Having only personal experience with the KO2 and the Nitto; I would go with the KO3 for your driving preferences. I put around 40k on the KO2's when I had them (275/70R17) and they were very good on pavement and in rain/snow. They were just not good in the mud we have to deal with off road up here in the NE. The Nitto's are very good at the mud, but are loud and stiff on the highway. I have trail grapplers, though, and 35".

 

I don't think there is a bad pick among them all. I like tire bought at America Tire because of the warranty and availability everywhere you turn around.

 

The Nitto and Toyo don't have much siping and are not rated for snow so that leaves the other 2. I have experience with the KO2's and would recommend them as a great all around tire (as mentioned- except for mud). I don't think you could go wrong with the Baja Boss AT either.

 

Totally forgot to include the Falkin Wildpeak A/T4W.

All 5 look great and will be amazing so it's probably just preference. I do travel in snow once a year but only traversing through areas on plowed roads... so maybe mud matters more than snow to me.

Being honest, I'm going to be on road way more than off, so maybe the best road tire is the way to go.

Buying them next Mar - Apr 2025 so there should be lots more data by then to compare against.

Thank you for your input and recommendations!

I like the look of the Bajas so it will be a tough decision when I buy!

Cheers!

 

I don’t think this is necessarily correct unless the tires themselves have a specified rotation direction, marked with an arrow.

I’ve been running a set of Baja Boss AT tires for nearly a year, and they are hands-down, the best tire I’ve owned to date. I sound hyperbolic, but they really are that good. I don’t mud bog, so I’m not sure how well they do in mud, but on every other surface, they kick ess! And they’re super quiet on pavement, handle great wether it’s dry or wet, and they’re 3PMS rated.

My brother will be replacing the BFG KO2 on his, which was his go-to tire for many years, with Baja ATs.

 

I’ve been running a set of Baja Boss AT tires for nearly a year, and they are hands-down, the best tire I’ve owned to date. I sound hyperbolic, but they really are that good. I don’t mud bog, so I’m not sure how well they do in mud, but on every other surface, they kick ess! And they’re super quiet on pavement, handle great wether it’s dry or wet, and they’re 3PMS rated.

My brother will be replacing the BFG KO2 on his, which was his go-to tire for many years, with Baja ATs.

That helps a lot! Thank you!

 

Anytime👍. These tires were much better than I expected, as you can tell by my enthusiasm for them🤣. Good luck with your hunt..

 

I have the nitto ridge grapplers in C load. Great on highway, street, sand, light/medium trails and rain. Haven't experienced snow- yet. I've got about 25,000 miles on them and they just started getting a little noisy on the So. Cal. recycled highway pavement. Solid tire.

 

Go with Mickey and leave the rest behind!

Mike

 

I run MT BB 255/85/17, they're quiet for what they are, snow peak rated. They are E rated so they will be stiffer than oem type tires, but I don't mind. Just did a 900 mile trip through ME and NH windy roads and they were great.

 

I think the Mickeys are a D rated tire if I remember right.

 

I tried the Baja Boss A/T for a few thousand miles, in hopes of being okay with an A/T tire instead of a true mud tire and promptly sold them. Comparing them to Kumho mud tires, and they sucked for dry traction, for wet traction, for wet grass, and anything more than dry dirt. I couldn't even get out of my parking space after a light rain.
Admittedly, I drive aggressively and am hard on tires. My driving style is somewhere between 0-60 testing, skidpad testing and "hold my beer".

 

My driving style is somewhere between 0-60 testing, skidpad testing and "hold my beer".

If you couldn't even get out of your parking space after a light rain, yeah, you're hard on tires.
And the above is 1 of the most honest statements I've read ANYWHERE!

 

Can y'all help me decide on which one of these tires I should get for my 2012 FJ cruiser 4WD with a 3" Lift?

I plan on using 285/75 R16 size (just shy of 33 in) and driving 90% on Road (25-mile commute to work each way, Mon - Fri, so ride noise/comfort is important) and 10% off-road. The off-road driving will be mostly weekend adventures on improved roads and trails with some water crossings and sand and gravel, need clearance but not boulder crawling. I want the tire to perform well in the snow also.

Nitto Ridge Grappler
View attachment 1259220

Toyo Open Country R/T Trail
View attachment 1259221

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3
View attachment 1259222

Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T
View attachment 1259223


Thank you for the help!

I researched quite a bit last year on this exact subject. I went with the Nitto Ridge Grappler. My driving conditions are very similar in terms of commute and off road. I’m very happy with my choice. The ride is comfortable and I found no real difference in handling. Yes, there is road noise but I cannot say it’s better or worse than the other options because I don’t have any frame of reference. I love the sound they make when I have the windows down 😁. I’ve made two trips from Southern Indiana to Vermont and back and the noise doesn’t bother me. Whatever you choose, I hope they provide everything you need. Happy cruisin’!

