Honestly, one thing I didn't mention is the brakes actually feel a bit better. Maybe it's just in my head, but the whole truck feels a little more composed day to day. I still need to get them out on a trail before I can say much about off-road performance.
I think I kinda figured it out... the KO3 sidewall is flatter, while the stock Goodyear had more of that rounded, fat sidewall look. That’s probably why they seemed smaller at first. After a week though, I’m really liking them. Nothing else to complain about
Haha, I know the feeling. I'm already hoping I can wear these out and finally make the jump to 37s. Still kicking myself for playing it safe.
That's a really interesting read. I honestly didn't know the history behind the whole pizza cutter thing. Thanks for sharing!
Not sure if those KO3's are available yet. They weren't when I was shopping even though they listed them on their site
Now we're talkin'! Finally somebody put a tape on one. Appreciate you posting that. Killer setup tooFalken 35", 11.5" x 17" measure out at 34" or so on the Bronco at 39 psi with stock suspension Sasquatch. They might be pizza cutters but I think they still look good. Although compared to the 35" 12.5" x 17" Baja Boss MT's they're not as good on gas or street driving dynamics. But they're way better in comfort and noise. And they climbed quite well on a recent jaunt over the mountain from Big Pine to Coyote Flats. If you know the trail you know what's up.
I’m actually thinking of going 35x11.5 instead of 315s for my off-road tires because they will be a little better for rock crawling and a little better for street driving to/from. Probably not a huge difference, but if that also means avoiding E load, that’s another benefit. Depending on how my KO2s hold up, that’s at least next year, or possibly the year after.I think I kinda figured it out... the KO3 sidewall is flatter, while the stock Goodyear had more of that rounded, fat sidewall look. That’s probably why they seemed smaller at first. After a week though, I’m really liking them. Nothing else to complain about
Yeah, avoiding E load was definitely part of the appeal for me too. So far they feel great on the street. Haven’t had them on the rocks yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing how they do aired down.
If you’re doing rock crawling I’d definitely want E load much less likely to puncture. C is just for margin ride quality and weight if you care.
I haven’t had any issues with my KO2s, and I’ve done Moab plenty, and also Utah’s infamous trails with tons of sharpies—rocks from grapefruit to football size with sharp edges. I don’t know if the KO2s are just great or what. I go out at least 10 times a year, up to 20.
You’d have an even better chance at never suffering a puncture with E’s. Just saying nothing wrong with them and they ride fine too.
Here are the same tires on a Non-Sas Badlands. Like them a lot.A while back I made a post asking whether a 35x11.5 would actually look smaller on a Sasquatch. Got a ton of replies and really appreciate everyone who took the time to share their experience. I couldn’t reply to everyone, but I read every single one.
Well… today I finally have my own answer.
I just swapped my factory Sas Goodyears for KO3 35x11.50R17.
Here’s what I noticed right away:
- You can feel a little extra weight, but in a good way. It feels more planted on the road and less like it’s floating around.
- The steering feels more planted. The factory Goodyears always felt a little soft to me, while the KO3 feels much more solid.
- Road noise is noticeably lower.
- Surprisingly, steering at a standstill actually feels lighter than before.
Out of curiosity I measured them before and after.
My factory Goodyears were at 39 psi and measured just under 34”.
The new KO3s at 39 psi measure over 34” but under 34.5”.
So yes… they are technically a little taller.
But here’s the part that surprised me…
Even though they’re slightly taller on paper, the truck actually looks a little smaller from a distance.
I still have 1.5” spacers, so they’re definitely sticking out past the fenders, but somehow they just don’t have the same chunky presence as the factory Sas tires. I’m guessing it’s probably the tread pattern and shoulder design more than the actual dimensions.
It’s not ugly by any means… it just doesn’t have that “beefy” factory Sas look anymore.
I already have a set of Retro Bronc slim fenders sitting in the garage that I’ve been too lazy to install. I think this might finally be the motivation to put them on since they’ll expose more of the tire.
For anyone who’s considering switching to a 35x11.5, my advice would be this:
If your #1 priority is appearance, I’d seriously look at the AT4W too. I haven’t run them myself, so I can’t say they’re definitely bigger, but since they’re listed at a true 35” on paper, I suspect they’ll keep a little more visual presence than the KO3. Unfortunately they were backordered when I needed tires, so I couldn’t wait.
I got almost 60,000 miles out of my factory Goodyears over the last two years (and somehow managed to destroy three of them), so hopefully the KO3s will be tougher.
Now I’m just hoping that in another couple of years BFG gives us a 37x11.50 with a 3PMSF rating.
Right now I haven’t found a 37x11.5 that has the snowflake rating, and since I spend a lot of time driving rainy, snowy, twisty mountain highways, I wasn’t willing to give that up.
Hope this helps the next person who’s overthinking the exact same thing I was.
