ride quality but can definitely say the beefier sidewalls (or slightly smaller sidewall) lead to better highway and cornering manners. The truck definitely feels more stable and wanders less.

I believe that! 35’s on a 15” rim are a whole lot of sidewall, I can imagine the improvement there. A little less of that floating feeling.

 

[Overland California]

I believe that! 35’s on a 15” rim are a whole lot of sidewall, I can imagine the improvement there. A little less of that floating feeling.

It is a lot of sidewall and the C rating made things really squishy (great for on the trail).

 

[soonersfan]

I'm not knocking BFGoodrich. Frankly, no other tire manufacturer supports off road activities more than they do. They've been at it for a long time and have a great reputation, deservedly so.

I am going to suggest you take a look at Nitto Ridge Grapplers though. They are 10 ply, perform great on the road with no road noise and perform equally well on the trail. I don't think any AT out there comes close right now. I don't think they've been out long enough for there to be much information on wear but I've gotten good mileage out of other Nittos in the past. So far so good on these.

My FIL went wheeling with me recently and he commented that my tires seem to be gripping better than everyone else's. I am biased but I told him that had been my observation as well.

 

[MT_Denali]

Nitto Ridge Grappler has nothing on the BFG KO2. Both are great products don’t kid your self but BFG built the KO2 for every terrain possible. The Ridge grappler is a great hybrid of a tire for the every day tire but does not offer 3-ply sidewas, traction rated symbol, rock ejectors, the list goes on. To answer the original question if you have a half ton get the load range C if you have 3/4 or 1 ton you have to get the LRE. I am not biased. I work in the tire industry. I sell the hell out of both but BFG is superior off road.

 

[Natchez]

Ended up going with Toyo Open Country AT II in 285/75/16 couldn’t pass up $180 a tire installed.