 

My opinions, after extensive industry experience:

• Toyo is the parent company for Nitto - same tech goes into all lines under each brand. Their tires are known as being very uniform - meaning they are not out of round and balance well. The Nittos on my FJ have NEVER rebalanced after 8+ years and ride perfectly up to 90+ MPH. I've tested many of the All Terrain Nitto tires.
  • That stated, I have Ridge Grapplers on the T4R and do NOT recommend them for wet traction or snow. I will be replacing them with something else. See next bullet.
• BFG KO3 is universally receiving good reviews as better than KO2. Limited sizing at this time, but these will be going on one of my vehicles this year.
• Falken A/T4W also rates high. Falken AT products are known for being extremely durable and getting better with each iteration. Some of the earlier Wildpeak AT versions had wear and uniformity issues.
• Not much personal experience with MT products, other than balancing challenges. MT is now owned by Goodyear, who also owns Cooper. The tech from both companies likely goes into MT. Cooper is solid.
• Much depends on the load or ply rating you select. Most primary street trucks are fine with Standard Load (P Metric) or Load Range C (6 ply). I run LR E (10 ply) on the FJ, but have literally thousands of on and off road miles on those tires at 12-15 PSI. Not one failure, BTW.

When you're ready to purchase, Discount Tire, America's Tire, or Tire Rack are your best options.

 

Thank you for the expert advise!

 

Anyone considering the Recon Grappler? It appears to be more of an A/T tire compared to the hybrid Ridge Grappler. In the last 10 years I've gone through 2 sets of Terra Grapplers on 16" TRD wheels. I'm moving up to 17" KMC Canyon wheels and I'm planning to buy a set of 5 Recons in 285/70/17 in the next couple weeks. I agree with FJ Cary, Nittos balance great. I haven't had any 55mph shake since finishing my OEM set of KOs.

 

Good to know! I was having 55- 65 mph steering wheel shake but after upgrading the susp to 3" lift Old Man Emu front and rear, the shake is gone. Huge...Huge Recommendation for these shocks and struts by the way. Looks and rides amazing now. I need to get some pics but I am waiting on the new tires before i get her some glamor shots, lol

 

Falken Wildpeak AT4W

 

The seasonal Toyota Tire Center deal I've posted about before is underway. Pretty much any tire you can name, even if not listed on the site, is available through a Toyota dealer on a Buy 3, Get The 4th For $1 through 10/31/24. Mount and balance is extra but still comes out less than anywhere else locally or online. The dealer honors the manufacturer warranty and adds additional road hazard coverage similar to local competitors for no charge.

Toyota Tire Center

www.toyotatirecenter.com

What's new for the first time is buyer eligibility for tire manufacturer incentives. In my case, it's another $60 off via rebate for the KO3's I'll be ordering tomorrow assuming availability of E-rated stock size 16" tires. The BFG incentive is only good through 10/18/24.

Tire Rebate Offers

www.toyota.com

I'm estimating the total cost will be $790 for four 265/75-16 Raised White Letter tires + $90 M&B = $880 before rebate, $820 net (tax-free here) if full $60 rebate applies.

I'll be able to easily sell the take-off KO's for $400 on Craigslist so net-net estimate is $480, worth it for improved wet on-pavement grip.

 

darksidetourist57

This is the suspensions I choose from Mudify.com (paid extra to have them pre-assemble). Old suspension was shot so replaced with 3" lift kit.

OME Nitro+ 3 inch Lift Kit for FJ Cruiser (10-ON) - Front Shocks Assembly $1,148.00
Differential Drop Spacer Kit REV-RTDD4-KB for Toyota FJ Cruiser, 4Runner $30.00

FYI, the diff drop kit only came with 4 spacers for the skid plates (I have 2 so I had to buy more washers and bolts)

All bolt on, my mechanic buddy helped me, took about 8 hrs (probably could be done faster) fairly easy after we got into the swing of it.

And yes, waiting on the boss to release funds as well for the tires as well!

Here are pics as promised but missing the new tires (currently running Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 265/75 R16 [31"] - not my favorite, but good).

Install Day (2012 FJ 4WD Auto 95k)

After Install

 

I highly recommend the Toyo Open Country AT3.
I've done lots of trails, lots of airing out, lost of "not being nice" to my tires, and never had a puncture or any trouble.
Road noise isn't horrible IMO. You can hear it if you're listening, but won't make you crank the music or have to yell at the passenger in the back seat just to talk.
The wind noise from our Cruisers is worse than the road noise lol.
They've also got the "3 peak snow rating" so they're good in the snow, should the need ever arise.
They do great on rock crawls, and solid in the mud and rain.
Not to mention the price point is decent; less than the Nitto Ridge Grapplers

Plus, they have that cool S everyone drew as kids in the middle of the tread pattern

 

Hey All!

So, I finally bought my tires and decided to go with the BF Goodrich KO3 (LT285/75R16, ~32.75") tires.

I picked these as I bought a set for my wife's F-150 and they have been great, so I figured I'd stay with what I know.

I picked the KO3s as I am over 90% on road in my FJ (as it is my daily driver) and the previous set had ungodly road noise. I am very happy with the choice in tire as they are extremely quiet on most roads, the only exception are the hard concrete sections like bridges or overpasses that have the lines or micro-grooves in them, they whine / whistle a little in these areas, but you have to have the radio off and the windows up to hear it, barely noticeable.

I have not taken it mudding or in the snow yet, but no concerns on muddy / dirt roads or in the rain.

However, the size is just over the edge for my suspension (3" lift). I am rubbing a little in the front when in reverse with the steering wheel full left. I guess it is now time for the infamous body chop, so wish me luck!

See y'all out there!