Looking at replacement tires for Cybertruck (BFG KO3 & Michelin Defender), pros and cons

[SSonnentag]

If I lived in Florida, and needed a tire that was good on roads, but still versatile enough to use off-road, it would be a no-brainer, the OEM AT tire. It's primary weakness is cold weather and it just doesn't get cold enough in Florida with enough frequency to worry about it.

The other tires you compare it to are not nearly as tall (they have less sidewall for bump absorption). They also have unnecessarily high weight ratings. The ride and compliance of the OEM tires is going to be noticeably better.

I don't understand your statement about the other tires being "not nearly as tall." In the same 285/65R20 these tires are all within 0.2" of each other. As for the weights, there isn't all that much difference either:

OEM Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT: 57.4 lb
Michelin Defender LTX Platinum: 63 lb
BF Goodrich AT T/A KO3: 62 lb

Run the alternatives without the wheel covers and you're within a pound of the OEM setup.

The only downside I see is trying to determine a good tire pressure to run in a load range E tire (65-80 psi ???) vs the OEM D (50-65 psi).

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[HaulingAss]

I don't understand your statement about the other tires being "not nearly as tall." In the same 285/65R20 these tires are all within 0.2" of each other.

I don't want to look it up again, but when I looked earlier, I was seeing diameter differences of up to 0.4" and revolutions per mile of 602-622, the latter for the OEM AT tire. Just going by the revs per mile, that's a 3.2% difference in rpm at a given speed.

As for the weights, there isn't all that much difference either:

OEM Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT: 57.4 lb
Michelin Defender LTX Platinum: 63 lb
BF Goodrich AT T/A KO3: 62 lb

Run the alternatives without the wheel covers and you're within a pound of the OEM setup.

That's a huge difference in weight, about 10% more or ~20 lbs. or more of unsprung, rotating weight. You can't compare tire weight to wheel cover weight, because most of the wheel cover weight is relatively close to the axle while most of the tire weight is in the tread of the tire, at the furthest point from the axle. A 6 lbs. per tire difference is like strapping a couple fifths of whisky to each tire. It takes a lot of energy to spin that up and down every time the vehicle needs to stop and go.

The only downside I see is trying to determine a good tire pressure to run in a load range E tire (65-80 psi ???) vs the OEM D (50-65 psi).

The correct tire pressure is mostly dependent upon the weight of the vehicle and the volume of air in the tire, but the construction of the sidewalls and tread also comes into play. A tire with a higher load rating and a stiffer carcass and tread could even require slightly less air, assuming the tire volume remain constant. Assuming these tires all have roughly the same air volume, I would expect the appropriate pressures, at any given vehicle weight, would be within 0-4 psi of each other

 

[nocyber]

Im hoping to get the winter wheel package when back in stock with Tesla. I do have consideration of KO3 tires as I’ve owned 3 Raptors and the tires have all performed exceptionally well in all conditions. Another option I’ve considered with its winter use was the Goodyear Wranglers Territory MTs that come on the Sasquatch Bronco and RAM TRX. I actually think winter performance was better with the Territory tires, they say MT but they are actually an AT tire it stands iirc for maximum traction but it’s confusing for a lot of people. If those tires can work for the Cybertruck I may go that route given how well they did in Minnesota snow on the Bronco and TRX.

 

[fishtek]

Watching this thread it has me wondering. I've always owned Silverado or F150s and always just ran OEM or similar all season tires. I live in Nebraska with occasional trips into CO, WY, and MT. Having never run AT tires (or what we have on our AWD CTs AT tires), I'm curious in everyone's opinion. Do you think the CT's OEM AT tires are going to be significantly worse in Nebraska winter driving then all season tires I used to run on my 2007 Silverado for example? If they are the same I'll probably just leave them on and not think anymore of this, but if you think they are going to be significantly worse in Nebraska winter driving then maybe I do need to reconsider and look into some actual winter tires...

 

[CyberTally]

This may be a silly question but do they not make bfg ko2 anymore?

I think the BFG KO3 may have replaced the KO2.

