Looking to upgrade your Ford Transit stock tires for larger diameter, all-terrain tires to improve ground clearance, traction, and look? We were too! Here is the data we gathered during our research and our long term review of the BFGoodrich KO2 AT tires.
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Too Long Didn’t Read
(Straight To The Point)
Let’s get straight to the point.
We are running BFGoodrich KO2 LT255/70R16 E tires on both of our vans (2016 RWD Transit & 2021 AWD Transit) and we highly recommend them if you want to upgrade to all-terrain, snow-approved tires on your stock Ford Transit van (factory wheels, no body lift):
Why they’re our favorite All-Terrain tires out there:
- 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 badass, just like us!
BFGoodrich KO2 LT255/70R16 E Tires
Understanding Tire Sizes
What do all these numbers mean?
LT255/70R16 120/117 E
- LT: Light Truck metric size intended for a 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: This is the diameter of the wheel the tire is intended to fit (16″ wheel diameter).
- 120/117: 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.
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:
| 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 |
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 into 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.
Tire Pressure
“What PSI do you run your tires at?”
Short answer:
Run your tires per the sticker located in the driver-side door jamb:
Long answer:
Generally speaking, the ideal pressure depends on the weight that the tire is carrying. More weight = more pressure required.
The pressure indicated on the door sticker is for the case of Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR); that’s the total weight your van should NEVER exceed. By running your tires at the pressure indicated on the door sticker, you are always in the “safe zone”. Safety first! That being said, if your van is empty, it is acceptable to lower the rear tires pressure a bit to get a smoother ride. You can use this chart* as a guideline (you want to select the “LT-Metric” Chart): tirepressure.com/charts
*The weight indicated in the chart is the weight seen by a single tire. That’s not exactly easy to figure out, we’re in advanced territory here! In doubt, just run your tires per door sticker.
You might be interested in:
Ford Transit Factory Tires
Our 2016 and 2021 Ford Transit came equipped with Continental 235/65/R16 121C.
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.
Ford Transit Compatible 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 Model | Tire Size, Load Index & Speed Rating | Rim Width Range (Min/Max) | Section Width on Measuring Rim Width | Overall Diameter | Ground Clearance Increase | Max Load, Single (lb @ PSI) | Tire Weight | Fit on Factory Wheels? | Modification to Van Body Required? | Fit in Spare Tire Carrier? | Buy Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KO2 | LT255/70R16/E 120 S | 6.5″ – 8″ | 10.2″ on 7.5″ | 30″ | 1.00″ | 3085@80 | 47.7 | Yes | No | See 3 | Tire Rack |
| KO2 | LT245/75R16/E 120 S | 6.5″ – 8″ | 9.8″ on 7″ | 30.4″ | 1.20″ | 3042@80 | 48.9 | Yes | Yes2 | See 3 | Tire Rack |
| Falken WildPeak A/T3W | LT245/75R16/E 120 | 6.5″ – 8″ | 9.5″ on 7″ | 30.5″ | 1.25″ | 3042@80 | 46.0 | Yes | Yes2 | See 3 | Tire Rack |
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 do NOT recommend them.
2 The pinch weld may have 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.
Clearance
FRONT:
(Note that minimum clearance is achieved when wheels are fully turned. The clearance shown is for straight wheels)
REAR:
Durability
- 1ST SET: 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!
- 2ND SET: 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…
Good To Know
LARGER TIRES AFFECT SPEEDOMETER & Odometer
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!
It also impacts the odometer, so some things like the oil change warning might be off.
Ford dealers can’t fix that, and there’s no “unofficial” fix that we know of. Edit: there might be ways to do it: Speedometer calibration on FordTransitUSAforum.com
ALL-TERRAIN TIRES ARE MORE NOISY
Aggressive treads are more noisy. We don’t mind that at all, but some people are more sensitive to noise…
ALL-TERRAIN TIRES = Compromises
Road tires are optimized for the road and perform poorly off-road. Off-road tires are optimized for off-roads and are not great on highways. All-Terrain tires offer a compromise between road/off-road tires.
If going off-road is not in your plans, there’s probably no need for all-terrain tires. But if, like us, you plan on using your van to travel (i.e. highways) and then to get to the trailhead (i.e. off-road), all-terrain tires will do great for that application 🙂
Snow Chains & Winter
Snow chains are sometimes mandatory. We don’t like missing 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!
