I just ordered a set of Goodrich all-terranes and they now have 2 ply sidewalls instead of the 3 ply sidewalls as in the past. The tire dealer looked up mud-terranes and they are the same. I have used these in the past due to the sidewall since most of my flats were rock cuts or cactus punctures in the sidewall. With the 3 ply I had very few flats. So no more Goodrich tires for me.
No more BF Goodrich tires for me
- Thread starter Jim Byrne
- Start date
To play devil's advocate just a little. Do you know the thickness of said side walls?
3 ply or 2 ply isn't really the factor that makes it puncture resistant, how thick those plies are is.
If you want bulletproof sidewalls go right to the Kevlar reinforced Goodyear MT/R. I was getting cuts and punctures in the older 3-ply BFG AT and MT sidewalls but no sidewall problems at all with the two sets of the Kevlar MT/r tires.
The BFG Krawler is even tougher but it's not cheap. I'm 100% happy with my MT/r tires.
The BFG Krawler is even tougher but it's not cheap. I'm 100% happy with my MT/r tires.
KO3’s do not exist yet from what I can tell. But I think the ply has something to do with the load rating as well. My KO2 C’s have 2-ply whereas my wife’s KO2 E’s have 3-ply.
Just FYI there is a updated BFG KO coming out later this year, but it will still be called KO2, not KO3. They are adding 3 peak mountain snowflake (3PMS also know as severe snow service ratting) and a mileage warranty (I believe 50k on all sizes) with new tread compounding. The pattern will not change I am told.
As for the sidewall, I spoke to an engineer about it. I was told some sizes are 3 ply and some are 2 ply depending on the load index. The 2 ply versions run a heavier gauge polyester for strength flexibility. I have brand new 2020 manufacturer dated 33x12.50R15 LRC and they are 2 ply. I had them aired down to 15 psi in the rocks at Disney OK and didn't have any issues cutting sides or tread.
As for the sidewall, I spoke to an engineer about it. I was told some sizes are 3 ply and some are 2 ply depending on the load index. The 2 ply versions run a heavier gauge polyester for strength flexibility. I have brand new 2020 manufacturer dated 33x12.50R15 LRC and they are 2 ply. I had them aired down to 15 psi in the rocks at Disney OK and didn't have any issues cutting sides or tread.
New rig, new tires, no bead locks and 150 miles from home it was all I wanted to risk. My friends were giving me shit too. Much of this is new to me, but I am learning. I'll try 10 psi tomorrow at SMORR, baby steps.
I do have a spare, a compressor, and a tire repair kit.
New rig, new tires, no bead locks and 150 miles from home it was all I wanted to risk. My friends were giving me shit too. Much of this is new to me, but I am learning. I'll try 10 psi tomorrow at SMORR, baby steps.
Only air down as much as you need for the terrain your in.
Lots of people in my area are good with 15 psi.
Cooper has some good offerings if you are not looking for "stickies" or red labels.
Cooper Discoverer STT Pros are popular MT tires where I live. So are Cooper ST/Maxx for aggressive AT tires. Cooper's Discoverer AT3 is highly rated among overlanders and is one of the better general purpose AT tires.
The Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ and Baja MTZ are made from the same tough 3-ply sidewall tire carcass as the STT Pro and ST/Maxx.
Of the tires listed above, I have run all but the MT Baja MTZ. I currently have MT Baja ATZ's on my jeep and Cooper Discoverer AT3's on my Xterra. The AT3's worked very well on a recent 3-week overlanding trip in Mexico.
Prior to Cooper, I ran BFG tires for decades. I never had problems with any of them that could be attributed to a defect in design or construction and would run BFG KO2's again without hesitation (the sizes I am interested in all have 3-ply sidewalls). Based upon my recent observations, BFG still appears to be the premium tire brand of choice in Baja.
I have never been a fan of Goodyear offroad tires no matter how good the MT/R with Kevlar might be. Its really just a matter of personal preference and I have had good results through the years from BFG and Cooper. Some guys swear by GY Duratrac's but I would pick the Cooper ST/Maxx over a Duratrac every time because I think it is a better tire. Its more of a toss up between the BFG mud terrains and the GY MT/R.
[No disrespect intended toward Toyo, Nitto, Maxxis, Falken, etc. I haven't run any of these except Maxxis (as a spare only) so I have no opinion about these brands.]
Correction---The BFG all-terranes I ordered were 2 ply but I went to another dealer and the Mud terrane KO 3's have a 3 ply sidewall
I had two small sidewall punctures with my previous BFG KO2s. I switched to MTZ P3s on my LJ and, for once, I haven't regretted a tire choice. FWIW, I also ran a set of MT ATZ P3s on my daily TJ driver. They were a fantastic AT tire!
I spoke to someone at a 4x4 shop today who said they've had a lot of problems lately with the KO2s and recommended against them. I am wondering if it is related to the sidewall discussions in this thread?
Has anyone else had bad experience with KO2 this year? I was ready to order until I heard this today..
Has anyone else had bad experience with KO2 this year? I was ready to order until I heard this today..