35x12.5R15 KM3's on 90 day plus backorder

freedom_in_4low

freedom_in_4low

I'm a rooster illusion
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Joined
Sep 26, 2019
Messages
8,521
Location
Arcadia, OK
was going to install my body lift today but I called Discount to get tires lined up and 35" KM3's are on "at least" a 90 DAY backorder. Tire rack is the same, getting ready to call Big O. Walmart and Amazon have them available on their website but the prices are crazy, like over $400.

I'm trying to get on 35's ASAP to lower my driveshaft speed out of the range of vibration so I don't have to listen to the pulse for 600 miles to Oklahoma City in mid-June, but $1300 is enough money that I'm not excited about settling for something other than the tire I want.

So I guess the body lift isn't going to go on today, because the LJ already looks goofy enough on 32s with a 4" suspension lift.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rick Flair
guy at Big O looked around and found TWO 35x12.5R15 KM3's in the country.

I'd like 5, but I could settle for 4 temporarily. :cautious:
 
Vasq said:
I take it BFG is owned by Michelin?
Click to expand...
Yes since 1990 they are owned by Michelin. The issue is really several issues. Rubber band effect from Covid, transportation shortages, and tariffs on foreign tire factories. Most BFG LT is built in the US or North America. They are really struggling to keep up. Once you are so far behind it takes a lot to overcome the backlog.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rick Flair and Vasq
AMS417 said:
Yes since 1990 they are owned by Michelin. The issue is really several issues. Rubber band effect from Covid, transportation shortages, and tariffs on foreign tire factories. Most BFG LT is built in the US or North America. They are really struggling to keep up. Once you are so far behind it takes a lot to overcome the backlog.
Click to expand...

what's crazy is most other sizes are available. 35x12.5R15 and 33x10.5R15 are the two that don't seem to be in stock anywhere.

I haven't found any evidence either way, but it's almost like they stopped making those sizes and didn't tell anyone. Except it seems they're still taking orders as Tire rack will let you buy them with a ship date in late June.

I'm going back through my spreadsheet trying to pick an alternative and I'm not excited about any of them.

Cooper STT Pro - probably the front runner at this point
MT Baja Boss - doesn't look awful. doesn't seem like a lot of people around here run them though, and I'm not sure why.
Kumho Road Venture MT71 - even with the Baja Boss.
General Grabber X3 - maybe 3rd place. Red letters might be cool, but might be too much on a red LJ. Side lugs look pretty weak.
Yokohama Geolandar MT G003 - meh
Goodyear Wrangler MT/R K - reputation for being hard to balance and costs $50 more per tire :sick:
Falken Wildpeak MT01 - ugly and 10 pounds heavier than most of the tires in the size
 
Last edited:
freedom_in_4low said:
what's crazy is most other sizes are available. 35x12.5R15 and 33x10.5R15 are the two that don't seem to be in stock anywhere.

I haven't found any evidence either way, but it's almost like they stopped making those sizes and didn't tell anyone. Except it seems they're still taking orders as Tire rack will let you buy them with a ship date in late June.

I'm going back through my spreadsheet trying to pick an alternative and I'm not excited about any of them.

Cooper STT Pro - probably the front runner at this point
General Grabber X3 - so-so about the looks
Yokohama Geolandar MT G003 - meh
Goodyear Wrangler MT/R K - reputation for being hard to balance and costs $50 more per tire :sick:
Falken Wildpeak MT01 - ugly and 10 pounds heavier than most of the tires in the size
Click to expand...

I checked our system and we have zero 35x12.50R15 KM3 nationwide and piles of backorders. We are also out of the size I ordered for my Ram 2500 285/60R20 in KO2. Best to get in line for a backorder asap if you want these. They are making them, but the backorder list is growing. Its not as much of a priority size as is once was.

Add it to the list of things we are short on, new cars, gas, toilet paper, common sense, etc.
 
