Well if you've got 0.5" of tread gone then you must be sparking down the road on the steel belts because the BFG's only have 0.406" of tread when they're brand new.

 

You can compare their different ratings at tirerack.com


BFGoodrich (left) - Goodyear (right)
Higher number is better:

HANDLING RATING 6.5 7.1
DRY TRACTION 7.5 8.1
WET TRACTION 5.6 6.9
SNOW TRACTION 5.5 7.3
RIDE COMFORT 7.3 7.1
NOISE COMFORT 7.2 7.0
WEAR 6.4 7.2

 

I suppose this is more a question than a statement, but does it really matter which factory tires one chooses? I've never gotten much mileage out of any factory tire. I've been told that they are typically lower quality than their aftermarket equivalents. Is this true? I can say that the Hankooks that came on my truck were okay for about 12,000 mi., then went to crap. I couldn't justify the time and effort to deal with Ford for more of the same, so I went with aftermarket Bridgestone AT Revos. Great traction and look good! I hated to come off of my wallet, but then I have good, safe tires that keep an expensive truck on the road and out of the ditches. Am I wacked or on target?

 

For the 18" FX4 gray trim rims, I thought stock was the BFG Rugged Trails - 'P' metric - and a $275 upgrade for the Good Year AT/S - LT's. I've had both and for an FX4, recommend the Good Year. If you find an FX4 on the lot without them, make the dealer swap em with another on the lot before you take delivery - watch how fast they will do this for you.. I plan on getting the BFG All Terrain KO's - 285x65x18 - as soon as I get some miles on the Good Years and get some other mod's done first. The Good Years are not all that bad to start off with.

 

I've got the Wrangler's on my FX4, only 7k miles so far but I'm glad I got them instead of the stock BFG passenger tires.

If I could go back I would have had the dealer put on the BFG AT KO's as a part of the deal. They are plain and simple the best tires out there and they give your truck a tuff look. I'm looking forward to my tires wearing out so I can get a set, they are about $180 a tire though.

 

When you find them for 180/tire let the rest of us know where. If you have that kind of a hook up, I want in. The cheapest I have seen them is 217 + delivery.

 

The Goodyear AT/S's came stock on my 99 with the off road package. I got 62,000 miles out of them without cupping or anything. I replaced them with Brigstone Dueler AT's (not revo). The Bridgestones were quieter and rode slightly better but the handling wasn't nearly as good as with the Goodyears. You could definately tell the difference. The sidewalls are stiffer on the Goodyears because they are LT rated instead of P rated. I opted for the upgrade Goodyear AT/S s again on my 05. With 6,800 miles on them there is no sign of wear at all and they still ride well. I have no experience with the stock BFG's but you can't go wrong with the Goodyears.

 

You guys that are bashing the Goodyear AT/S's are talking out of your ***'s! I've had the AT/S 18" on for 52K miles now and STILL have at least 5K left on them. I've been mudding with these tires on an old Rice Patty turned Tree-Farm and they performed AWESOME! I've also been up and down 30 miles of deep sand beach without any problems. Not to mention the countless miles i've put on our hunting ranch, running over all kinds of rocks and cactus. In addition to all the off-road i've put these Goodyears through, i've also towed my 8K lb 30' bumper pull TT ~3K miles with no problems on my LT Goodyears.

Am I saying the BFG A/T KO's are not a good tire?....No, they are a good tire, but these Goodyear AT/S that i've had have been just as good or better IMO. I've had the BFG's too on my last truck and they lasted 60K miles, course, that was on a 2WD truck and not a 4WD.

Having said all that, I don't beleive Ford offers the BFG A/T KO's as on optional tire when ordering from the factory. What you might be looking at is the BFG Long Trail "AT". Bear in mind, that is not a "great" A/T tire. In my opinion, you'll be better served with the Goodyear AT/S.

In the end, i'm taking my Spare Goodyear AT/S and buying "3" new Goodyear AT/S tires to make a foursome, and using my best old tire as the new spare, thus saving me $$$ and providing me with a damned good set of tires, again.

 

Don't forget that Goodyear also has the Silent Armor series tire which is the same tire/tread pattern as tha ATS but with an added layer of kevlar. This is supposed to make it ride quieter.
I've only had mine for 5000 miles but have been totally satisfied both in the mud and on the highway. The LT does ride a bit rougher than the P rated tire that came on my truck.

 

Yes this thread is relating to the stock tires offered. Yes the Goodyear is a more aggressive tire that will do better in the mud, snow, and just about everywhere else. This is what I have on my FX4. So far I have been a little disappointed with them in the mud, and slush. When you are in 4WD it feels like the whole truck is sliding from right to left and back again. Not very sure footed.

Now looking at the BFG AT KO, These were by far the best tires I have ever had on a truck. I had sets on my last two trucks. (Chevy 1500 reg cab, short box & 1500HD crew cab) I can’t wait for these Goodyear’s to wear out so I can buy the BFG’s. Down side to the BFG is the 1000+ price tag.

So maybe the BFG won’t behave as well on the Ford as on my Chevy. Maybe the vehicle dynamics of the Ford are just very different and I will have to change my driving style to accommodate that. I guess the bottom line is… everybody has their own preferences and you should buy what makes you happy.

 

"...everybody has their own preferences and you should buy what makes you happy." Very true Rochester!

I loved my BFG AT KO's too; however, they did seem to get clogged up in the mud a lot easier than the Goodyear AT/S's. If Goodyear made the MT/R's in 18" sizes, it'd be my next tire...

 

My only beef with the BFG's was the rocks. They picked up rocks in the tread and you had to pick them out with your finger or a stick.

 

That is if they don't sling the rocks out at your fenders.

As for the performance of the AT/S, they've been a pretty good tire for the 2500 miles or so that I've got on mine. I can say they don't take corners in snow/slush very well. Going 15mph turning into my neighborhood I could feel the front end try to keep going straight while I was turning. I don't remember the A/T KO's or the Revos doing that ever.