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BFG New Tire......Is the KM2 the new >37" Krawler?

Greg72

Greg72

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Checked out the newest issue of Peterson's 4WOR last night (Dec '07)

It's always fun to see the unobtanium that they get to run on Ultimate Adventure....Rick Pewe was running the first set of 42" BFGs in existence (at that time) and most of the other guys were running 39" Krawlers which as far as I know STILL don't exist unless you have a personal friend at BFG who can sneak you a set out the back door....

The treadpattern on the new BFG KM2 certainly DOES look reminiscent of the Krawler pattern...somewhat more subdued, but still pretty agressive. The test results seemed favorable, and maybe....just maybe....they will actually show up on store shelves so that people other than magazine editors can get a set to try??? :wink1:

The writing is certainly on the wall for 15/16 and 16.5" rim sizes.... 17" is becoming the new 15". If you want anything in the 42"+ range, odds are you are looking at a 20" wheel, at least if you want the new "cool kid" rubber for it. BFG won't even offer this new tire in anything less than 17".


Discuss...




:usaflag:
 
IIRC you can buy the 39" Krawlers from 4wheel parts....
They have them listed on page 51 same mag (dec. 07), but they don't list the price.

They also did a review on the KM2 and said they will be selling smaller rim sizes after sept. 08.
 
I read in fourwheeler magazine that a full line of 15" tires are coming in the spring of 2008. Until then it's only 17" and bigger.
Looks like a nice tire. Too bad they're not coming in 16,5" sizes
 
steve_kibbe said:
IIRC you can buy the 39" Krawlers from 4wheel parts....
.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they've had that in their ads for a while. I've called on two different occasions, and the guy I talked to said it was a "typo".....they don't have 39" Krawlers and don't ever expect to.

If anyone knows differently, I'd be curious to hear about it.

Also.....allegedly there is a way to by the 39-inch "competition-only" versions even as a regular civilian guy. I've seen chatter about it on Pirate4x4, but never figured out how they actually do it.


:thinking:
 
Yep, 16.5 rims are going bye bye. Most tire manufactures are (or have) stopped producing tires in the 16.5 rim size. I had to replace the front two tires on my Ford Excursion which are 35*12.5*16.5 BFJ All Terrains recently. I was lucky they found me a set of used tires at 90% tread left, so I'll be good for a while. Les Schwab said this BFJ size is on national backorder for a couple of months and they don't know when they'll be able to get any. They told me to off load my rims on someone if possible. Also all the tires I want to switch to not offered on 16.5 rims anymore. My next set will be 17'' or 18'' because of the much great tire selection.
 
To be honest, I wouldn't want a rim size less than 17" for the larger size tires.
 
A little bit off topic, but I haven't realized why car makers haven't tried to get together and make the same lug pattern for vehicles. It would be nice to have a standard pattern on the new vehicles like they did on the older ones.

Mark
 
steve_kibbe said:
I like 16.5 for my H1's, least expensive double beadlock hands down.
Click to expand...

Yeah, as long as Interco keeps making the TSL in a 16.5 I'll keep my H1s. By the time they quit I should be able to by some Hutchinsons.
 
Are the KM2's on willard?

Aren't those the new mud terrains?
 
The 39" Krawler is only available in the comp-compound and is only available to sponsored race teams. The only way to get them is to have a friend who is sponsored or pay the price for a used set when a comp team is done with them.

The KM2 is a toned down Krawler but I don't think it has the same sidewall as a Krawler. Krawler sidewalls are known to be pretty weak by hardcore offroad standards but the KM2 is probably going to be weaker then the Krawler but stronger then the standard KM.

I saw Four Wheelers Project Con-Artist Jeep in LA traffic the other day with a set of KM2's on it. They looked like 35" or 37" for 17's.

The KM2's are a nice in between tire for rocks/road but I don't think they will have the strength for hardcore offroad. MTR's are in the same boat. Good choice for rock/road use but not strong enough and to much chunking for heavy duty offroad use.

Harley
 
I tried to get 16.5 for my burb over the weekend no chance found one used one to fix my flat. Les out here has some blingy 18's that they would give me if I bought some tires the 1300 for the tires hurts alot:eek1:
 
As for the rim size debate I am kinda with Steve here. I think 15's are good for tires up to 37-38" range but after that you should really think about moving up in rim size to 17's. I think 16" & 16.5" are going to be alot harder to find tires in in the coming years, especially 16.5".

I really hate all the tire companies moving all the tires up the 18 & 20's though. There is no market there for offroad because there isn't many rims available that don't cost a ton. If you want to move the tire lines up to those sizes fine but partner with a rim company to make some rims that are half way affordable for the common man to afford and offroad with.

Harley
 
has anyone seen the price of that new mud terrain? Ouch!! the 42 cost more than a 54" bogger, wtf?
 
$660ea for the 42's???? :yikes:

Hmmmm, let me think about that one for a while....



:usaflag:
 
I was just going to interject with a "wait 'til you see the price tag" comment.

If they don't come in 16.5's (H1's) and they're ungodly expensive, I see myself sticking with interco for a long time.
 
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