  • Sad
  • Like
Reactions: Rick Flair, freedom_in_4low and Vasq
AMS417 said:
I checked our system and we have zero 35x12.50R15 KM3 nationwide and piles of backorders. We are also out of the size I ordered for my Ram 2500 285/60R20 in KO2. Best to get in line for a backorder asap if you want these. They are making them, but the backorder list is growing. Its not as much of a priority size as is once was.

Add it to the list of things we are short on, new cars, gas, toilet paper, common sense, etc.
Click to expand...

Well that's a shit sandwich.

top bread: go 60mph across some of the most horrendously boring stretches of highway known to the US
cheese: go ahead and install my MML and BL to see if it changes the vibration at all
meat: buy a set of tires I don't really want
bottom: listen to an oscillating driveline vibration for 10 hours straight
 
deadbeat son said:
Out of curiosity, what is meh about these? Just a personal preference, or have you received some negative feedback on them? Asking for a friend...
Click to expand...

Nothing whatsoever. The tread design just looks kinda dated and possibly noisy to me for whatever reason. I can't quite place it. I'm sure it's probably a fine tire, and it made my short list so there were several options I didn't even include.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deadbeat son
freedom_in_4low said:
Nothing whatsoever. The tread design just looks kinda dated and possibly noisy to me for whatever reason. I can't quite place it. I'm sure it's probably a fine tire, and it made my short list so there were several options I didn't even include.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm still waffling between 2 sizes of tires, but if they're available in the size I choose I was planning to run them. I'm pretty old school and dated. 🤷‍♂️
 
  • Like
Reactions: freedom_in_4low
deadbeat son said:
Thanks. I'm still waffling between 2 sizes of tires, but if they're available in the size I choose I was planning to run them. I'm pretty old school and dated. 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...

I took a lot of options from Dick Cepek, Mickey Thompson, ProComp, Cooper, Milestar, and Maxxis out before posting the list, so even though the tire isn't my top choice in this list, it was still in the top half of what I looked at. I'm just a little more picky about noise than most mud tire users probably are, and they look like the might be louder than the other options. But they may very well be better for their intended purpose.
 
AMS417 said:
Just FYI, all made by Cooper. Decent stuff all the way. Still prefer BFG but I am biased.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've picked up that they're all together. The STT pro and Baja Boss is really their only offerings that interest me.

And yeah, I'm biased toward BFG 'cause it's what I've had on all my 4x4's basically forever and I like them. And I think the way they design the transition from the main tread around to the sidewall looks better and looks like it should perform better than what anybody else is doing there. I've literally been planning on KM3 since I bought my 32" KO2s in 2017 (may have been KM2, don't remember if KM3 had been announced or launched at that time).
 
freedom_in_4low said:
I'm going back through my spreadsheet trying to pick an alternative and I'm not excited about any of them.
Click to expand...
Don’t forget about Mastercraft. They have A/T’s, M/T’s, etc. Made by Cooper. Quality tire.

I used to put lots of them on Forest Service trucks in California. They worked well, the M/T’s, in all conditions on those heavy 3/4 & 1 ton units. Those guys worn out lots of suspension parts quickly but the tires didn’t give them much if any trouble. The government is picky about maintenance and what parts are used.
 
  • Like
Reactions: freedom_in_4low
Kid Mechanic said:
Don’t forget about Mastercraft. They have A/T’s, M/T’s, etc. Made by Cooper. Quality tire.

I used to put lots of them on Forest Service trucks in California. They worked well, the M/T’s, in all conditions on those heavy 3/4 & 1 ton units. Those guys worn out lots of suspension parts quickly but the tires didn’t give them much if any trouble. The government is picky about maintenance and what parts are used.
Click to expand...

interesting, didn't know they were in the Cooper family. The Courser MXT bears a strong resemblance.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
interesting, didn't know they were in the Cooper family. The Courser MXT bears a strong resemblance.
Click to expand...
So is most of the Hercules stuff. They launched an new MT recently. The company I work for owns Hercules and has partnerships with several manufacturers. Most of it is made in the USA by Cooper using our molds and designs. Good tire with a reasonable price.

1620857903087.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: freedom_in_4low
Top Bottom
Back