Thule/Konig XG-12 Pro Snow Chains
Winter Vanlife Guide
Aftermarket Wheel Upgrade
We didn’t mind the look of our factory wheels on our 2016 RWD Transit, but something was off on our 2021 AWD Transit… So we went ahead and paired our KO2 tires with Method MR703 wheels:
Bonjour!
Selon votre tableau, il n’y aurait pas de modification à faire pour des BFK02 255/70r16 sur des roues de 6″ à 8″.
Les roues d’origines que vous avez sont de 6,5″.
Comment avez-vous calculer que des roues de 7.5 (plus large) avec des K02 de 255/70r16 ne froteraient pas dans les ailes???
Merci
Have you noticed anything with a change in the reported odometer? I know that the larger size changes the speedometer but does it also impact the odometer reading correctly?
Didn’t “notice” it, but yeah logically it should impact the speedometer AND the odometer…
Probably dumb questions. How necessary is it to buy a matching spare tire and not use the one that came with the vehicle? Critical?
Thanks,Terence
Running tires with different diameter on the driving shaft (rear) might wear the differential prematurely. So if you don’t match, it’s OK but you’ll have to find a garage ASAP (I wouldn’t drive at highway speed if the tires don’t match). You’ll have to repair or buy a matching tire.
If you match your spare tire, you can just keep going wherever you are. It’s just more convenient.
Hi Antoine.
I just found your page and I love it!As I am planning to change tyres I will follow your great tips, just one more question!
For unknown’s reason Ford seems to have great design for body lines vehicle as well as engines,no doubts about it,but when it comes on wheels they go slop!?
I am looking for some wheels to install on my 2005 biofuel Transit to make it looks cooler, what would you recommend to buy?I don’t want to deal with insurance so I don’t want to modify hubs, just looking for some wheels straightforward to install.
Thank you
Hi!
I honestly don’t know anything about aftermarket wheels, we just kept the factory ones…
Sorry,
antoine
Thanks anyway.
I just tried to install the LT255/70r16 tires on my Transit 350HD but the shop declined installing them because of the dually, said they would fit in the front but not the back.
I think it would be helpful for other folks like me with a dually to add a disclosure saying that those don’t really fit in the DRW.
Hey guys did you need to get new rims when you got the new tires put on or were you able to get the new tires on the factory rims? Just want to make sure I don’t have to order them before I make my tire appt.
Thanks a bunch!
No we have the factory rims! No problem!
Have you guys tried driving with chains on the 255/70? I bought 225/75 KO2s last time after your review, I would like to go bigger on the next set as long as there is clearance for chains. I saw you mentioned the Thule chains, but curious if you’ve had a chance to use them to make sure there are no clearance issues even at full steering lock (parking lot maneuvers) or normal driving ~30mph?
I also need to see how easy it is to have a shop swap my axle ratio. I started with the 3.31 on an ecoboost. Worried that I’ll be pushing it with 255/70 tires as that’s effectively 3.09 raio. Granted, I’m at 3.17 now and it seems OK. ~7500lb total weight for my build.
Thanks!
Chris
We did use the Thule snow chains on the 255/70 KO2: https://youtu.be/esVtZZVH9QM
It worked fine! That being said, expect the chains to rub against the plastic trim (of the wheel well) at moderate speed (above like 10-15mph?). It’s annoying but not a real issue; wouldn’t want to drive with this on for an hour though (because of the noise)!
I have no idea about swapping your axle… I feel like the ecoboost has plenty of torque to handle it, but it’s just a guess.
Good luck!
Hello. Ordered tires through your site. Having a little trouble getting installed locally. Walmart and Sherwood will not install. Did you go through a Ford Dealer to have tires installed or a tire shop? Please advise. Love your page and will be getting more as the budget allows. Keep up the great work. Thanks.
We personally didn’t have any issue, but we had many reports like yours. Shop are hesitant to install different tire size than factory. We had ours install at Discount Tires; they hesitated but we mentioned to them that the KO2 we chose have the same weight rating than the original tires. Maybe try at smaller shops? I’m sure you’ll find someone at some point.
Good luck.
