BFG A/T's kinda disappointing?

[2wiresDave]

I bought some BFG AT ko's E load about 3000 miles ago for my 2011 F150 with an FWC Hawk shell.

After a few light snow falls and quite a bit of cold rain - I was thinking I was being overly critical of the tires, or they were maybe overinflated. Now that I have the camper off and the tires aired down to 40 psi, I have had no improvement in snow and wet traction.

After digging a little it turns out my size tires are not rated for "severe snow" (275/65-18's)...?? They are one of the few sizes that it is noted don't carry that designation. Ugh. Could it really make that much difference? Don't really want to buy new tires again (could probably move these on craigslist easy enough) but the performance of these tires is actually somewhat scary with any moisture on the ground - and we haven't even seen frozen snow/ice yet.

Overall these tires are raved about - and for me when it is dry they are great (a little noisy), but in the limited off road driving I have done they really grab. Snow,rain = scary.

Anyone else have this experience or can chime in regarding the "winter snowflake" rating most tires apparently carry (except mine :-()

Thanks!

 

[DirtyDog]

Have you had them siped?

 

[pods8]

I had 275/65-20s on my other truck and didn't have any issues in the rain/snow. I did not snipe them.

I'm trying out Nitto Terra Grapplers on the new truck, we'll see on those.

 

[2wiresDave]

Have you had them siped?


I have not, just spoke to a tire dealer who said I could give it a shot - he said I would have about a 60% chance of being completely satisfied. For $120 it seems a whole lot cheaper than new tires. However I don't like the idea of riding around slipping and sliding.

DD, have you had good luck siping tires in the past, or does anyone have experience with that?

 

[DirtyDog]

It gets pretty icy where I live so I always sipe my tires. Seems to make a pretty big difference. IMO my BFG's have performed fine in snow and ice. However, performance in these kinds of conditions is probably subjective given that no tire is going to be perfect when its slick out.

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

It gets pretty icy where I live so I always sipe my tires. Seems to make a pretty big difference. IMO my BFG's have performed fine in snow and ice. However, performance in these kinds of conditions is probably subjective given that no tire is going to be perfect when its slick out.


Great suggestion, except that I didn't think of it first.

 

[chnlisle]

I just met with a client that bought a set of BFG A/T's. He as been very unhappy with them. He saw my Nittos. I told him I opted out of the BFG's for the Terra Grapplers after many years of loyalty to the A/T's. I told him they're less expensive, quieter, smoother and I get better fuel economy. Now he's pissed. OOPS!

 

[Barko1]

The chart below didn't copy well but does list users surveys, highest rated tires on top, the BF AT KO's are 10 of 19 on this Tire Rack survey. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ORAT

I'm about to replace my Firestone Destinations with another set. I wish they'd last longer especially with the price of tires these days but loaded with the Grandby, the 7.3, and at times dragging 2000# of trailer I would complain too much.


