GEN 2 BFG KO2s on Venomrex 602s...change my mind!

Hi all, now that my tailgate swap is sorted it’s time to move on to more overt modifications. About 99% sure I’ll be getting myself a set of 601s in Carbon Graphite for Christmas and need to settle on tires. My stock wheels will get powdercoated and shod with true winter tires for when we head to Colorado/Utah every winter.

Always use the right tool for the job...

I actually like the stock BFGs on my truck...decent ride quality, and plenty of grip for the mild offroad use I typically encounter: unimproved roads, some mild rock crawling, and muddy fields at the ranch. Moreover, according to the data published by TireRack a 35x12.5-20 KO2 weighs just two pounds more than the stock sized 315/70-17 tire. With the wheels coming in 8# lighter than stock, this should yield a net loss of 6# per corner...and unsprung, rotating mass is ALWAYS the best kind of weight to lose, as this negatively impacts all aspects of performance...primarily acceleration, braking, and fuel consumption. I’m no weight weenie when it comes to offroad stuff, but everything else being equal, prefer to save weight on parts wherever reasonably possible.

The 20” wheel/tire combo will see 80-90% of its time on paved roads, or maybe some light off road use. If I’m going to do serious work off road, I’ll swap some good tires onto the stock rims...or just use the Jeep!

I almost always see these wheels shod in Nitto tires, but personally have no experience with them. From what I’ve read they’re good tires, but not sure the tradeoff of more road noise and more unsprung weight is worth it.

What other tires should I consider?

Thanks in advance for input based on actual experience or verifiable data...no fan bois please.

I went to the Toyo 35s in open country RT.

I wrote some impressions. It’s, in my opinion, a much better tire all around.

If you are worried about weight I would stick with the KO2. I just recently switched to the RG and definitely noticed the increased weight.

Are the 602s even available in 20 inch? News to me...

Shogunn of Panama said:

Are the 602s even available in 20 inch? News to me...

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Great catch... and it wasn’t even a subliminal miss (or was it?!), just plain old fat fingers on the key pad! Edited original post to reflect 601s.

Also changed color... from anthracite to whatever the non-black, black color is on these things. Charcoal or something like that I think.

Edit (again!): Carbon Graphite. Hell, I’m just happy it’s not listed as some description of a flavor... “licorice snow cone” or some shit like that. I mean, I get that the marketing guys gotta earn a living too, but whatever happened to colors being described as....well, colors.

Like dark gray metallic.

602s in 20s are apparently in the works. No release date yet.

Shogunn of Panama said:

Are the 602s even available in 20 inch? News to me...

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Raptor911 said:

602s in 20s are apparently is in the works. No release date yet.

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I’m hoping that will happen. I’m holding out for the announcement til spring. After that, may have to go another route.

BFG is a solid choice for weight. The 20's are an E rated tire vs C rated for the OEM's. The combo of a stiffer and shorter sidewall might not ride as cushy as the OEM tire setup in case this is a concern for you.

I love threads like this!

People choosing tires not based on performance or how they will use the truck but based on weight. Track days with the Raptor?

I will say this, I have 12k miles on my Nitto RG with 4K mi rotations and all three rotations required zero re balancing. My BFG KO2 needed a ton of weight and rebalancing on my Gen1 with Method wheels at every 3k miles!

The Nitto also perform better for me on and off-road. The GY duratrac were a touch better in the snow then the Nitto and BFG.

The Nitto RG are hardly any louder than a cupped or worn BFG.

If all your going to use the truck for is on road with an occasional dirt road buy the Michelin Defender or Continental ATR tires you will get better on road handling, less weight, less noise, longer tread life and most likely better gas mileage. They won’t look as “off-road” but you want light weight and less road noise? Maybe even the copper Xeon ltz but I’m not sure they some in the correct size or not. I used those tires for sometime on an LR3 and LR4 for the wife and they were pretty good tires.


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brettmess24 said:

I love threads like this!

People choosing tires not based on performance or how they will use the truck but based on weight. Track days with the Raptor?

I will say this, I have 12k miles on my Nitto RG with 4K mi rotations and all three rotations required zero re balancing. My BFG KO2 needed a ton of weight and rebalancing on my Gen1 with Method wheels at every 3k miles!

The Nitto also perform better for me on and off-road. The GY duratrac were a touch better in the snow then the Nitto and BFG.

The Nitto RG are hardly any louder than a cupped or worn BFG.

If all your going to use the truck for is on road with an occasional dirt road buy the Michelin Defender or Continental ATR tires you will get better on road handling, less weight, less noise, longer tread life and most likely better gas mileage. They won’t look as “off-road” but you want light weight and less road noise? Maybe even the copper Xeon ltz but I’m not sure they some in the correct size or not. I used those tires for sometime on an LR3 and LR4 for the wife and they were pretty good tires.


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Did you actually read my post? Weight is only one factor for me...and a secondary one at that. I’m not doing mud runs or deep sand work, especially not on 20” wheels. Just need a tire that’ll perform well in mild off road conditions, and that will spend 80% of its life on paved roads.

So yeah, weight is a factor. And as I mentioned above, weight (especially unsprung rotating weight) impacts every aspect of performance.

Stock wheels are getting true winter tires for snow and ice. They’ll be kept at our other house closer to where we go skiing every year. If I ever do decide to take the Raptor out for “hard core” off road work, I’ll put appropriate tires on for that...maybe even a third set of rims and tires like I have for my track car.: street tires, track tires/slicks, and a set of wet weather track tires.

Right tool for the job and all.

Regardless, appreciate the input.