Tire Reviews: BFGoodrich’s KM2’s

After realizing that my Nitto Terra Grappler A/T”s were just not cut out for the mud, I finally upgraded to some real rubber in the form of BFGoodrich’s KM2’s.

BFGoodrich KM2 (285/75-17 Load Range E)

BFG KM2 mounted on a 17″ TRD wheel

After struggling though numerous portions of the Vermont Overland Trophy I decided that it was finally time to join the big boys and get a real off road tire. This naturally meant that I would have to upgrade to a dedicated Mud-Terrain, and after a lot of research I ended up with the KM2’s.

The BFG KM2’s In Action:

What I Liked About the KM2’s:

• Off Pavement Performance – The first thing I noticed with the KM2’s was that they were monsters off pavement. They traversed muddy, rocky, and wet terrain with confidence.
• Great Performance Aired Down – I’ve run these tires as low as 12 PSI on a factory non-beadlock wheel without them ever losing a bead or compromising a sidewall.
• Highway Performance – As far as Mud-Terrain tires go, the KM2’s are probably the quietest set out there. They were also excellent on the highway, and didn’t require me to give up on pavement performance.
• Longevity – After putting 15,000 miles on a set I can say that I didn’t see any noticeable wear on the tires.

What I Disliked About the KM2’s:

• Sucked in the Snow – Due to the large tread blocks and the lack of siping, they were pretty sketchy on snow covered roads. They’re not completely useless, but compared to an all-season or A/T they performed significantly worse. Where they did perform well in the snow though was when there was 6″ or more on the ground.
• Weak Sidewalls?  – I include this because during VOT there were numerous sidewall punctures on trucks running KM2’s (It was also probably the most common tire). People tend to say that have a weak sidewall but I haven’t had any issues, and I know plenty of other people that are in the same boat.

Looking Back:

The KM2’s were and excellent tire, they performed well on the highway and even better in the dirt. I’m pretty much sold moving forward and I can pretty much guarantee that they will be the first choice when I purchase a set of 35’s for our upcoming Jeep build.