Looking to upgrade your Ford Transit stock tires for larger diameter, all-terrain tires to improve ground clearance and traction? We were too! Here is the data we gathered during our research and our long term review of the BFGoodrich KO2 AT tires.
Too Long; Didn't Read
Let’s get straight to the point.Â
We are running BFGoodrich KO2Â LT255/70R16 EÂ (load index: 120) tires right now and this is what we recommend if you want to upgrade to all-terrain, snow-approved tires on your stock Ford Transit van (factory wheels, no body lift).
Why we swear by them:
- The traction in mud and snow is outstanding.
- It's the largest tire size possible on the stock wheel and with no modification to the van body.
- They increase ground clearance.
- These tires make our van look mean, just like us.
1- Understanding Tire Sizes
What do all these numbers mean?
LT255/70R16 120/117 E
- LT: Light Truck metric size intended for vehicle capable of carrying heavy cargo or towing large trailers.
- 255: The first 3 digits are the tire width in millimeters (255mm tire width).
- 70: The second 2 digits are the tire aspect ratio in percentage (ratio of the sidewall height to its width; in this case, 70%).
- R16: The is the diameter of the wheel the tire is intended to fit (16″ wheel diameter).
- 121/117: Load index (this is critical, so please see next section for more info).
- E: Load Range / Ply Rating. (D = 8 plies, E = 10 plies). Check this article for more info.
2- Tire Load Index
For your safety, it is critical to understand that all tire brands/models/sizes have a different load index. The load index is the maximum weight (per tire) that your tire can support safely:
| TIRE LOAD INDEX TABLE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load Index | Load (lbs) | Load Index | Load (lbs) | Load Index | Load (lbs) |
| 75 | 852 | 101 | 1819 | 126 | 3748 |
| 76 | 882 | 102 | 1874 | 127 | 3858 |
| 77 | 908 | 103 | 1929 | 128 | 3968 |
| 78 | 937 | 104 | 1984 | 129 | 4079 |
| 79 | 963 | 105 | 2039 | 130 | 4189 |
| 80 | 992 | 106 | 2094 | 131 | 4289 |
| 81 | 1019 | 107 | 2149 | 132 | 4409 |
| 82 | 1047 | 108 | 2205 | 133 | 4541 |
| 83 | 1074 | 109 | 2271 | 134 | 4674 |
| 84 | 1102 | 110 | 2337 | 135 | 4806 |
| 85 | 1135 | 111 | 2403 | 136 | 4938 |
| 86 | 1168 | 112 | 2469 | 137 | 5071 |
| 87 | 1201 | 113 | 2535 | 138 | 5203 |
| 88 | 1235 | 114 | 2601 | 139 | 5357 |
| 89 | 1279 | 115 | 2679 | 140 | 5512 |
| 90 | 1323 | 116 | 2756 | 141 | 5677 |
| 91 | 1356 | 117 | 2833 | 142 | 5842 |
| 92 | 1389 | 118 | 2910 | 143 | 6008 |
| 93 | 1433 | 119 | 2998 | 144 | 6173 |
| 94 | 1477 | 120 | 3086 | 145 | 6393 |
| 95 | 1521 | 121 | 3197 | 146 | 6614 |
| 96 | 1565 | 122 | 3307 | 147 | 6779 |
| 97 | 1609 | 123 | 3417 | 148 | 6844 |
| 98 | 1653 | 124 | 3527 | 149 | 7165 |
| 99 | 1709 | 125 | 3638 | 150 | 7385 |
| 100 | 1764 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Remember that the weight each tire sees is subject to change with time; for example, as the payload changes (cargo) or when going up a steep incline, the rear tires support most of the weight. There are many variables to take in to account, so when in doubt select, new tires with a load index no lower than the factory tires. In fact, most tire shops will not agree to install tires with a lower load index, for liability reasons.
LT tires (light truck) have two load index numbers. The first load index is for single tires. The second load index is for dual tires. The reason the capacity for two tires is lower than a single tire is to make sure that the vehicle can continue to carry the load should one tire fail.
3- Ford Transit Factory Tires
Our 2016 Ford Transit came equipped with stock tires, which were the Continental VancoFourSeasons 235/65/R16 121 C.
They are 28″ diameter.
Don’t be fooled by the “Four Seasons” or “All Seasons” appellation. They’re simply not made for snow! For example, driving with these in Quebec (Canada) during winter is illegal! They are also useless in mud or on wet grass…
Note the “121” load index.
