About a year and a half after purchasing the Wrangler, and dealing with a number of suspension and steering issues; I found myself researching tires, much sooner than I thought I’d need to.

Various issues, (including the infamous TJ death wobble) that I inherited with the Jeep, quickly wore down the thick, meaty tread of the Goodyear MTR’s (285/75/R16) that were on it.  I hit the forums, and product review pages, to find a tire that would serve my needs, not break the bank, and survive the long haul.  I needed a tire that could perform well offroad, as well as, during my daily highway commute.  After a few weeks of research, and finally solving the death wobble issues, I pulled the trigger on five BFG All Terrain T/A KO tires – I kept the tire size the same, and scheduled an appointment at OK 4 Wheel Drive to have the new shoes installed on the AEV wheels.

The first wheeling trip with the BFGs was also my first time at Rausch Creek Offraod Park.  I can’t compare the BFG’s offroad performance to the Goodyear’s, as I never had the opportunity to use them in the woods.  The All Terrains performed quite well offroad; on loose dirt, rocks, boulders, mud, and water.  They did not, however, get me through a section of deep thick mud… my open differentials were more to blame for that than the tires though.

I  saw decent fuel consumption improvements with the BFGs as well.  My best highway mileage with the MTR’s was 15mpg, best with the All Terrains was 21mpg.  I’m not claiming that the BFGs are responsible for a 6MPG boost, as the Goodyears were badly worn for most of that ‘testing period,’ but I would guess that the less aggressive tread had something to do with it.  The All Terrains did, however, perform much better than the mudders on wet and snow covered roads.  They also allowed for prime parking at work.

The tires currently have about 65,000 miles on them, and appear to only have worn down about 50% (if that) of the tread.  They’ve had nails, screws, and shards of glass stuck in them; been wheeled over rocks and boulders while aired down to 12 or 13 PSI; had they’re sidewalls scraped against rocks and curbs; and worn evenly despite continued suspension and steering issues.  The spare on the back has never been used, because I’ve never needed it.

There is only problem with the T/A KO; I’m itching to get some mud terrains on her again, but can’t justify spending money on tires when the current set is still in such great shape.  When I do inevitably replace the All Terrains, it will definitely be with another set from BFG.  A few friends of mine are now running 33X12.5 BFGoodrich KM2 mud terrains, and I must say, I’m a fan of both the look, and the performance.

Until the day comes that the All Terrains need replacement, I’m quite content, and impressed with what they’ve done so far.  I highly recommend these for anyone who is looking for a tire with a tread that is just aggressive enough for moderate off road use, while still allowing great on road handling.  If I were building an expedition or overland vehicle, I would buy a set of the BFGoodrich T/A KO tires without a second thought.