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Visual Comparison of BFG AT KO, KO2, and GY DuraTrac - Visual Comparison

18K views 35 replies 15 participants last post by  ImpulseRed 
#1 ·
As the title says, this is a visual comparison of the BFG All-Terrain KO, the new KO2, and the Goodyear DuraTracs.

First off is the original BFG AT KO. The long-standing standard in All-Terrain tires. Long lasting tread, good on-road manners and fairly decent off-road. A rare balance of daily driver and performance characteristics that made it a longtime favorite of many off-roaders. The tight tread pattern means good grip on most terrain.
The strengths are it's great tread wear, low road noise, and tough sidewall.
Weaknesses are poor water channels that keep water under the tire and fairly poor rating in ice/snow.


Next up is the legend reborn, the KO2. BFG has apparently decided to focus on improving sidewall toughness and ice traction. Visually it is very similar to the old style, but keen eyes will notice the siping that goes all the way through the tread blocks. That bodes well for improving traction in the ice. However, it looks to still have poor water channels where water can get caught and cause hydroplaning.


Finally, the Goodyear DuraTrac. This has become one of, if not the, most popular All-Terrain tire around, unseating the BFG. Everywhere I turn I see these.
Strengths are aggressive sidewall styling, and excellent grip characteristics in nearly every condition due to mud-terrain style tread pattern and soft compound.
Weaknesses are factory siping doesn't go too deep, and when that runs out snow/ice traction will become limited. The sidewall has been called out by some to be thin, and a potential weak spot. Goodyear's soft tread compound makes these wear rather quickly, depending on driving conditions.
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for the comparisons! I have been curious about the KO2's.
I have the duratracs and love 'em.... but I do agree about the siping... I wish they went a bit deeper. I'm still pretty happy with the traction after 4 yrs though...
:cheers:
 
#4 ·
I have been a BFG AT customer for a long time however I am strongly leaning towards the DuraTracs for my FJ. Didn't realize the siping was so shallow, why GY??

Does anyone have weight comparisons between these three styles for lets say the stock FJ size of 265/70R17 with a 115 or C load rating?
 
#5 ·
Tire weights for LT265/70R17:

BFG AT KO C-Rated: 45 lbs
BFG AT KO E-Rated 53 lbs

BFG AT KO2 C-Rated 45 lbs
BFG AT KO2 E-Rated 52 lbs

GY DT C-Rated 44 lbs
GY DT E-Rated 50 lbs
 
#7 ·
Nice......

Great Post...... Thank you !!!
 
#8 ·
From a quick search I find that the OEM tires are approximately 39 lbs each. True?
 
#9 ·
That's what TireRack shows for the Bridgestone Dueller in that size. The tires are lighter because they're passenger rated. They are not intended for light trucks and definitely not for off-road use.
 
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#10 ·
have all three on different vehicles lov them all.
duratrac has weak side walls, already damaged the side wall while towing heavy loads with my tundra. but good tire in rain and snow, gives decent mileage.

Ko's have a stronger sidewall and good for offroad but not as good on road.

KO2's just got these so far much quieter than Ko's and dura trac, good grip in wet weather but have not put enough miles on them to say long term.

overall no regrets with going with either of these.
 
#11 ·
Very interesting info! Looking forward to hearing more people's experience with the KO2s.

What load rating were your DuraTracs?
 
#13 ·
I just had a set of KO2s installed yesterday and quickly put them to the test in rain, snow and ice as a pretty good winter storm hit Dallas. The tires did amazing IMO. So far very happy with them! ;)
 
#15 ·
This industry really leans heavily on previous designs. The Grabber AT2 borrows the lug design from the KO, then BFG steals it back for the KO2.
 
#17 ·
Nice comparison.:). For the money, you can't beat my coopers!

Cheers
I just read the expeditionportal.com tire review, and while it was lacking several modern tires it seemed to be a very thorough review. They ended up ranking the Cooper AT3 as editor's choice and value award... which apparently comes as no surprise to anyone who knows just how much expeditionportal already loves their Cooper tires. The disparity between their review and other's reviews shines plenty of light on their pro-Cooper bias.

It is incredibly difficult to find a comprehensive, thorough, and unbiased review on tires, and even more so for AT or MT.
 
#29 ·
Let us know how those ST MAXX work for you. That's a nice looking tread.
 
#28 ·
I realize cost is a factor, but considering it takes me about 7 years to put 46k on my truck its more of choosing a set that I know I will be happy with. If the Toyo Open Country MT didnt weigh 10 lbs more a tire than either 285 size Cooper STT or BFG I would already have a set of them. Thats another reason the ST Maxx is looking good to me, they arent heavy.
 
#35 ·
Not true 10-ply, just "rated" 10-ply. Radials are generally only 2-3 ply on the sidewall.
 
#36 ·
I have a friend who drives a 4Runner. He's had Duratracs for the last 35k miles and is getting some KO2s mounted right now. His complaints of the Duratracs were that they were too loud :lol:, and that the snow/ice traction went away once the factory siping wore down.

I'm sure he's going to enjoy the brand new tires initially, but I'll update here as they get worn in and tested.
 
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