BFG KO2 tires 215/85/16 -> 235/85/16

[ScottP]

Anyone swap the OEM Continental tires for a set of snowflake rated KO2’s ?

And or bump up in size to 235’s?

Clearance in the Dually appears validated, by others who’ve bumped up in tire size.

[nateallen80]

Can’t answer on the KO2s but I just replaced the continentals with the snowflake rated Michelin Agilis Crossclimate. Haven’t driven with them in snow yet, it they seem a little quieter than the conti’s.

[ScottP]

Thank you ~ did you bump the size up slightly?

I understand on the Sprinter Forum (3500 dually) there’s a bunch of anecdotal info relative to increasing tire width on the fronts and some data on 235’s on the rear.

Ok I’ll give it a try ... and will report back promptly

[nateallen80]

No, I stayed with OEM size. Sprinters definitely look cool with the K02’s but we spend 100% of our time on highways, so having an aggressive, but still highway tread seemed like the way to go. For snow, I’ve read narrower tires are better so as to be able to get the rubber down to the pavement easier by not spreading the vehicle weight over a wider area.

[ScottP]

Originally Posted by nateallen80

No, I stayed with OEM size. Sprinters definitely look cool with the K02’s but we spend 100% of our time on highways, so having an aggressive, but still highway tread seemed like the way to go. For snow, I’ve read narrower tires are better so as to be able to get the rubber down to the pavement easier by not spreading the vehicle weight over a wider area.

Agree ... y’all got a photo of yours installed?

I’ll mount on some snow rims ...

We have KO2’s on a couple vehicles and they’ll basically be my snow tires (even though Blizzak’s are remarkable with ice and snow) because I love the KO2’s for effective snow use (snowflake rated), and dry winter highway trips 5 hours to Boise.

And 10-4 on tire width in winter, yes. But in the grand scheme of things (the 7 % +/- of the time I’ll actually be in deep snow).

Most of the time will be dry winter roads at 70mph between Bend and Boise, or Jackson Hole to Park City.

[nateallen80]

Not at that moment. Planning on getting it out of storage next weekend in preparation for our Grand Canyon trip thanksgiving week. I’ll snap a pic then and post it. Just got the tires about 3 weeks ago.

[pteck]

My opinion, but informed one as an avid off-road enthusiast from other boards that have a lot of input on tires.

K02s would be more aggressive a tire than a Sprinter could use. No point suffering the noise, harsher ride qualities, and MPG hit.

If you're set on an AT tire that has better rain, snow, and NVH qualities, I'd highly recommend Michelin LTX A/T2s. They'll be a durable and capable tire, that is well mannered.

If that's too mild for you, and you want something more in the vein of a KO2, I'd highly encourage you to look into Falken AT3Ws. These have a softer compound than the KO2s that frankly are a too hard rock focused compound, and because of it, not so great in cold/snow/ice. Yet still all the capability and durability of the KO2s. There's yet another variant of the Falken AT3Ws that use all the same compound and technology, but with a touch milder tread pattern for better noise performance - Falken Rubitrek.

[ScottP]

Originally Posted by pteck

My opinion, but informed one as an avid off-road enthusiast from other boards that have a lot of input on tires.

K02s would be more aggressive a tire than a Sprinter could use. No point suffering the noise, harsher ride qualities, and MPG hit.

If you're set on an AT tire that has better rain, snow, and NVH qualities, I'd highly recommend Michelin LTX A/T2s. They'll be a durable and capable tire, that is well mannered.

If that's too mild for you, and you want something more in the vein of a KO2, I'd highly encourage you to look into Falken AT3Ws. These have a softer compound than the KO2s that frankly are a too hard rock focused compound, and because of it, not so great in cold/snow/ice. Yet still all the capability and durability of the KO2s. There's yet another variant of the Falken AT3Ws that use all the same compound and technology, but with a touch milder tread pattern for better noise performance - Falken Rubitrek.

Thank you for taking to time to offer feedback.

You’re prob right at a minimum re the appearance ... I have to keep in mind this is the softer cousin of the adventure vans (Bend Oregon is swimming with aggressive looking adventure builds).

I appreciate all the tire options and feedback. You prob saved me a lot of time and money puttin ‘em on, taking ‘em off.”

I’ll rethink all this.

Smiles

[nateallen80]

I think the Michelin LTX has been discontinued in favor of the agilis crossclimates. I didn’t find that LTX anywhere when I was looking. The agilis has the snowflake rating wherein I don’t know that the LTX did...

[nateallen80]

ScottP, I just pulled back into the driveway after getting the AI out of storage. Here are a few pics of the Michelins (with a little gravel dust on them)

[ScottP]

Originally Posted by nateallen80

ScottP, I just pulled back into the driveway after getting the AI out of storage. Here are a few pics of the Michelins (with a little gravel dust on them)
Attachment 356340Attachment 356341Attachment 356342Attachment 356343

Thank you Very Much for taking the time to shoot images for me

They look “quiet” and it’s great to see the snowflake too!

