keyman

I need to replace the 255/75/R17 tires on my 13 2dr auto Rubicon (373 gears). I want to get BFG Mud-Terrain KM2. They don’t come in my size. Would you recommend that I go to LT285/70R17/D or LT255/80R17/E ? Will the E rated tire ride rough? Will I notice the reduced power when I put on the larger tires? I am going to keep my stock wheels and I am not going to lift the jeep. Thanks for the help.

willygt78

I have the same tires and rims on my willy. I was wondering the same thing at work today. I also want to keep my rims and not lift. I'm curious too. Why do u need to replace the 3.73? Curious

keyman

I rewrote the question to make it less confusing. I'm not going to replace the 373 gears.

kmrtnsn

Why KM2s? What kind of driving are you going to do 80% of the time and in what climate?

jadmt

The 255/80's are a nice sized pizza cutter. I have a set of ko2 mounted in stock rims in 34/10.5-17 and they are exactly the same size as those and no power loss. My buddy has the kms and have compared them side by side.

dmwil

I've had mine quite awhile and I agree, no power loss. I lost 1 or 2 mpg, depending on the type of driving, but it was well worth it. The KM2's have been incredibly good off road, and just fine on the road, except for ice. They are so-so on hard packed slick snow. In deep snow or just typical packed snow, they are just fine. They are fine in the rain, too. I've run them in mud, sand, and the slickrock of Moab, and they excel on those three types of terrain. They hold up well to abuse from rocks, too.

My big debate, if these things ever wear out, is between the KM2 and KO2 in the 34/10.5. I know the KO2 would be better in the winter, but it isn't like I've ever really had a problem.

The big shock is how well these pizza cutters have done in sand. You wouldn't think they'd do well, but they are fantastic on the sand dunes at the Badlands in Attica, Indiana. The first time I tried them there, I thought they'd dig to china, but they didn't. They rode right across it as well as the Jeeps with fat tires.

I've got about 40k on them and there is still LOTS of tread left. It is amazing how BFG tires wear!

keyman

It sounds like you are recommending the LT255/80R17/E size. Did the E rating make them ride rough?

zstairlessone

I went with the 255/80-17 KM2s when I switched from the OEM tires on my 08. They fit great, didn't rub, were quieter than the OEM KMs (to me) and felt extremely stable everywhere I took it with them on. In the 56,000 miles I had them I never tested them in mud (Southern California in the desert) but in the desert they were great. They still had plenty of life when I changed them out for a larger set of the KM2s, I gave them to a buddy and he is still using them 3 years later on his daily driver.

kmrtnsn

Personally, I'd avoid the 255/80s. It's an orphan tire size. If you need one in a pinch, you'll be SOL as it's an order size, not a stocking size at any retailer.

Chitownpete

Don't buy an E rated tire for a Jeep Wrangler, they ride horrible and are heavier which hurts acceleration, braking, ride quality, responsiveness, and handling. Underinflating tires is a terrible way to try to make them bearable. Buy a proper tire for your Jeep, you and your jeep deserve it.