Anyone put BF Goodrich KO2s on their late model Forester? If so, please comment.

[perterra]

I put KO2s on my Outback last year. After 8000 miles (Alaska Highway to Poulsbo, WA, freeway to Birmingham, Alabama), the right rear was down to the wear bars, the left rear was almost as bad. Put on Geolanders. Drove home with them from Port Angeles. Like them better.

Don't get me wrong, I like the way the KO2s look and handle. The car looks totally butch with them on. But they were the wrong tire for what I wound up haveing to do, which was drive too many freeway miles on them. If all you are going to do is drive dirt and rock, probably much better. But the two highways you mentioned are not dirt and rock, they are gravel, and well maintained. Moreover, you are going to be driving thousands of highway miles to get to them. I would recommend getting something that is a M+S type tire, as it will be so much quieter and likely just as capable as what it sounds like you are going to do.

Best of luck!

p.s. This is all just for what it is worth. Others undoubtedly have different experiences. I succumbed to the look of the KO2s. Wish I had my money back.

I'd say if they were worn out in 8,000 miles they were for sure not suitable, I got close to 50,000 on a Jeep YJ that was nearly all highway.

 

[jackattack]

Having said that, for my Subaru, I wouldn't mind getting some Yoko Geo ATS'.

I said it before, but these tires were magic on my 2010 Outback. I got 60,000 miles with regular rotations. If it had been a 5MT instead of the worthless 4OD, I'd probably still own that car.

 

[kojackJKU]

The other issue with the KO2 is that they are 10 lbs a tire heavier than most other P rated A/T of the same size. Have a look at the Kumho AT51. Awesome grip, lightweight for the smaller rigs. I was going with KO2 until I saw they were D load rated and 12 lbs heavier than the AT51.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The other issue with the KO2 is that they are 10 lbs a tire heavier than most other P rated A/T of the same size. Have a look at the Kumho AT51. Awesome grip, lightweight for the smaller rigs. I was going with KO2 until I saw they were D load rated and 12 lbs heavier than the AT51.

The weight has come up before. You'll forget the saved weight when junk happens. Nothing is impervious to all damage but I've abused BFG tires and usually they don't complain. It's all a compromise, LT-rated tires are heavy, louder, you get worse mileage but the OP knows that I think.

 

[kojackJKU]

That is a duratrac. Goodyear no thanks. I had Goodyear stock on both my first pat and jku. Both sets were **** beyond belief. So even at p rated kumho or something will be stronger than goodyears gsrbage bag tires

 

[chuppie]

I'm following along. I'm still thinking of the KO2s and if I hate them, I will swap them when i get home. The khumos are very inexpensive, I have no experience with them though.


Thanks

 

[kojackJKU]

I have used many different kumho's and they performed well beyond expectations. I had the KO's on my Jeep and they were great…but on a lightweight rig, I think they would be too much. hence the reason I am not going to put them on my patriot.

 

[toastyjosh]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...Year=2013&autoModel=Forester&autoModClar=2.5X

my buddy has the generals on his 2012 forester no lift, loves them!

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...Year=2013&autoModel=Forester&autoModClar=2.5X

 

[shenrie]

i had this debate with myself looking for beefier tires for rallyx. with a low hp car, the weight makes a huge difference. i was running toyo observes (studless snow tires) and the (KO1's?) were the only a/t tire that you could get in a 14" size. they were seriously twice the weight as the tires i was running. while i have seen pix of the foresters, crvs, outbacks, even a local guy has them on his volvo wagon and they look all tough as hell, i just couldnt justify twice the cost and weight to be slower. if your car is an xt, weight really wouldnt be a problem acceleration wise, but do you think the components in that car are designed for that much rotational mass, especially on the outer perimeter of the wheel? heavier wheels likely, but all that weight on the extreme outside of the wheels is going to stress stuff, brakes specifically. i could be way off, but thats the first thing that came to mind.

if it were me, id heed the advice of the members here and the tires theyve had good luck with on similar cars. the studless snow tires have great traction, but using them on dry pavement kills the uber soft compound (they wont even assign a treadwear number, and theres no universal standard for treadwear, lol) way too fast to justify me recommending them. offroad, they wear great and grip like teeth. either way ill be curious what you go with and as always post pix!