Tire Questions

[ZanSTI]

I’ve been out of the tire game (used to run a shop) for a few years now so I’m not on the up and up like I used to be. Just recently had a sidewall punctured on my K02s and figured this would be a good time to upgrade my tire size while we put my new wheels on.

Outside of the sidewall failure I’ve had good luck and a good experience with the K02s but I’m thinking of moving to a MT tire now that my work is 25 miles away round trip.
My current choices (in order of current preference) are:
General Grabber X3
BFG KM3
Firestone MT
BFG K02

My biggest concern is reasonable noise levels on road and better puncture resistance. I know the K02s are good, and I may just be blaming them but the incident has shook my faith in the tires so any experience is good. For reference, our next outing will be to Moab for a week and a half.

Thanks for any help or advice in advance.

 

[PurpleHaze]

You might want to look at Cooper. Ive had had many sets of their previous stt mud tire and have run the st maxx which is an aggressive all terrain. All have been load range e tires and Ive never had a flat or puncture. I hear they don't wear as long or even as the KO2'S but for toughness and good manners on and off road I have had great luck.

 

[M Rose]

The KM3s are a great choice and not much louder than the KM2s. @Michael is in his second set for his 80 Series LC.

 

[MidOH]

Cooper stt or st Maxx would be a nice step up.

 

[Megadoomer]

I have had the STT 35x12.5 on my land cruiser for about 5 years. Its been a great tire and they are quiet. They get a little more buzz when I rotate them but only for a few miles.

 

[USStrongman]

What caused the side wall failure? Its not something I've heard of unless it was a direct hit from a branch, etc on the trail. How many miles? Was it a C or E rated tire. That makes a difference too.

Why change to MT? Initial break in will be quiet but as they age, will certainly grow louder no matter the brand. What is your breakdown in % of type of driving. If its your daily driver, unless you live on a long dirt road, MT's are kinda pointless. If you run offroad once a week with mud, then its a no brainer.

Whats your budget and what size are you looking for?

FWIW... the KO2 was an excellent tire for me on my JKU. ran it 52k miles and could hae gone another 5k+. They did get noticeable louder after 40'ish thousand miles but worked like a charm except clay like mud.

 

[ZanSTI]

What caused the side wall failure? Its not something I've heard of unless it was a direct hit from a branch, etc on the trail. How many miles? Was it a C or E rated tire. That makes a difference too.

Why change to MT? Initial break in will be quiet but as they age, will certainly grow louder no matter the brand. What is your breakdown in % of type of driving. If its your daily driver, unless you live on a long dirt road, MT's are kinda pointless. If you run offroad once a week with mud, then its a no brainer.

Whats your budget and what size are you looking for?

FWIW... the KO2 was an excellent tire for me on my JKU. ran it 52k miles and could hae gone another 5k+. They did get noticeable louder after 40'ish thousand miles but worked like a charm except clay like mud.

I’m in a 2002 Sequoia that ls generally fairly loaded down. It’s not a daily anymore and even if it had to be it’s a 20 mile round trip. I’ve dailied MTs before and it’s not terrible generally if you keep good alignment and rotation(I’m a former master tech).

Sidewall failure “appears” to be a pinch on the sidewall from a rock.This was one of the few areas that was very muddy so I don’t know what exactly punctured the sidewall. Tires were E Load range.

Were upgrading to a 315/75 16 for our next trip to Moab and since the Sequoia is quite large we’re looking for as much traction as we can get for future adventures as well. Price isn’t a major factor, just want good traction and sidewall protection. I obviously know the latter isn’t something that’s always predictable.

 

[Dlnuckolls]

I agree the K02’s are highly rated for performance and durability. If you looking at others , I have a set of Nitto’s that are also great.

They are also tough and not overly loud on the highway.