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Survey Tabs
Firestone Destination A/T 1 100% 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.7 9.3 8.8 8.8 8.6 7.8 8.9 8.7 8.6 19,510,153
Kumho Road Venture SAT KL61 2 99% 8.3 8.6 8.8 8.7 9.1 8.7 8.8 8.8 7.8 9.0 8.7 8.5 761,285
Michelin LTX A/T 2 3 99% 8.2 8.7 8.8 8.5 9.1 8.6 8.6 8.3 7.9 8.8 8.6 8.9 7,049,428
Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor 4 97% 7.7 8.6 8.7 8.4 9.1 8.4 8.8 8.7 7.9 8.4 8.3 8.2 14,742,369
Pirelli Scorpion ATR 5 96% 7.8 8.5 8.7 8.8 9.2 8.9 8.0 7.4 7.2 8.5 8.7 8.4 11,983,547
Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2 6 95% 7.6 8.6 8.8 8.6 9.2 8.6 8.5 8.2 7.3 8.6 8.3 7.0 4,755,061
General Grabber AT 2 7 95% 8.3 8.5 8.6 8.1 9.0 8.1 9.0 8.9 7.9 7.9 7.3 8.2 12,778,753
Dick Cepek Radial F-C II 8 95% 8.4 8.4 8.3 8.4 9.0 8.4 8.7 8.7 7.6 8.1 6.9 8.6 1,276,792
Fuzion XTi 9 94% 8.3 8.2 8.5 8.3 9.1 8.4 8.5 8.1 7.3 8.6 7.7 8.0 2,115,647
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO 10 94% 8.5 8.0 8.1 8.3 8.9 8.3 8.6 8.3 7.3 8.2 7.9 8.5 88,108,568
Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S 11 94% 7.9 8.4 8.4 8.2 9.0 8.3 8.2 7.8 7.0 8.5 8.0 8.4 9,960,358
Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 12 93% 7.6 8.3 8.2 8.1 8.8 8.2 8.4 8.1 7.2 8.2 7.9 7.6 6,364,279
Dunlop Radial Rover RVXT 13 92% 7.2 8.5 8.4 8.3 8.9 8.3 8.3 7.9 6.8 8.0 7.8 7.4 3,364,380
Bridgestone Dueler A/T D695 14 90% 6.5 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.7 8.2 8.0 7.6 6.7 7.8 7.4 7.9 1,155,700
Bridgestone Dueler A/T RH-S 15 89% 6.6 7.8 7.7 7.8 8.5 8.1 8.1 7.5 6.7 8.3 7.5 7.9 2,598,367
Goodyear Wrangler AT/S 16 83% 6.2 7.1 7.0 7.2 8.2 7.4 7.4 7.3 6.3 7.3 7.1 7.4 41,754,015
Bridgestone Dueler A/T D693 II 17 83% 5.9 7.0 7.1 7.3 8.2 7.5 7.1 6.5 5.9 7.9 7.9 7.2 5,328,547
Hankook Dynapro AT RF08 18 69% 4.6 5.9 5.8 6.1 7.2 6.4 5.0 4.3 4.1 7.4 7.7 6.3 1,056,842
General AmeriTrac TR 19 67% 3.7 5.4 5.3 5.8 7.0 6.1 5.6 5.4 4.6 6.4 6.8 6.4 9,010,921

Color Key

 

[ski3pin]

From the following description off of the tirerack site, it appears to say these tires are already siped?

"The All-Terrain T/A KO features an aggressive, computer-optimized, high-void, all-terrain pattern with interlocking tread blocks and innovative siping to provide traction and handling without generating excessive noise. "ShoulderLock" upper sidewall traction bars maximize aired-down performance by provide the clawing action necessary to develop traction and steering control in deep dirt and sand. The tire's internal structure includes twin steel belts on top of BFGoodrich's TriGard (3-ply polyester cord sidewall plies) construction for strength and durability. Single strand beads (a single strand of bead wire is continuously wrapped multiple times until the desired strength is provided) enhance the tire's fit to the wheel to improve uniformity and ride quality, while rim protectors molded into the lower sidewall help shelter wheels from off-road hazards, especially during aired-down operation."

 

[Gormley Green]

Should have got Toyo Open Country A/T's. I drove them down a forest road the other day that I could not stand on in my hiking boots. 100% ice. I was terrified coming down but survived. And went and bought chains. They have good siping.

 

[4llamas]

Got my BFG A/Ts siped at America's Tires for $46. I haven't had them on ice yet, but over the years I have been satisfied with siping.

 

[Overland Hadley]

I have a pair of BFG AT that I now have over 50k on, and I really like them. That being said, they are not amazing in snow and they are somewhat poor on glare ice. And we have snow and ice on the roads about 6 months of the year. But mine do have the snowflake emblem.

 

[JohnF]

... are not rated for "severe snow" (275/65-18's)...??
... chime in regarding the "winter snowflake" rating most tires apparently carry (except mine :-()

Thanks!


I find this interesting. I can imagine rubber compounds making a difference between lines of tires but wouldn't imagine a manufacturer would use different compounds in sizes in the same line. I too wonder.

I have the Bridgstone Revos. Traction is pretty good - I have chained up in really slick mud when towing the boat. They are "wandery" on the highway which I found out was a common gripe after I bought them. I probably won't look at these next time.

