QuestionS for those running stock tires

[rtmozingo]

I'm at 15k miles. Half tread. Personally these are my least favorite tires I've had on a truck. Many love them but they downright scare the hell out of me in the rain!! Soon as its starts to drizzle and roads get wet my truck goes into 4A.
Early on in first few weeks of ownership, I was just driving the speed limit 40-45 in a light rain on a typical paved 2 lane backroad. Entered a turn, thank God no one was coming, but within a split second I was pointing the opposite direction in the other lane. Did a complete 180 out of no where for no reason at all. Didn't hit throttle mid turn or anything stupid... just normal driving.

So I just chucked it up as a fluke. Then a few weeks later same thing. Rain, normal driving, entered turn and rear end broke loose and came around on me like I was on ice. But it was 80 and mid July. So at that point I started really paying attention to the driving conditions and these tires characteristics.

What i found was, on wet roads, anytime i entered a turn at a speed that created a little body roll and the road was flat (not cambered), cambered the opposite way, or had any imperfections/bumps causing the rear end to hop or lose perfect contact.... the rear end would break loose and get squirelly.

So at that point I started putting it in 4A in the rain. No more squirrely or rotating rear end mid turn since.

when my wife commented they were bad in the rain I knew they were bad in the rain.

Laughably, my much more aggressive Coopers are a bit better in the rain and MUCH better in all other conditions (off and on road). And unlike the K02s, the ST Maxx actually hold up to offroad use.

 

[atombombmx]

20,000 miles, shocks lasted half of that. Been running BFG KM3's for the past 25k and they have been impressive.

 

[Quaesta]

Damn not want I wanted to hear. I got rid of my stock set up before I knew how they drove in the rain and was thinking a out going back. I currently have the Ridge Grapplers but I can’t stand them in the rain. I also was hoping to get The lighter higher speed rating benefits from the KO2s.

So I guess that begs the question what other options do we have for a light weight, high speed rating tire that can actually grip the road in the rain?

 

[P4mnceBlue82]

In West VA, you can’t rule out road contamination as a contributing factor. All the 4a in the world isn’t going to help you in a corner when you bankrupt the lateral grip bank account. slow in, fast out. fast in, spin out.

It’s very possible to heat cycle the grip right out of tire, long before the tread is gone. I’ve done it with 2 sets of motorcycle street tires and definitely lost quite a bit of grip out of some low profile car tires before the tread was gone.
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I agree 100% with this

 

[Simplejack]

Oem tires 33k miles might get upto 37-38k miles but i won't have them that long. Terrible in rain, decent off road. Will have them for couple more months then going with Toyota at3's

 

[jabroni619]

I replaced mine around 32K. Still had some tread life left in them but they were cupping pretty bad causing excessive road noise. I feel like they handled the rain just fine.

 

[340]

43,000 miles on mine. Only issue I have is picking up rocks on gravel roads.

Next tire Toyo RT 6pyl 112 speed rating

 

[Sonicsunspot]

Ran OEM K02s to 37k. They got crazy loud, probably could have gone another 7k but winter driving was getting scary. Swapped for Ridge Grapplers and love them. I am not sure why a couple of comments were critical of them as a rain tire. They have been great for me.

 

[GCATX]

OEM's do suck in heavy rains. I have to slow down to avoid hydroplaning in places I never have before. I have adjusted my driving accordingly, and yes I click it in 4a if it's more than a mist. The rear does step out at speed if you get on the go pedal to pass. 1 time scared me pretty good around 60 mph, lesson learned! Even on dry pavement, the rear will get slightly floatey at highway speed if it hits the gears just right. I kind of like that though.

The older I get, the lower my tolerance for that stuff. How did we ever make it before traction control and abs?

 

[CobraJay]

The older I get, the lower my tolerance for that stuff. How did we ever make it before traction control and abs?

I couldnt agree more, for me I started caring more about that stuff once I had to haul a kiddo around. Changed my life.