New BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 is now available in popular sizes.
This new BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/AKM2 off-road tire has been on our radar for the greater part of 2007. We�ve heard about it, seen it, and have had the opportunity to test them in low-range four-wheelin� and highway transit. But we couldn�t say if we liked them, or not, until September �07. We do.
Now, more than 30 years since BFGoodrich Tire company waded into the business of building off-road tires for competitors and four-wheelers. In the early days of the growing enthusiasm for off-highway adventure and four-wheel drive capability, the choice of tire designs were limited. The selection of tire sizes were even fewer. 
Throughout the early years, the learning curve was vertical in regards to what qualities made up a tire with enough traction to grip multiple off-highway surfaces like loose dirt, granite, gravel, sand, mud, and slick-rock. A tire that could put down a footprint full of traction also had to be durable, with sidewalls that could withstand smearing up against large rocks without shredding, and support the vehicle when aired-down and grinding over a myriad of obstacles to successfully navigate a trail section. Well, here�s the payoff for BFG�the new Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 is the culmination of tire design (note the Krawler influence), tread compound, and sidewall construction.
BFG applied design characteristics from the BFG Krawler-TEK that includes overbuilt sidewall lugs and heavy-duty sidewall rubber in addition to sidewall cord material verging on overkill. You can see tread design similarities shared by the Mud-Terrain T/AKM2 and Krawler, but that�s a traction design already proven in competition rock crawling; and an aesthetic eye catcher to boot.
We ran a set of 35-inch BFG Mud-TerrainKM2 on a horsey old Ford pre-runner with a locker in the rear nine-inch differential off-road and on-highway for a month before we linked up with the BFG team in Utah. In Utah, we tested the new Mud-Terrain KM2 in an all-day session of mud romping, four-wheelin� and sliding around an off-road course in soft, sandy, soil.
In the dirt, what impressed us most is the solid bite and forward launch characteristics of the KM2 tires. This was the first fast-paced session we had after loading the new tires on a heavy-duty set of Centerline I.C.E. internal bead-lock wheels. On hard-packed and desert terrain the tires (fresh as they are) tended to hook up quickly.
During sliding sessions, the sidewalls remained stable and the forward hook-up was immediate. We found this sliding-bite to be evident in the open-wheeled buggy romp at the Rocky Mountain Motorsports Park as well as the test sessions in a full-size pre-runner. You may not consider a tire for its sliding traction and hook-up, but it�s there in the KM2.
About 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, we took a bunch of Jeeps shod with the new BFG Mud-Terrain and head up into the Rockies. The vehicles were a mixed-bag of factory Wranglers and a few modified Jeeps running some of the larger tire sizes this BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 will be available in. We aired �em down to about 15-20psi and worked our way up a boulder strewn canyon that presented a measure of challenge to both drivers and vehicles.
On the trail and rocks of this moderately challenging 4x4 run, the aired down KM2�s offered excellent traction and probably could have navigated the terrain with street air in the tires. As an off-road tire, the KM2 is a true grip dog with just enough highway manners to allow you to take it to the streets.
We�ll let the photos give you an idea of the difficulty of the trail we took, but from a driver�s perspective, the tires provided excellent traction long as the driver took a rational line up through the rocks��sometimes you�re the windshield, sometimes you�re the bug.� The deep lugs and rubber compound clung to obstacles, and the side-walls took lots of contact with boulders, yet added to forward motion of the vehicle.
On-highway we found the new KM2 to have good noise discipline in light of deep, heavy lug pattern you�d expect to howl at freeway speeds. There is noise, but it�s not an issue with the windows rolled up. Most heavy-lug tires will tend to grab an uneven highway surface feature and tug the vehicle left or right. We did not experience the grabbing like many off-road tires; there was minimal steering wheel tug when we hit potholes or road cracks.
In deep mud, the BFG�s were tested in various four-wheel high-range and low-range gear combinations. The tires took the liquefied, man-made, dirt slush and moved the vehicle forward every time. The tire tread design has deep lugs with plenty of large voids to move mud, and/or bite down to solid footing. Tire lugs tended to self-clean by blocking-out mud packs like an ice-cube tray and kicking out chunks with the tire rotation.
The BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/AKM2 tire will ultimately be available in 34 sizes, ranging from LT215/75R15 to 42x14.50R20 to satisfy today�s core off-road enthusiasts. Introductory sizes available in September 2007 will include 16 sizes focusing on larger rim and overall tire diameters.
Current sizing available for the Mud-Terrain T/AKM2 tire:
35x12.50R17/D (34.8-inch)
35x12.50R18/D (34.8-inch)
37x12.50R17/D (36.8-inch)
37x12.50R18/D (36.8-inch)
37x12.50R20/D (36.8-inch)
38x14.50R17/D (37.8-inch)
40x14.50R17/C (39.9-inch)
42x14.50R20/C (41.8-inch)
LT245/70R17/E (30.8-inch)
LT285/70R17/D (33-inch)
LT305/55R20/E (33.5-inch)
LT305/60R18/E (32.6-inch)
LT305/65R17/E (32.8-inch)
LT315/75R16/D (34.8-inch)
LT325/60R20/D (35.6-inch)
LT335/55R22/D (36.7-inch)
 |  |  “One look at its ‘Krawler-like’ tread and you can tell the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/AKM2 isn’t merely an update of a previous tire. It’s a completely different animal,” said Joe Mazur, light-truck category manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “However, off the trail, the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/AKM2 has surprisingly good manners, which makes it one beast that’s easy to live with.” |
 |  |  In loose dirt and silt, the BFG Mud-Terrains tended to provide good floatation aired-down. |
 |  |  In the background is a 39-inch BFG Mud-Terrain T/A KM2. |
 |  |  We slid 'em sideways. They hooked up. |
 We jumped the KM2's when we got the chance. |  And we slid these new BFG Mud-Terrains some more. |  |
 |  Like an ice-cube tray, the deep lugs of the KM2 allowed mud to chunk up and clean out. |  |
 Here's the pack of automotive writers after a day of 'wheeing, sliding, and romping in amok in the mud bunker. |  |  |
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