"E" rated KO2s

[WyoStorm]

Would like to hear more opinions. Spare is already E and I'll be getting the KO2s as soon as my tax return comes in in a couple weeks.

 

[DrumReaper]

I have a 14 Plat ECB 4x4 SCREW with stock rims and E-***** KO2's. I just took a trip to Ohio this week and before I left I looked at my tire pressures as I noted that my MPGs fell off.

The truck felt like it would roll over the sidewall a little with turn in and felt more sluggish so I knew the pressure was down already.

Upon arriving to my pump, I checked all four stem covers and no leaks... pressures were about 32psi for all four tires. I previously had them at 42psi.

I looked at the max pressures on the sidewall and IIRC, the max load on the tires was rated at 80psi. I pumped back up to 45psi in each tire and the ride was a little more harsh than before but much less sluggishness and rollover on the sidewall.

The E-rated tires are meant for HD work... and they will let you know that with the less compliance of the sidewall. Turn-in can be aggravating and disconnected when at speed as the still sidewall doesn't comply well with lane transistioning and sudden turns. Potholes are a little more spine rattling.

That being said, they're an awesome tire. If you will be towing or hauling a payload, the E's are your tire. If you will be simply Raptoring 10-20% of the year and highway or city driving the rest, I recommend the C's.

 

[pjones]

I had E of the same size on my Dodge diesel and they would be ok for about 35-40k then they are done. Grip is gone, death wobble, etc. they ride pretty hard too, but when they were new, they weren't that bad.

 

[mgreco55rap1]

E rated ridge grapplers

just swapped out my stock BFGs for E rated Nitto ridge grapplers... i do a decent amount of riding in the pine barrens and wanted something with a stronger sidewall. they do ride differently than the stock tires but i wouldnt say bad just diffferent. they are still pretty quiet which surprised me. IMO they have a more aggressive tread pattern than the BFGs

 

[biturbomg]

I went from the stock BFG on Gen 1 raptor to larger .6 taller general grabber which is an E rating tire. The weight was the first thing I felt with the generals. They weigh about 12-15lbs more per tire. They do work way better in mud and snow and highway is not as smooth but not terrible. They have held up great so far and wanted a bfg mud KM2 but the 35's were only d rated and I wanted that extra side protection for some rough areas when hunting etc. so if you don't mind giving up some power, and mpg the heavier e rated is very nice.

 

[mr_beaverhousen]

I’ve been on BFG KO2’s E-rated tires on the 17’ Raptor since about two weeks of ownership. All of my tires were so out of round that they could not be road force balanced, BFG replaced all four under warranty. C rated were on back order so they gave me the E-rated which are slightly more expensive for no additional charge.

I know the C was created specifically for the Raptor, but on my next round of tires I’m sticking with E. The ride is the typical off road tire ride, you feel the tread slow going, but smoothes out once you get speed. I liked the fact that is can take a heavier load. Obviously if you are in central coast Cali would be happy to swap rides to compare.

I was also thoroughly impressed with BFG and their customer support when I had the original problem. Ford was a nightmare to deal with. I finally decided to call BFG directly for the warranty claim while driving to work. Literally a five minute phone call. BFG called the authorized tire vendor who stated they were too out of spec and four new tires approved. No paperwork or waiting. That’s the way to do business.

 

[rtmozingo]

I’ve been on BFG KO2’s E-rated tires on the 17’ Raptor since about two weeks of ownership. All of my tires were so out of round that they could not be road force balanced, BFG replaced all four under warranty. C rated were on back order so they gave me the E-rated which are slightly more expensive for no additional charge.

I know the C was created specifically for the Raptor, but on my next round of tires I’m sticking with E. The ride is the typical off road tire ride, you feel the tread slow going, but smoothes out once you get speed. I liked the fact that is can take a heavier load. Obviously if you are in central coast Cali would be happy to swap rides to compare.

I was also thoroughly impressed with BFG and their customer support when I had the original problem. Ford was a nightmare to deal with. I finally decided to call BFG directly for the warranty claim while driving to work. Literally a five minute phone call. BFG called the authorized tire vendor who stated they were too out of spec and four new tires approved. No paperwork or waiting. That’s the way to do business.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm quite curious on all of this - instructors at Raptor Assault said that Ford spent a lot of time on the tires, and selected "C" range intentionally. I hear tell the Baja trucks use Cs as they work better for high speed stuff. That said, you gotta wonder if the C selection really was for the road use our trucks see the vast majority of the time.

E range K02s shouldn't be any different than Cs in size, right? My main concern with switching tires is not wanting to have to trim, because I do get airborne, and I'd rather stay stock tires and not mess with that than have to trim. It annoys me the K02s run small enough this is an issue

 

[Jeff-Ohio]

For those who have owned Gen 1s. Have you run KO2s in E rated? How do they ride in comparison to the "C" rated tires on a Raptor, or for that matter on an F150?

I put KO2 E rated on my F250, however my old tires were E rated also. In this case the KO2s were a bit softer and a bit more compliant. And for the first 100 miles or so they felt like I was driving on jello.

Thanks.

I had to have two tires replaced under warranty because they could not be balanced properly. Since "C" rated tires were not available, they put "E" rated KO2s on the Raptor. I can definitely tell a slight difference in the ride quality when I have the two "C" rated tires on the front versus the "E" rated. It isn't a huge difference, but it is noticeable right after a tire rotation. I would prefer to have all "C" rated tires for what I do, but I wouldn't object if I could only get "E" rated tires.

 

[whoisbigman]

My current truck is a '14 F150 SCREW ecoboost. For the first 2+ years of owning it I ran the KOs in 315/70-17, same as the first gen Raptor. They were D load rated. I put on KO2s in December and they ride the same from a firmness standpoint. I run my tires at 40 psi. The KO2s are a lot smoother at freeway speed and took a less weight to balance. The tread design is also a lot better in rain and snow. I live in the NW and drive in both frequently in the winter. BFG doen't make a tire to fit the Raptor in a C load rating, nor would you want to put one on if you could find one. Typically C load rated tires would be used with a 15" wheel on a smaller vehicle like an older Jeep Wrangler. When my 17 Raptor is delivered I will keep the stock tires and swap out to some different wheels since I think the KO2s are a pretty decent tire, especially for where I live. My $.02

"BFG doen't make a tire to fit the Raptor in a C load rating, nor would you want to put one on if you could find one."
The smart people at Ford disagree with you.

"When my 17 Raptor is delivered I will keep the stock tires..."
You will be keeping C load rated tires.

 

[caleb]

Wow, lots of misconception of what load rating really does. It won't make the sidewalls on the same tire (C vs. E KO2s) any more puncture resistant. I personally prefer the E rated because it feels way more stable, I hate the C stock KO2s. It's been mentioned but it feels like jello. If you want tougher sidewalls, get a different tire.