Can the BFGoodrich KM3, which has an above-average lifespan with its off-road and asphalt use, be used on weekend muddy terrain on weekday asphalt, which drivers have been waiting for a long time?.
Sibling Competition Between Tires
When your brother becomes a legend, he looks down on you. Yes or not, you feel that it is watching you right behind you. So younger siblings grow up with great expectations, even with a load on their shoulders.
But when your brother becomes a rock star, your only hope is to shine in a new arena. In the BF Goodrich family, the legendary All-Terrain is the big brother. Introduced in 1976, the AT is defined as a stand-alone tire category in the literature. With his wins in Baja, he showed once again what toughness means in 4×4 off road tires. Over 1 million All-Terrain tires were sold in just eight months.
No matter how durable he is, BFG’s Mud Terrain is still KO2’s little brother. But it made headlines when it was first introduced in 1980, and it did so again just four years later when it was reintroduced as the first 35-inch light truck tire.
The brothers compete to prove themselves. This is the BFG story of KM vs KO tires. The two leading off-road tires of the brand, first one and then the other, took the stage and managed to be the center of attention, always at the top. Despite the tremendous success of the KO2, the launch of the BFGoodrich KM3 is eagerly awaited.
PATTERN CHANGE OF BF GOODRICH TIRES OVER TIME
It was not right to break the KM2’s presence in the market with a new model, and that would not be recommended. Because KM2 has a huge following. BFG engineers chose only a modest change in the model of the tyre. However, BFGoodrich KM3 is clearly derived from KM2. As seen in the side-by-side comparison of the BF GOODRICH off road tires above, the KM3 has a lot of similarities with its sibling in its patterns, although the gaps between the blocks are as tight as ~10%.
The tread depth is the same on both the KM2 and KM3 models, but the D-rated 37×12.5r17 has been reduced from 20/32” to 18/32”. Like most MT off road tire designs, the new BFGoodrich KM3 does not feature grooving, but instead provides true tread clearances within the central blocks. Larger cavities are fully equipped with specially designed features to help protect them from rock drilling and easily dislodge mud, snow and sand buildup. Despite these changes, the biggest news is the evolution in the tire’s structure. Off-road grip goes deeper with the KM3.
The body of the BFGoodrich KM3 has been designed to adapt more effectively to uneven surfaces. The brand’s so-called Linear Flex Zone is a design that predates the KM3, but BFG shares no secrets about how it strikes the balance between flexibility and puncture resistance. However, it does appear to perform better in rock climbing when the air pressure in the tire is low enough.
For those who play on the rocks, this feature is one reason why the KM3 is indispensable for them. BFG has ensured that these flexible features can be used safely by vehicle owners, taking into account the damage to the sidewall at low tire pressures. In this combination of improvements: The rubber compound resistance in the tire has been increased, and the shoulder protection (eg extended shoulder blocks vs. KM2 and thicker 3-ply sidewalls) has been strengthened.
The latter, called CoreGard Max, is a reminder of why it’s so impressive that BFG has consistently produced the most tires. The tires that dominate the best off road races (9 wins in 10 categories) can be seen on trucks producing 500-900hp and on most 4×4s on the street. For drivers, this means that BFGoodrich KM3 tires include tire protection elements in their design.
KM3 ON ASPHALT ROAD
After a year of towing, diving, climbing, breaking speed limits and desert exploration experience with KM3 off road tires, our BFG KM3 test tires are here after 1 year in exceptional condition with no wear, tear or cuts. Zero melting or wear has occurred in the tread depth of the main tread blocks. While our test vehicle isn’t a powerful all-terrain vehicle, it’s exactly an off-road modified Land Cruiser.
The wear of BFGoodrich KM3 tire treads occurs more on asphalt surfaces, and this rate decreases significantly on muddy terrain. Significantly lower wear occurred with the KM3 compared to other brands that we use with the same standard. There was no pitting, balloon or other problems on the tire or its pattern, and the sound it gave into the vehicle on the road did not change. As expected, it shows itself in this premium quality off road tire built by the BFG brand.
Thousands of kilometers of field reports of the tire that drove the BFG KM3 in Australia and overseas after a long journey by road confirmed its performance in desert and bushland. Many of these reports praise the tire’s resistance to cuts and punctures, especially with its remarkable behavior on sand. MT off road tires often skid on sand, especially on dry ground, as they dig downward rather than forward. The KM3 seems less prone to skidding, perhaps thanks to the slightly tighter tread patterns.