4- Ford Transit - BFGoodrich KO2 Compatible larger tires
We can’t possibly go through all the different brands/models on the market, so we’ll stick to what we know for now:
| Tire Size, Load Index & Speed Rating | Rim Width Range (Min/Max) | Section Width on Measuring Rim Width | Overall Diameter | Max Load, Single (lb @ PSI) | Tire Weight | Fit on Factory Wheels? | Modification to Van Body Required? | Fit in Spare Tire Carrier? | Buy Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT225/75R16/E 115 S | 6″ – 7″ | 8.8″ on 6″ | 29.2″ | 2680@801 | 42.4 | Yes | No | Yes | Amazon |
| LT255/70R16/E 120 S | 6.5″ – 8″ | 10.2″ on 7.5″ | 30″ | 3085@80 | 47.7 | Yes | No | See 3 | Amazon |
| LT245/75R16/E 120 S | 6.5″ – 8″ | 9.8″ on 7″ | 30.4″ | 3042@80 | 48.9 | Yes | Yes2 | See 3 | Amazon |
Notes:
1 LT225/75R16/E 115 S: Take note of the “115” load index… this is much lower than the factory tires. We DID run these tires at first for a few years without issues, but because the load index is so low, we wouldn’t recommend them.
2 The pinch weld has to be trimmed. Check out Morey’s in Transit instructions.
3 Fit in the spare tire carrier of the Ford Transit 148″ Extended-Length only. You can still fit it in the non-extended length by following Morey’s in Transit instructions.
5- What sizes did we actually try?
5.1- LT225/75R16/E 115 S
Durability
We got 45k miles out of them, that’s including the spare in the rotation (so 5 tires). It’s not a lot, but keep in mind they’re made for traction not for wear life!
Clearance
Note that for the front tires, minimum clearance is achieved when wheels are fully turned. The clearance shown below is for straight wheels.
FRONT:
REAR:
Load Index
We ran these tires for a few years without issues, but we wouldn’t really recommend them because the “115” load index is much lower than the “121” factory tires.
5.2- LT255/70R16/E 120 S
We loved our first set of BFGoodrich KO2, so we stuck with them for our second set (installed December 2018). This time, we are trying the LT255/70R16/E 120 S because the weight rating is higher, the diameter is slightly larger, and no modification to the van is required. We confirm that they fit on the factory wheels without modifications to the van.
Edit December 2020: We are installing a new set of the KO2, same size: LT255/70R16.
Durability
We got 32K miles out of them, which is less than our previous tires. But this time, we did NOT include the spare tire in the rotation (so less mileage was expected). In addition, we could have kept them longer, but we wanted new tires for the start of our skiing season. Driving in snow/ice with worn out tires isn’t ideal for safety…
Clearance
Same as for the 225 above, minus half an inch!
6- Good To Know
6.1- Larger tires affect speedometer reading
Larger tires will decrease the speedometer reading by about 3-4 mph (depending). For example, if the speedometer reads 55 mph, our true speed is 58-59 mph. We have to keep that in mind to avoid speeding tickets!
Ford dealers can’t fix that, and there’s no “unofficial” fix that we know of. So suck it up, and drive a bit slower 🙂
6.2- All-Terrain tires are more noisy
Aggressive threads are more noisy. We don’t mind that at all, but some people are more sensitive to noise…
7- SNOW CHAINS
Snow chains are sometimes mandatory; we don’t want to miss a powder day, so we carry a pair with us at all times!
Be aware that Ford doesn’t allow the use of snow chains on the Transit. However, many people, including us, do it. Your call!
Here are the snow chains you need according to your tire size:
- LT225/75R16E:Â THULE/KONIG XG-12 PRO SIZE 245 (Buy on Amazon)
- LT255/70R16E: THULE/KONIG XG-12 PRO SIZE 255 (Buy on Amazon)
Or check out our review; there’s a sizing guide in there.
An empty RWD vehicle doesn’t do too well in snow. However, with the added weight from the van conversion, the Transit is doing just fine. We can go pretty much wherever we want! Here is the full debrief of our first winter living full time in the van; we talk of the LSD differential, driving in snow, 4×4 (or the lack of), etc…
- That's it folks, hope that helps! -
More Ford Transit goodies
Tested and Reviewed from our research lab facilities (a.k.a. Our Van)
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