Duratrac RT vs KO3

[PNWTremor]

Trust me I know the sharp volcanic rocks on the PNW trails. Lived in the Cascades many years. Now that I'm in NV... Still got sharp rocks. Living dangerously on SL tires.... But I like my cushy ride.

It’s not even the volcanic rock as much as it is the unmaintained forest roads. A lot of what I do requires me to get completely off the trail and I’m basically bushwhacking at that point. If I didn’t have an E load I’d be a sitting duck.

Yeah I miss the Grabbers. I noted an immediate performance hit when stepping up to an E load, but the net performance off road is great.

 

[PNWTremor]

The Baja Boss are good tires. I've only noticed 1 mpg difference, but that may improve again when it warms up. My mileage has been below stated since the beginning, so not sure if I trust it, but the Baja Bosses are good tires, I believe with load range E and 3-peak rated.

Well well well, I see I have ran into you yet again discussing the almighty Baja Boss. I think this is the 3rd or 4th thread we’ve talked about them?

They must be REALLY good haha

 

[Machine]

I have no idea. Every truck i've bought has 10 ply's on before it leaves the dealer.

Well well well, I see I have ran into you yet again discussing the almighty Baja Boss. I think this is the 3rd or 4th thread we’ve talked about them?

They must be REALLY good haha

I think so, and I've probably talked about them more than that! I don't know if they're any better than the others mentioned here, but I like them.

 

[TexasTea]

I think so, and I've probably talked about them more than that! I don't know if they're any better than the others mentioned here, but I like them.

Not gonna lie, appearance matters for me and dang the Baja Boss is really the only AT that looks as aggressive (or more) than the KO3.... The sidewall on the BB is awesome.

 

[Tremornl]

Hello, I’m going to go upgrading to a 295/70/18 tire and have narrowed my search down to the Duratrac RT and the KO3. I’m leaning towards the Duratrac but I heard the previous generation were noisy. I’m looking for some good thoughts and opinions on these two.

Noisey,but a great tire.

 

[PNWTremor]

Not gonna lie, appearance matters for me and dang the Baja Boss is really the only AT that looks as aggressive (or more) than the KO3.... The sidewall on the BB is awesome.

The sidewall is gnarly. When I’m on super bumpy terrain or slick mud I’ll air down to about 20psi. The sidewalls are nearly as functional as the main tread. Traction all day. You get so much with this tire.

 

[Unique Corn Snowflake]

Everyone who I'm aware of who has or had the MT Baja Boss AT has had extremely positive things to say about their performance with one exception; they are an extremely heavy tire at any given size vs the competition and so reduced fuel milage and acceleration can be expected. If performance in nearly all types of terrain is priority #1, they are fantastic, as far as I can tell from what others say.

To compare weights of 295/70R18's:
KO3: 66lbs ea.
Duratrac R/T: 64.25 ea.
Nokian nAT: 58.4 ea.
Baja Boss: 73 ea.

These are all load range E LT tires.

 

[PNWTremor]

Everyone who I'm aware of who has or had the MT Baja Boss AT has had extremely positive things to say about their performance with one exception; they are an extremely heavy tire at any given size vs the competition and so reduced fuel milage and acceleration can be expected. If performance in nearly all types of terrain is priority #1, they are fantastic, as far as I can tell from what others say.

To compare weights of 295/70R18's:
KO3: 66lbs ea.
Duratrac R/T: 64.25 ea.
Nokian nAT: 58.4 ea.
Baja Boss: 73 ea.

These are all load range E LT tires.

It's hard to compare 1:1 a set of a tire's weight as a function of its dimension and load rating, where each tire was built to prioritize a different set of things.

For instance, the Baja Boss or KO3 are designed with off-road use in mind *first*. These tires were designed to be more robust with deeper tread, tougher sidewalls, different compounds and additional reinforcements, making them heavier.

Tires like the Nokian nAT or the Wrangler DuraTrac RT-LT have more emphasis on balancing highway performance, comfort and efficiency with off-road use, which can result in a lighter construction, E-load or not.

 

[Unique Corn Snowflake]

It's hard to compare 1:1 a set of a tire's weight as a function of its dimension and load rating, where each tire was built to prioritize a different set of things.

For instance, the Baja Boss or KO3 are designed with off-road use in mind *first*. These tires are often designed to be more robust with deeper tread, tougher sidewalls, different compounds and additional reinforcements, making them heavier.

Tires like the Nokian nAT or the Wrangler DuraTrac RT-LT have more emphasis on balancing highway performance, comfort and efficiency with off-road use, which can result in a lighter construction, E-load or not.

Not disagreeing with anything you said, mostly posted to endorse the capabilities of the Baja Boss as an off road performer but thought it remiss not to point out the one nitpick some might have with it. The question did arise in the thread. Perhaps worth noting that the KO3 being similarly off road born and bred manages to be 7lbs lighter, that might be a consideration for some. I used the same size and load range for all the tires I listed because that seemed the closest comparison as well as the size mentioned by the OP and the fact all four are available in that size.

 

[PNWTremor]

Not disagreeing with anything you said, mostly posted to endorse the capabilities of the Baja Boss as an off road performer but thought it remiss not to point out the one nitpick some might have with it. The question did arise in the thread. Perhaps worth noting that the KO3 being similarly off road born and bred manages to be 7lbs lighter, that might be a consideration for some. I used the same size and load range for all the tires I listed because that seemed the closest comparison as well as the size mentioned by the OP and the fact all four are available in that size.

Right, I 100% agree.