 

[HaulingAss]

Watching this thread it has me wondering. I've always owned Silverado or F150s and always just ran OEM or similar all season tires. I live in Nebraska with occasional trips into CO, WY, and MT. Having never run AT tires (or what we have on our AWD CTs AT tires), I'm curious in everyone's opinion. Do you think the CT's OEM AT tires are going to be significantly worse in Nebraska winter driving then all season tires I used to run on my 2007 Silverado for example? If they are the same I'll probably just leave them on and not think anymore of this, but if you think they are going to be significantly worse in Nebraska winter driving then maybe I do need to reconsider and look into some actual winter tires...

A driver that knows how to drive on slippery roads can make anything work in most conditions. But it's not always ideal, no matter how good your snow driving skills are, because physics is physics.

The Cybertruck is already more stable in snow and ice than legacy trucks due to a host of factors; the faster electronic stability systems (typically with more angular resolution for finer control), adaptive suspension that adjusts to the smoothness of the driving surface, vehicle speed, and the load in the truck, lower center of gravity, and the adjustability of the active suspension that also adapts in different modes (like slippery surfaces mode that adapts the air suspension for more even weight distribution). There are two things countering some of the advantages listed, namely, the Cybertruck is heavier than most 1/2 ton ICE trucks and the chassis has less flex (chassis flex actually helps on very slippery surfaces in many situations (until it doesn't).

Even with these advantages, the Cybertuck still has to work within the rules of physics and some surfaces have extremely low traction. You might go all winter without encountering those or you might not. It's up to the driver to stay safe no matter the capabilities of his/her setup. If your tires are not good enough, that could involve driving slower than the prevailing traffic. Nobody can say what you will be happy with, but I don't consider the OEM AT tires to be good enough in the snow and ice, it's not even close. I wouldn't be happy with most all-season radials that legacy trucks come equipped with either, so you and I are different right there. Yes, I could get around in the snow and ice with all-season radials that were only adequate in the snow and ice, but I wouldn't do that without a very good reason. And I can't think of one good enough. To finally answer your question, I would say the OEM AT tires are worse in the snow and ice than a decent all-season radial.

The higher the performance of a vehicle, and the more it weighs, the better the tires have to be. So it's particularly difficult to make a winter tire for the Cybertruck that doesn't fall down when you use that extra performance. By "fall down" I mean a number of things. It could wear unevenly, it could have a short tread life, it could go into a skid easier than expected on bare pavement, it could return terrible range/economy, etc. An old-school legacy truck is so much less demanding, mostly because the owners demand less from them. Most people drive pickup trucks gently, within their acceptable performance range.

 

[fishtek]

Thanks for the detailed thoughtful answer! Certainly some things to consider.

 

[LarryK]

KO3
https://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/auto/tires/all-terrain-t-a-ko3
LT285/65R20/E 127/124S
Better Load Rating; however, the speed rating is lower than stock with S (112mph) vs stock H (130mph)

Looks like I'm putting speed limit just to ensure tire safety!

 

[MeadowShade]

I have the stock tires for Foundation with only 30 miles on them

$750 for all 4 tires.

 

[Maaz]

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

What's the rim? Looks awesome!

 

[Maaz]

What's the rim? Looks awesome!

Thank you! These are the Martian Wheel:Cyber Rovers. 18inch with Falken Wildpeak A/T 4Ws

 

[TheEther]

I'm in Florida with the Michelin Defender LTX Platinums with about 6.3k miles including a round trip between FL and VT over the summer. They replaced my OEM Goodyears at about 1.8k.

I don't have official sound meter data to compare but both my wife and I feel that the Defenders are both quieter and smoother than the OEMs.

Based on my observations when new, the height of the tires were the same and the profiles very similar.

When new, the Defenders had about 14/32 tread. They currently average about 12.5/32. Frankly I don't know if that's great or bad.

Oddly, the efficiency seems to be an inconsistent factor of speed. The following charts via TeslaFi represent %efficiency and Wh/mile efficiency.

Would be interested in any new data now that you've had the Michelin Defender LTX Platinum's for a bit. More efficient overall than the AT's? Thanks!

 

[Scribbious]

Would be interested in any new data now that you've had the Michelin Defender LTX Platinum's for a bit. More efficient overall than the AT's? Thanks!

The numbers I posted previously seem to be pretty consistent.

 

[bosshog]

I just installed Bridgestone Blizzak dedicated winter tire . looks good . Smoother than OEM summer tire ..

OEM winter tire was not advised for me here

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