Update: Third time is a charm. This time I went to Plymouth Tire & Service Center and before anything I showed the gentlemen at the counter who was the manager too, my phone with your TOO LONG; DIDN’T READ part with picture of van We are running Blah Blah.;) So then I said can you put these on my van. He replied , Absolutely why not? I replied there not “sticker” size, The other stores would not help me. He laughed and said as long as they meet weight -they do- and it doesn’t rub -it don’t but you knew that- he has no problem installing and collecting my money. 45 mins later my van is done with the new awesome shoes. No codes, No rubs, No problems! Super happy and really appreciate your help. Keep up the dream! You guys are Rock Stars.
YES! Glad you made it works, now go have fun! 🙂
Hello.
So I ordered the tires from your page. Awesome page by the way. Sadly walmart or Sherwood tire in Plymouth Indiana would not install. Also the lady at Sherwood insists it will rub, not turn properly and trip warning sensors before it left there garage. I tried to show them your website but they wanted know part of it. I have a 2015 ford transit 350 12 passenger 3 door. Looks like I will have to take tires off myself, Jack stand it then take the wheels to Walmart. Switch tire have balanced $22 a tire then put back on myself. Not sure everyone will be okey with this process. Did a dealer put your tires on? Or a momma papa store no receipt type deal? Thanks.
Shops are reluctant to install larger tires; you’ll have to try different shops but you’ll find one. Most people run into this issue but manage to find a place… Good luck!
What tire pressure you use on your tires?
Thank you
We run them per driver-door sticker: 49 PSI front, 71 PSI rear.
Wondering if these sizes can be applied to the 2015 Transit 250 model. I’m hoping to put on the BF Goodrich 255/70/16
Yes! In fact we have the 2016 Transit 250, same thing 🙂
Awesome just getting them installed now. What PSI do you run yours at in the winter?
We’re quite heavy, so we run them per driver-door sticker: 49 PSI front, 71 PSI back.
Just installed the BFGoodrich KO2 LT255/70R16 E on my Transit 350XLT yesterday and really like the look and feel with the extra 2” higher ride. Thanks for your information, it saved a ton of time. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello,
Did tire chance affect stability? I changed same tires and it feels than it does not drive nearly as well on highways. Just asking if you had the same or if they messed up with aglinement…
Thanks! Awesome page! Keep doing it!
Axel
The KO2 are All-Terrain tires, so you get more off-road traction at the expense of smooth (and silent) highway driving. That being said, the KO2 still do OK on highways; it might depends on your expectation (or maybe they did really mess up the alignement).
Good luck,
antoine
Hi,
You wrote you drove 45K with these tyres. But have you been only driving off road?
I mean how fast do they last if driving on tarmac / regular roads?
Probably 90%-95% of this mileage is on regular roads. We drive off road to get to the trailheads, then we use our bikes! 🙂
Hi Antoine,
Help! I have a 2018 Ford Transit 250 and yesterday had the snow tires installed. Since then the ABS and TCS lights have been going off and the speedometer quits working. Have you had any similar experiences post snow-tire installation? Please help, if you can! Thank you!
We didn’t experience this. I really don’t know what’s going on, sorry. You definitely should take it to the dealer; if the installer did a mistake, he should probably pay for the repair…
Good luck!
So, long-time follower first-time commenter.
Love what you two are doing and the energy is fantastic.
As a fellow detail orientated researcher, experimenter, why-can’t-I-er I wondered if you gathered any referencable data or opinion on the presumably depreciated fuel consumption when you bumped the tires up? Acceleration would, of course, go down a little, and the brakes would have to do more work to slow the van down but…just curious.
Good luck and congratulations on LIVING YOUR DAMNED DREAM. It’s inspiring.
Hi Thomas!
Unfortunately we don’t have any data on this, because we installed the KO2 right at the start at the dealer. Of course A/T tires will impact fuel consumption and performance slightly, but we’re willing to pay that price!
Someone might have data on the forum: https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/
Cheers!
I have a 2019 transit F350 148WB with dual rear wheels.
Will the same tire increase size you recommend fit on my Dual rear tires?
I honestly don’t know that, but I’m sure someone would know on the Ford Transit group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/472339682915770/
Interested like previous comment what size aftermarket wheels fit. I have a Quigley 4×4 Discount Tire is worried about the offset on aftermarket wheels but I would think with 2” lift moving tires further out wouldn’t be an issue
Did your van come with Ford wheel well liners or did you pick them up later? If the latter, could you provide details?
Hi Mark,
no it didn’t come with liners, we haven’t look into them, sorry!
Good luck!