Back in my younger 4wheeling days a buddy of mine shod his stead with ATs. That truck had problems on uphills when they were snowy/icy which sort of matches your experience. We would get stuck in bowls - could drive around, just couldn't get out. I can't give a differential due having nothing to compare to.

I have had car tires siped and can't say whether it made a difference. I would be of the opinion that if you want snow tire then buy snow tires. It just seems that a tire engineer would have siped it if he thought it was appropriate.

And I bet siping from one tire tech to the next is very variable...

 

[pods8]

I have not, just spoke to a tire dealer who said I could give it a shot - he said I would have about a 60% chance of being completely satisfied. For $120 it seems a whole lot cheaper than new tires. However I don't like the idea of riding around slipping and sliding.

DD, have you had good luck siping tires in the past, or does anyone have experience with that?


That is REALLY expensive for sniping 4 tires.

 

[busboy66]

My tire guy suggest not buying the BFG A/T KO because of the price. He suggested I get Hankook DyaPro ATM. I have been very happy with them. The tires work great in cold/wet/snow. Off road (sand/gravel/mud) they seem pretty good. One thing I noticed was the small amount of balancing required. The tire guy says they are true and round unlike some other premium tires. My only complaint is they are getting noisier as they wear.

 

[PHXtaco]

After digging a little it turns out my size tires are not rated for "severe snow" (275/65-18's)...?? They are one of the few sizes that it is noted don't carry that designation. Ugh. Could it really make that much difference?

Yes it can. I have run both the C rated BFG AT KOs and the E rated BFG AT KOs on my truck (the tires were the approximately the same width), and I can say that I noticed a big difference between the two and really miss the C rated tires on the ice and snow. I won’t be running the E rated BFGs again as I do not need that level of load carrying ability.

 

[2wiresDave]

Well, live and learn guys. After some interweb scouring it seems that a complaint of the NON winter rated BFG's is that they pretty much suck below 40 degrees due to the rubber compound being quite a bit harder. Apparently they are not even truly the same tread design entirely....Some folks have contacted BFG and the resultant returned emails from corporate confirm that the darn little snowflake eblem is important.

I will move on to a different set of tires, as I am not waiting 50k to replace something that is this scary to drive. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Gormley Green]

Well, live and learn guys. After some interweb scouring it seems that a complaint of the NON winter rated BFG's is that they pretty much suck below 40 degrees due to the rubber compound being quite a bit harder. Apparently they are not even truly the same tread design entirely....Some folks have contacted BFG and the resultant returned emails from corporate confirm that the darn little snowflake eblem is important.

I will move on to a different set of tires, as I am not waiting 50k to replace something that is this scary to drive. Thanks for all the replies!


Very disappointing for you. Good luck searching.

 

[Lighthawk]

the darn little snowflake eblem is important.




Gosh, I went out there and looked to see the snowflake emblem on my BFG's. It's there!
Thank goodness, or I might have to think my tires don't grip the snow.

In truth, I've been pleased with my set and have had them through one rather snowy winter so far. I'm sure there's other choices that are as good or better. I recently met a guy who was raving about some new kevlar sidewall tires he's going to buy, but I don't recall the mfg.

 

[MarkBC]

I'm going to have to do some research on this...as my truck tires are worn.

I'd been debating this fall whether they have enough tread for this snow season or whether I can get through until spring. They're not worn-out, but tread-depth isn't optimum for deep/soft-snow traction. Why wait? Because I'm thrifty.

I learned last week that they may not have enough tread for mud-ice traction

(although, as The Rancher commented, "For what they want for 'em these days you gotta get all the mileage you can out of 'em" -- yep, that's my philosophy, too...so I guess I have more in common with that guy than I thought. )

I'm most-interested in a tire that provides long mileage/longevity and average (not exceptional) traction in soft surfaces. To be precise, what I'm looking for is long mileage for the money, i.e., I'd pay twice as much if they lasted twice as long. And Load Range E, of course.

There must be other "Tires" threads here, too...I'll search.