I’ll transition this week.

Anyone want a set of OEM tires with 700 miles on them? Just PM me if interested please.

[ScottP]

Originally Posted by nateallen80

Can’t answer on the KO2s but I just replaced the continentals with the snowflake rated Michelin Agilis Crossclimate. Haven’t driven with them in snow yet, it they seem a little quieter than the conti’s.

Tire review:

Thanks again for your Michelin Tire suggestion above - we’ve driven 4500 miles over three weeks with excellent results.

Trip Conditions:

Rain, dry warm and sunny, freezing rain, -6 degrees Duluth Minnesota and on solid ice and snow (no heavy snow yet), slushy greasy slippery roads in the mountains etc.

The Agilis Cross Climate snowflake rated tire has been a slight bit noisier (siping) - when compared to the Factory Continental Vancor Four Season.

But frankly, the ride, handling and traction have far exceeded my expectations. A remarkably smooth ride, with with lots of siping which works great in heavy downpours and slush-fests.

Love the tire - a valuable safety component in my mind.

A nice balance of traction and smooth riding performance for our van.

[Hein]

We have run LT235 /85 R16 tires on our Sprinter 3500 for a number of years. We used the Michelin M/S2 but recently upgraded to the Agilis. Agree that the Agilis is a nice smooth running tire with great wet/snow traction.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098

[ScottP]

Oops - here’s a couple images for reference

The Agilis Cross Climate snowflake rated tire has been a slight bit noisier (siping) - when compared to the Factory Continental Vancor Four Season

[ScottP]

Originally Posted by Hein

We have run LT235 /85 R16 tires on our Sprinter 3500 for a number of years. We used the Michelin M/S2 but recently upgraded to the Agilis. Agree that the Agilis is a nice smooth running tire with great wet/snow traction.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098

Thanks for the images Hein!

Love those wheels too!

Who’s the manufacturer?


Re: 215 to 235 Size increase ... I chickened out [emoji22] sadly

I worried about upsetting electronics such as crosswind control, anti skid bleep etc

Buyer remorse for sure!

I am annoyed by the very skinny footprint of front tires (contact patch).

Scott

[CapriRacer]

A word of caution:

Increasing the tire size from LT215/85R16 to LT235/85R16 could lead to problems. I would point out hitting the fenders (or framerails), but by now there should be reports of such events.

But a less obvious problem is "dual kissing", where the sidewalls of the duals bump into each other. If this happens often enough, the sidewalls will fail in a very unusual way - the sidewall fabric will break due to its going into compression.

The key to all this is the amount of rear wheel offset. An LT215/85R16 needs a minimum of 9.9", where an LT235/85R16 needs 10.6" (adjusted for rim width due to mounting on the same rim!) Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the specs for this vehicle (aka Mercedes Sprinter).

Further, the stock wheels are listed as 5.5", and an LT235/85R16 requires a minimum of 6.0" - which means the tire is going to arch across the treadface and result in the tires wearing more in the center of the tread. Since RWD vehicles tend to wear the rear tires more in the center anyway, the combination could result in fairly rapid wear and premature replacement.

Caution and vigilance is advised until enough information is obtained that these are or are not issues.

[Luckysnuck]

In April 2019 I replaced my OEM Conti's with these tires. 7,000+ miles later I would do the same in a heartbeat!
These 235/85R-16 Michelin's, aside from IMO a superior aesthetic, provides a much smoother and all-around more comfortable ride versus the Conti's and for me personally has improved my driver confidence level immensely on every road surface and weather condition experienced. I did have some pre-install reservations related to fit, as this tire is spec'd for a 1/2" wider rim than the OEM Alcoa rim indicate, but in hindsight having encountered zero issues I feel that my concern was unwarranted, plus I'd received some solid advice from Hein (Thanks again Hein if you're listening!).
I was able to subsidize my tire upgrade by selling my six OEM Conti's with 4,000 miles for $ 450.00 via Craigslist.
In summary given my 7,000+ miles of experience with this tire size and brand all I can offer is a highly confident "YES" recommendation to anyone considering changing to this tire size.

[Hein]

We have had no problems with 235 /85 R16 size tires on our Sprinter. Very even tread wear over their life. We are on our second set. I actually had another set of M/S2s installed that we ran over the summer but decided to trade those in for the Agilis this fall.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098

[ScottP]

Originally Posted by Hein

We have had no problems with 235 /85 R16 size tires on our Sprinter. Very even tread wear over their life. We are on our second set. I actually had another set of M/S2s installed that we ran over the summer but decided to trade those in for the Agilis this fall.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098

Thank you - I’m drooling 🤤

[mvinterstate]

Any change in fuel economy with the wider 235 tires?
I am @ 20k with the original Conti's on my 2017 Grand Tour and have always been a Michelin fan!