265/70/18 BFG KO2 psi?

[DctrEvil]

My Land Cruiser came with the Michelin LTX road tires, which are super soft and comfortable. I have an extra set of BFGoodrich that I switch out for off-roading trips in the winter and generally keep on through the winter. These are some KO2’s that were on clos out. . Size is 265/70/18. I know that my Michelin tires it is recommended on the door sill to run at 32 pounds. I’ve been running these BFGoodrich at a little higher pressure (34-35) but they’re definitely stiffer and tighter. What would you guys recommend for highway pressure? Is the factory 32 too low? I plan to lower them down to 20 to 25 for offloading in Colorado . Thanks in advance.!

 

[RideWithYanu]

You could do a chalk test to be sure, but I’d probably just do a butt test to see what feels right. I would bet 32 will feel plush but a little sluggish, 38 will feel much more planted, and great for MPGs, but too rigid, and somewhere in the 34-36 range will be your Goldilocks zone. But trial and error will tell you best.

Edit to add: I’ve read that the big improvement from the KO2 to KO3 was to improve wet performance with additional siping. Might be something you look into having your local tire shop add if you have the same experience.

 

[cruiser_ss396]

I am on a 285-701-17 KO3 and run them on the road at 40 PSI. Off road and dirt roads I have run them at this and around 35, aired down on the rocky stuff I take them to 25. Never any issues yet.
Tires after nearly 19,000 miles were just check at Discount and have 13/32 tread depth all around. They do get rotated every 3500 to 5000 miles. The lower is if I have time to get them done at “my” choice of oil
Change intervals. Also just had it aligned after doing a peak spacer, which was installed for about 300 miles prior to getting the alignment.
The KO3 has been an excellent tire for us. Also in rain, snow and icy conditions absolutely no complaints and the wear has been amazing. We frequently carry on road trips about 750-800 lbs of payload plus driver and passenger.

 

[Bad1975]

Aftermarket tires should be inflated by comparing OEM pressures and the tire load rating at those pressures and then matching with the new setup using load inflation tables. Toyo has a nice table that is free and publicly available. That said, most load range E have to run around 39-40 psi to match OEM load capacity, which is where the 250 is ran at on my setup of E loads.

Under inflated tires can be quite dangerous on the highway as they overheat quickly and damage the tires which can eventually lead to catastrophic tire failure.

If towing, I always put more in the rear tires (often times the rated max pressure depending upon tongue weight. With my Tundra and the TPMS you can read the tire temps on the head unit, which will overheat within 15 minutes at 70 when under inflated by about 5-7 psi.

 

[RideWithYanu]

Aftermarket tires should be inflated by comparing OEM pressures and the tire load rating at those pressures and then matching with the new setup using load inflation tables. Toyo has a nice table that is free and publicly available. That said, most load range E have to run around 39-40 psi to match OEM load capacity, which is where the 250 is ran at on my setup of E loads.

Under inflated tires can be quite dangerous on the highway as they overheat quickly and damage the tires which can eventually lead to catastrophic tire failure.

If towing, I always put more in the rear tires (often times the rated max pressure depending upon tongue weight. With my Tundra and the TPMS you can read the tire temps on the head unit, which will overheat within 15 minutes at 70 when under inflated by about 5-7 psi.

So you’re saying my butt testing is not the most scientific approach?

 

[Bad1975]

@RideWithYanu , Yes sir!

 

[Blue Bear]

My Land Cruiser came with the Michelin LTX road tires, which are super soft and comfortable. I have an extra set of BFGoodrich that I switch out for off-roading trips in the winter and generally keep on through the winter. These are some KO2’s that were on clos out. . Size is 265/70/18. I know that my Michelin tires it is recommended on the door sill to run at 32 pounds. I’ve been running these BFGoodrich at a little higher pressure (34-35) but they’re definitely stiffer and tighter. What would you guys recommend for highway pressure? Is the factory 32 too low? I plan to lower them down to 20 to 25 for offloading in Colorado . Thanks in advance.!

@Bad1975 hit it on the head. In order to know the proper inflation pressure you would consult the ETRTO Load Inflation Tables. The calculation isn't difficult, but it's impossible to give you the recommended pressure without also knowing the load rating for the tires (SL, XL, and LT are common. If you have an LT, then you should also know if it is a C, D, or E load) When I switched from the OEM tires to LT (E load), the recommended pressure increased from 33 psi to 39 psi.

If you have the LT (E load) KO2, then you should run between 38-39 psi per the ETRTO Load Inflation Table.

For a more detailed explanation, see this post I made back in 2025.

 

[LCBlueP]

My Land Cruiser came with the Michelin LTX road tires, which are super soft and comfortable. I have an extra set of BFGoodrich that I switch out for off-roading trips in the winter and generally keep on through the winter. These are some KO2’s that were on clos out. . Size is 265/70/18. I know that my Michelin tires it is recommended on the door sill to run at 32 pounds. I’ve been running these BFGoodrich at a little higher pressure (34-35) but they’re definitely stiffer and tighter. What would you guys recommend for highway pressure? Is the factory 32 too low? I plan to lower them down to 20 to 25 for offloading in Colorado . Thanks in advance.!

my bronco heritage limited Sasquatch used 39 .. My LC is 33 ..

 

[ultane]

Under inflated tires can be quite dangerous on the highway as they overheat quickly and damage the tires which can eventually lead to catastrophic tire failure.

Do you have any idea what kind of tire temps we should strive for?

I’m trying to get Miss Daisy’s new Bridgestone Dueler AT Ascents fill pressure dialed in.

 

[Bad1975]

Most TPMS with temperature sensors warn at ~160F, tire temps start causing damage around 195F and beyond according to tire manufacturers.

So ideally, you want your tires 155Fish or lower, considering they will get 50-60F hotter than ambient when driven, lower heat equals longer tire tread and tire life.

My Yoko AT4s, Toyo ATIIIs and Falken Wildpeak AT4Ws have no UTQG rating, safe to assume they don't dissipate heat well as any heavy-duty tire isn't rated or required to be rated for heat tolerance as that is not their expected use case. Most any tire in load range D and E won't have this rating.

If you're not grossly underinflated, towing, hauling A**, or cruising through the desert highway on a 120F day then it shouldn't be a major concern, combine all those and you'd easily wind up around 250F which is when catastrophic failure can occur. A typical tire will gain 5-6 PSI from the cold inflation pressure just from normal heat (120-130 is considered normal driving temps around 70F)

 

[MSINAL]

If you're concerned about tire temps on the LC, which everyone should be, you can buy an aftermarket tpms from amazon that shows the temps and you can adjust the alarm setpoints. The LC should have included this feature on a display.
I use one of these on our jeep (has factory tpms but no temps), its the kind that screws onto the valve stem externally. I run our ko2s at 32 on pavement when unloaded, to improve the (horrible) ride on interstate. Tire temp can give you advanced warning of imminent tire failure, something that could be a lifesaver with oversized tires. Especially on a 2 door wrangler.