We went to central Utah and the sand dunes that make up BLM’s Little Sahara Recreation Area to test the BFGoodrich KM3s with very dry, soft sand, and as the sand marks on the ground suggest, in puddles or dunes, the KM3 got a thumbs up on the test.
The weakness of the KM2 is usually revealed in the use of off road tires in winter. Tires that restore performance in deep snow and degrade as snow depth increases continue to hockey on solid snow or ice. Unfortunately, with the BFG KM3, there was no improvement in these features that users expected. But while the KM3’s performance in such conditions isn’t on par with Interco’s Trxus (our best MT Tire for winter roads and trails), it’s by no means intimidating either.
If you need an off road tire mainly for winter use, whether it’s BFG or another brand, choosing an MT off road tire doesn’t make sense. The huge blocks in the patterns inherent in their designs can’t compete with grooved tires.
If the ground is wet, the tire’s enhanced Krawl-TEK rubber compound has been improved over the previous rubber formulation. Whether on pavement or rock, BFG KM3 tires inspire confidence.
BFGoodrich KM3 off-road tires used in muddy areas are touted as having a harder sidewall, but the manufacturer doesn’t say anything about better wear compared to the KM2. In our testing, it resulted in 2/32″ of wear after 8851 km of use on mixed surfaces. According to these results, it may be possible for BFGoodrich KM3 Off Road Tire owners to achieve a maximum of 70,000 km with their tires. Most car owners will change it sooner, so it would be wise to estimate 40-50 thousand km.
T/A MT off road tires first appeared in 1980, marking a time when today a muddy terrain tire was introduced for sizes and applications never imagined in 1980. Covering wheels from 15” to 20” and diameters of 30-39”, BF GOODRICH offers a variety of off road tires. BF GOODRICH also decided to produce the UTV version of the KM3.
SIX SPEED WHEELS from Icon Vehicle Dynamics
New off road tires are correctly put on the newest off road wheels. Off Road Upgrade manufacturers have added off road spacers to their high-end vehicle upgrade systems, offering high quality alloy off road wheels with aluminum flanges.
SIX SPEED, introduced in 2016, was selected for the 37” KM3s in the 80 Series Toyota, the offset wheel. Its design is forged, and its wheels with locks are used by Tom Wayes as well as Lucas Oil Pro 2 racer and Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath.
It’s a pretty laid back look these days, where alloys are the popular style for 4×4s. Inspired by power and looks, models such as racing, SIX SPEED, ALPHA and REBOUND use string structures and hard surfaces. It’s also designed with the larger braking systems of today’s vehicles in mind, maximizing caliper clearance.
The weight is normal for alloy wheels and quality wheels that average around 30 kilos each. The load range that buyers often overlook is from 1600 lbs to 4000 lbs for various wheel styles. SIX SPEED settled on 2500 lbs, which is more than enough. These are products that are offered in five matte colors and can visually match any off road equipment.
If you don’t overlook and carefully match the tire and rim properly, you risk paying for new tires. Providing the perfect tire profile for size 12.50 BFGoodrich KM3, Icon’s 17×8.5 wheels enable the full contact area provided by BFG’s Linear Flex Zone at full width, even tread wear and reduced pressures at psi. Mounted with Hunter Engineering’s latest equipment on Big O Tires, the wheel/tire combination only requires an average of ~5oz to dynamically balance.
SIX SPEED has now proven its quality. Its coating is flawless and eliminates scratches. The only fault we found on its rims is in the beadlock-esque trim. This minor inconvenience, which will tend to get stuck in thick mud with centrifugal force and create problems, is mostly insignificant in regular use, because with a pressure car wash you can follow any trail and easily remove the stuck sludge.
Our Final Decision
Muddy terrain off road tires have gained a reputation for being terrain specific since their introduction in the 1970s. Unlike any MT Off road tire you’ve used before, the BFGoodrich KM3 delivered performance that made it an almost everyday tyre. As good as the KO2, the BFG KM3 is better than you might expect at sidewalk exits. Improvements have been made in handling compared to the past.
This comparison is remarkable. Considered one of the best 4×4 off road tires of today, KO2 has raised the bar in off road tires to an unbeatable level.
For riders who don’t need a tire with the KO2’s performance on snow and ice, the BFG KM3 is a tough but (believe it or not) pretty quiet alternative. AT off road tire or BFGoodrich’s DOT approved version*. With its versatile usage surface and an above-average service life, it has been among the off-road tire models that drivers have long hoped for, which can be used in daily and muddy terrain.