This month "Ask the Experts" caught up with BFGoodrich Tires Light-Truck Brand Category Manager Joe Mazur to talk about the all-new BFGoodrich^® Mud-Terrain™ T/A^® KM2 tire, which is the latest addition to BFGoodrich’s off-road tire lineup. The BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire is a vast improvement on the previous BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM tire in the areas of performance and styling and is intended to give serious off-roaders the edge with a stronger, more capable tire than anything seen before. After all, when the pavement ends, there is no such thing as an unfair advantage and Joe’s the guy with all the answers.

So Joe, what was the thought process behind introducing a new Mud-Terrain T/A tire?

“We’re always trying to evolve and stay competitive within the market in order to give our consumers what they want. We’ve learned that consumers want a tire that’s not only pleasing in the areas of appearance and performance, but also in sizing, and we were able to achieve these attributes with the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire.”

Was the improvement completely based on consumer feedback or was BFGoodrich Tires already intending to update the tire?

“It’s a little bit of both. We knew we needed to launch new sizes and we are always noting feedback we receive from consumers and media at various events we participate in throughout the year. After analyzing the feedback, we realized that consumers are looking for a more aggressive tire so we developed the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire.”

What brought about the differences for the increased sizes?

“It really has to do with how the market place is evolving; all the OE fitments for newer full-size trucks are 17- and 18-inch tires. In addition, we are directly in tune with the evolving off-road market and know that consumers want bigger tires in order to fit lifted trucks and larger diameter wheels that off-roaders want. In short, we’re always watching the market and we are proud that we have adapted quickly to this constantly changing market.”

How much testing was involved with the new tread design and why did you choose to adapt the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire with the Krawler™ T/A^® KX tire?

“After we decided on what direction we wanted to go with this new tire, we did a lot of testing. Not only internal testing but real-life testing as well. In fact, we worked with experienced off-roaders, took the tires down to Baja, and ran them with a group of serious racers in the Wide Open Baja buggies. Our goal was to get additional input from many different sources and combine it with our internal testing data.”

What was the inspiration behind combining the Krawler T/A KX tire technology with the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire?

“Our goal was to increase the sidewall strength of the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire even more. We’ve always had TriGard^® technology, which creates a very durable and tough tire, but we wanted to take that technology to another level. In order to do this, we took some of the things that we learned in sidewall protection from rock crawling when we developed the Krawler T/A KX tire and incorporated them into the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire sidewall. This is where we came up with the term “Krawler TEK technology.”

“For those who are unaware, Krawler TEK consists of three components that dramatically improve the sidewall strength as compared to the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM tire. These three components consist of: aggressive sidewall lugs, cut- & chip resistant sidewall compounds and sidewall cords that are up to 33% stronger than the previous Mud-Terrain T/A KM tire. These advancements allow for more bite and sidewall protection along with increased strength and resistance to bruising caused by rocks and rough trails.”

Is the Mud-Terrain T/A KM tire going to be phased out now that the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire is available?

“Yes, the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire will ultimately be available in 34 sizes after each phase is complete, ranging from LT215/75R15 to 42x14.50R20 to satisfy today’s core off-road enthusiasts. Phase one is now available and will include 16 sizes focusing on larger rim and overall tire diameters. We will continue to provide sizes of the Mud-Terrain T/A KM tire that don’t overlap with the new tire until phase two of the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire launch in September 2008. In short, we were able to produce tires that support the emerging trends but we still want to cater to a wide range of consumers.”

Now, the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire boasts a lot of on-road civility, how important was that in the design?

“We wanted a tire with an aggressive look along with unbelievable traction either off-road or around town and we accomplished that with the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire. Granted, there will be a little noise that you get with any off-road tire on the street, but surprisingly the Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire has very impressive on-road manners and is considerably calm, which makes it one beast that’s easy to live with. We’re very impressed with the results we have received and we feel consumers will be equally impressed.”

The BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire will ultimately be available in the largest amount of sizes and fitments over the course of the next two years and the larger sizes are now on sale, with the additional sizes hitting the market in September 2008. If you’re looking for the perfect off-road, all-around tire, maybe the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tire is the right tire for you.