Ford Bronco tires – our picks

By: Discount Tire

The hype is growing for the upcoming Ford Bronco, set for a 2021 model year debut – despite Ford keeping quiet on its details up to this point.

It's a sigh of relief for those of us bored of seeing the same pickups, Wranglers, and 4Runners out on the trail. With such an iconic nameplate being brought back to life, Ford would be remiss not to take its choice of original equipment tires as seriously as it has in disguising the new Bronco's appearance during its testing.

However, from what we've seen in test mule photos of a potential two-door Ford Bronco mule circulating around the internet, it's riding around the metro Detroit area on legendary BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2's wrapped around a 6-spoke, 6-lug alloy wheel (likely the same as the current Ford Ranger's 6x139.7, of which the new Bronco will also share an entire chassis platform).

It's also worth pointing out that the 2019 Ranger is available with 255/65R17 all-terrain tires, as well as 265/60R18 and LT 265/65R17 AT tires (for higher load ratings and a stiffer, stronger sidewall overall). This gives us a glimpse into what we might expect to see the new Bronco roll from the factory on. However, the fact that the BFG KO2 isn't an OE tire option for the current Ranger on any trim level suggests that Ford might have something different in mind for the new Bronco.

And as recently as late January 2020, a new off-road trim level of the upcoming Bronco has been spied riding on the same-sized 315/70R17 tires as the current F-150 Raptor. Could this be a Bronco Raptor variant or top-trim level Bronco? All we know is that this tire size is legit: and it's going to take some serious horsepower to move such a staunch set of tires up the trail or around town. As such, we're expecting that this trim level of the Bronco will have Ford's 2.7 turbo V6 at a minimum.

On top of rocking 34-inch tires in these spy shots, if the wheels in the photos are actual beadlocks they could very well be the first OE beadlock wheels that we've ever seen. While we don't expect those same Goodyear Wrangler's to be what the Bronco rolls off the factor floor in Michigan from, it's definitely insightful and telling info on just how serious Ford is taking the new full-size Bronco.

This is incredibly encouraging to see, as it's basically the current version of the granddaddy of all-terrain tires being put on the upcoming refresh of the granddaddy of off-road SUVs. On a certain level it's a true "game recognize game" moment.

But we also know the launch of the new Bronco is going to be insane. People are going to be putting serious money down on deposits and paying heavy dealer markups in certain markets (especially if there's ever a Bronco Raptor) – only to immediately lift their brand new Bronco three inches, put leveling kits on it, up-fit all kinds of lights and rooftop tents, bumpers, winches, and fender flares.

And what are the universally accepted first mods that off-road junkies and newbies alike do to a brand new truck?
New wheels and bigger tires.

2021 Ford Bronco Tire Picks

Off-road tire swaps usually coincide with changing the way you refer to your tires, from the traditional P-metric "265/60/R18" variant on a sidewall to a high flotation size that are more commonly paraphrased to a "35-inch tire", for example.

For those doing research on or trying to get an idea on what to change out the stock tires and wheels on the new Bronco to, here are our picks.

BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM3

There's really only one way to upgrade from the BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 for core off-roading capability, and that's to a dedicated mud-terrain tire. For this pick we're opting to keep it in the BFG family by presenting the BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM3 for your consideration when you're ready to swap out your next-gen Bronco's stock tires. Truly, these tires were created to serve as the basecamp of your journey to the peaks of 4x4 supremacy.

In all seriousness, this tire is no joke when it comes to pure off-road prowess, and will be perfect for the big tire and beadlock wheel swaps needed specifically for rock crawling. Dunes and even the roughest trails won't stand a chance with KM3's, especially on the new Bronco and all of the modern off-road tech that'll go into it.

But there are tradeoffs you should know about. You'll encounter far more road noise, depleted gas mileage and reduced acceleration performance if you put on mud-terrain tires in place of all-terrains – even in the case of swapping KO2's for KM3's on your new Bronco. This is kind of an all-or-nothing swap, so if you plan on also daily-driving your 6th-gen Bronco, you might consider storing your dedicated KM3's and their wheels away and then putting them on right before you take to the trail.

Or drive with them on all the time and look awesome doing it.

Toyo Open Country A/t II

Let's say you're interested in a lower trim level Bronco (or even the smaller "Baby Bronco"/Bronco Scout) and want to work your way up to a cool-looking and capable all-terrain without necessarily swapping your Bronco's OE wheels out.

The Toyo Open Country A/T II has been a solid and established A/T tire in this segment for a while now, and it'll increase your Bronco's overall off-road capability without compromising ride quality, fuel efficiency, or even winter weather grip the way switching to a dedicated set of mud-terrain tires will.

An extra bonus? They come with a 50,000 to 65,000-mile warranty and are one of the more affordable A/T tires in this segment – a valuable proposition especially if you're looking at replacing all four tires plus the external spare on your Bronco.

Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac

We couldn't resist the irony of suggesting that would-be Bronco owners equip a tire called the "wrangler" on a vehicle being heralded as a Jeep Wrangler fighter. The thing is, the Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac is a solid all-terrain tire pretty much all the way around.

It's M + S-rated for parts of the country that see snow and cold temperatures, and the Wrangler DuraTrac is as good for your commute and around-town routines as it is for getting deep into the wilderness on your next outdoor excursion.

It's also a classic nameplate with a long pedigree of reliability that (as a bonus!) is available in white sidewall lettering to fully accentuate the new Bronco's boxy, retro silhouette. In no way will you go wrong with a set of Wrangler's on your Bronco, no matter how you end up using it.

Here at Discount Tire we're waiting with high excitement for the 2020 or 2021 Ford Bronco, and will be sure to update this page as more information becomes available or applicable to the new Bronco's tire and wheel options.

In the meantime, find your nearest store and give them a call if you need tires or wheels for your 1965 - 1996 Bronco!