I think it's wise for anyone modifying their vehicle with different tires to weight-off what they want to do with the truck, and how the investment could lend to their performance in certain environments or empty their wallet (gas).

On a similar tangent, I find it interesting that the 35x12.5(E) Baja Boss weighs less than the smaller 295(E) (what I have) by about 3lbs per corner. It is also interesting to note that the 3PMS rating for the Baja boss only exists on sizes < 315mm/35x12.5". This may sway people in-favor of the KO3 or others.

 

[BigTremorEnergy]

Another Baja Boss vote here. Just put on stock size to replace my grabbers with 64K miles on them. Yes there is a noticeable difference in acceleration now but in my case even going to E over the SL the BB are noticeably smoother and quieter than the grabbers at the same pressure. Like I double checked to make sure they were indeed E rated after I drove in a rough road. I think it’s having another 1/2”+ of rubber back on the tread giving it more cushion. Obviously brand new vs 64K old isn’t a fair comparison, but the difference is there.

And yes as far as A/T tires go I think they look the best, the side biters make them look even more mean and make my stock size still look like I stepped up a size over the grabbers. Yes they’re heavy but I’m confident it’s because they put more rubber in the right places to be a true off-road tire, which is what I wanted.

 

[Machine]

Heavier = manlier, right? Who cares about gas mileage so long as it looks good, right? If it doesn't accelerate fast enough for you, either push the pedal harder or put a turbo on it!

I jest, but I appreciate @Unique Corn Snowflake's weight comparison chart. I knew they were pretty hefty compared to stock, but didn't realize that they weighed that much more than the competition. But, again, I haven't noted much performance decrease since putting them on. Some, but not much. I don't accelerate too hard typically, but after accelerating hard in a friend's Corvette (hard but not in Z Mode), I tried the Tremor's acceleration and it just sucked by comparison- no surprise there. Good times.

 

[TexasTea]

Everyone who I'm aware of who has or had the MT Baja Boss AT has had extremely positive things to say about their performance with one exception; they are an extremely heavy tire at any given size vs the competition and so reduced fuel milage and acceleration can be expected. If performance in nearly all types of terrain is priority #1, they are fantastic, as far as I can tell from what others say.

To compare weights of 295/70R18's:
KO3: 66lbs ea.
Duratrac R/T: 64.25 ea.
Nokian nAT: 58.4 ea.
Baja Boss: 73 ea.

These are all load range E LT tires.

Man that weight IS BRUTAL though.

 

[TexasTea]

Another Baja Boss vote here. Just put on stock size to replace my grabbers with 64K miles on them. Yes there is a noticeable difference in acceleration now but in my case even going to E over the SL the BB are noticeably smoother and quieter than the grabbers at the same pressure. Like I double checked to make sure they were indeed E rated after I drove in a rough road. I think it’s having another 1/2”+ of rubber back on the tread giving it more cushion. Obviously brand new vs 64K old isn’t a fair comparison, but the difference is there.

And yes as far as A/T tires go I think they look the best, the side biters make them look even more mean and make my stock size still look like I stepped up a size over the grabbers. Yes they’re heavy but I’m confident it’s because they put more rubber in the right places to be a true off-road tire, which is what I wanted.

Good to hear about the feel. That's my biggest concern about going to an E from an SL... I like my soft comfy ride.

The weight sucks though and knowing you can feel you slowed down sucks a lot. So another 800 bucks for the Ford performance tune just to get "back to normal" I guess .. yeesh.

 

[PNWTremor]

Good to hear about the feel. That's my biggest concern about going to an E from an SL... I like my soft comfy ride.

The weight sucks though and knowing you can feel you slowed down sucks a lot. So another 800 bucks for the Ford performance tune just to get "back to normal" I guess .. yeesh.

Yeah I lost about 15-20whp with my Baja boss so that sucks, but it’s ok with me. Fuel economy is still really good.

Also there is not yet a ford performance tune for the 5.0.

 

[CAMDENN]

Everyone who I'm aware of who has or had the MT Baja Boss AT has had extremely positive things to say about their performance with one exception; they are an extremely heavy tire at any given size vs the competition and so reduced fuel milage and acceleration can be expected. If performance in nearly all types of terrain is priority #1, they are fantastic, as far as I can tell from what others say.

To compare weights of 295/70R18's:
KO3: 66lbs ea.
Duratrac R/T: 64.25 ea.
Nokian nAT: 58.4 ea.
Baja Boss: 73 ea.

These are all load range E LT tires.

These will be my next tire. 62lbs

Toyo Open Country A/T III 295/70R18

tiresize.com

 

[Highline9]

Thinking about the upgraded KO3's myself. The Grabbers that came on it (2024 less than 10k) seem to hold mud rather than shedding it causing more slippage than I care for.

Couldn't agree more...I'm going with the KO3s very soon.

 

[DirtyBoots]

Couldn't agree more...I'm going with the KO3s very soon.

How are the grabbers on the beach sand? Looks like they hold alot..
When we get home (FL) We're definitely gonna get some beach time.

 

[Conanduck]

Let us know how the KO3s do once you have them.

 

[Highline9]

How are the grabbers on the beach sand? Looks like they hold alot..
When we get home (FL) We're definitely gonna get some beach time.

They do hold a LOT. I had KO2s on the Rebel and never saw this...I live on the beach in the coastal bend, so beach driving is very often...after 5 miles of usually packed sand (like the picture), it's posted 4X4 only...HAVE to watch yourself/tide beyond that point, especially with no cell service (I have a sat phone that I also use on the water)[email protected] this weekend or next, and I will.