Balance issues KM3'S or STT's

voodooridr

voodooridr

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Anyone have balancing issues with the KM3's or the Cooper STT's?
33x12.5R15
My Nitto's are feeling like they're going to come apart at anything over 60mph and since 2 of them are down to the wear markers and the other 3 are half gone I figured I'd just replace them all
I cant decide between the KM3 and the STT but I would like to be able to drive on the freeway from time to time
 
voodooridr said:
Anyone have balancing issues with the KM3's or the Cooper STT's?
33x12.5R15
My Nitto's are feeling like they're going to come apart at anything over 60mph and since 2 of them are down to the wear markers and the other 3 are half gone I figured I'd just replace them all
I cant decide between the KM3 and the STT but I would like to be able to drive on the freeway from time to time
Click to expand...

I ran the KM3 in a 35x12.5r15 on heavy steelies, and had no issues with balancing. It’s about the guy doing the balancing, in my experience.
 
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I have had 2 shops try to balance my km3's, on the same rims as I ran my previous tires on which had no issues. Waiting for my football season to finish and I will be bringing them to my buddy (recently hired) to test them and see if it is indeed a tire issue. BFG said they would give a discount on the next set or send a new set for free depending on wear etc...

One of these shops does all the local 4x4 shop tire work and said there was no way, and the other is a mom and pop shop that's very close to me and that I trust and was not able to get them all. Each shop was able to get 1 tire to balance, that being the same tire. So hopefully a bad batch, as the tires do awesome and haven't had much wear in the last 25k km.
 
Morks said:
I have had 2 shops try to balance my km3's, on the same rims as I ran my previous tires on which had no issues. Waiting for my football season to finish and I will be bringing them to my buddy (recently hired) to test them and see if it is indeed a tire issue. BFG said they would give a discount on the next set or send a new set for free depending on wear etc...

One of these shops does all the local 4x4 shop tire work and said there was no way, and the other is a mom and pop shop that's very close to me and that I trust and was not able to get them all. Each shop was able to get 1 tire to balance, that being the same tire. So hopefully a bad batch, as the tires do awesome and haven't had much wear in the last 25k km.
Click to expand...

That's what my worry is, we've had several KO2's run through the shop that were completely out of round and wouldn't balance at all
 
Regardless, they are a solid tire, and it seems for the most part people don't have an issue with them (balance wise). Once I figure out what's going on I still wouldn't hesitate to run them again.
 
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voodooridr said:
Anyone have balancing issues with the KM3's or the Cooper STT's?
33x12.5R15
My Nitto's are feeling like they're going to come apart at anything over 60mph and since 2 of them are down to the wear markers and the other 3 are half gone I figured I'd just replace them all
I cant decide between the KM3 and the STT but I would like to be able to drive on the freeway from time to time
Click to expand...

I’m on my second set of SST 35X12.5X15’s with no balancing issues at all. Several years ago I ran SST 33X10X15, I also had no balancing issues. I live in the PNW where I do most kind of trails except big rock like that found in the SW.
 
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I switched from MTRs to KM3s awhile back. Rather than a traditional balance, I added 0.25 gr airsoft pellets and galvanized BBs (1% of tire weight and 3:1 weight ratio). I've had no issues. I really like the KM3s--they are a world apart on the road from MTRs.
 
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I run 37" STTs on my JT, they balanced beautifully.

35" Baja Bosses on beadlocks on my TJ completely unbalanced smooth as silk. For now.
 
Have had 2 sets of ko2 so not the km3 but still bfg and even forgot to add any weight/balance one, noticed it at highway speed but wasn’t bad but then balanced it and was butter smooth. Both sets have been great. I have also heard a lot of good stuff for stt’s so I wouldn’t worry about either one.
 
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My 35" STTs have 5ish ounces per tire to balance them. When first mounted they were awful and I considered returning but a rebalance made them acceptable. Two balances since then and they come out ok but never perfect.

My next tires will be KM3s, not only in hope for better balance but the more rounded profile looks like they might do better at staying out of my control arm at full lock. I'm running 4" backspacing and the STTs will hug the LCAs between lugs even with 2 washers on the steering stops.

The KO2s and KM2s I've had in the past balanced indistinguishably from a passenger car tire.
 
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PNW_LJ said:
Sounds like a problem that wontons could solve.
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voodooridr said:
Anyone have balancing issues with the KM3's or the Cooper STT's?
33x12.5R15
My Nitto's are feeling like they're going to come apart at anything over 60mph and since 2 of them are down to the wear markers and the other 3 are half gone I figured I'd just replace them all
I cant decide between the KM3 and the STT but I would like to be able to drive on the freeway from time to time
Click to expand...

I've had both those sets of tires. I prefer the STT Pro's and that's what I plan to go back to after the current KM3's, but not due to balance issues, only because of aesthetics. I prefer the STT Pro's profile over the KM3.

I do have one KM3 that takes a lot of weight to balance. This would not have been an issue if I ordered the tires through a tire shop. Instead I ordered them through EBay. That was a mistake IMHO. A tire shop would have ordered another tire to replace the one that needed so much weight to balance.

Generally, I think either would be fine if the tire shop is committed to getting you a set of tires that do not require a lot of weight to balance.
 
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JMT said:
I've had both those sets of tires. I prefer the STT Pro's and that's what I plan to go back to after the current KM3's, but not due to balance issues, only because of aesthetics. I prefer the STT Pro's profile over the KM3.

I do have one KM3 that takes a lot of weight to balance. This would not have been an issue if I ordered the tires through a tire shop. Instead I ordered them through EBay. That was a mistake IMHO. A tire shop would have ordered another tire to replace the one that needed so much weight to balance.

Generally, I think either would be fine if the tire shop is committed to getting you a set of tires that do not require a lot of weight to balance.
Click to expand...

Seems a lot of folks are cross shopping the two tires, not a lot of other options in a 35x12.5r15. Care to share any other differences between the two for onroad/offroad use?
 
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