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Kenda Off-Road Tires

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TL;DR

  • The Klever A/T2 (KR628) is Kenda's all-terrain: 53 sizes on 15-22in wheels, 3PMSF on every standard size, and a 60,000-mile warranty on metric sizes (50,000 on LT-metric and cargo sizes).
  • The Klever R/T (KR601) is the rugged-terrain option: 41 LT and flotation variants, Load Range C to F, a 3-ply sidewall, molded stud pins, no snow rating and no mileage warranty.
  • The separate Klever A/T2 Heavy Duty (KR628HD) line is excluded from the A/T2's snow certification and carries 50,000 miles.
  • Kenda's warranty excludes tires used in "commercial, racing, or off-road applications" and tires altered with stud pin holes, so read it before trail or winter use.
  • Load Range F doesn't mean one load rating: an R/T 33x12.50R20LT F is rated 2,998 lb, while the 33x12.50R24LT F is rated 2,094 lb.

Kenda Rubber was founded in Yuanlin, Taiwan, in 1962 to make bicycle tires. It added motorcycle and scooter tires by 1970 and unveiled its first passenger-car radials in 2001. Kenda set up its American headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, in 1991 and opened a technical center in Akron in 2014.

Pickup towing a small overland trailer on a forest road

At a Glance

TireMade forSizes and load3PMSF snow ratingMileage warranty
Klever A/T2 (KR628)SUVs, pickups and 4x4s: daily driving, light off-road, winter53 sizes, 15-22in; SL, XL, C, E and FEvery standard size60,000 mi metric; 50,000 mi LT
Klever A/T2 Heavy Duty (KR628HD)Heavier-duty fitmentsSeparate HD lineExcluded50,000 mi
Klever R/T (KR601)4x4s that want mud-terrain bite with all-terrain manners41 LT and flotation variants, 15-24in; C to FNo claim (pinned for studs instead)None
Couple walking back from a viewpoint to their truck and trailer

Klever A/T2 (KR628)

Kenda calls the A/T2 a next-generation tire for value-conscious SUV, light-truck and 4x4 drivers. It lists an all-terrain tread tuned for lower road noise, interlocking tread blocks, an all-weather compound and aggressive sidewall styling. Kenda states 3PMSF certification on all sizes, with a note that the Heavy Duty sizes are not included.

The standard line is mostly passenger construction. Of its 53 sizes, 27 are P-metric or Euro-metric (14 SL and 13 XL), with 13/32in of tread and a 560 A B UTQG grade on every one. The other 26 are 20 LT-metric sizes, five flotation sizes and one C-type van size (235/65R16C), all with 15/32in of tread and no UTQG grade. Most passenger sizes are T speed-rated (118 mph) and four are H (130 mph). All but one of the LT-metric sizes are S (112 mph) or R (106 mph).

The 560 treadwear number is a government comparison, not a mileage promise. Under 49 CFR 575.104, a tire graded 150 wears one and a half times as well as a tire graded 100 on the government test course. Traction A means the tire beat a locked-wheel wet braking coefficient of 0.47 on asphalt and 0.35 on concrete. Temperature B means it completed the 500 rpm stage of the lab heat test but not the 575 rpm stage an A requires. The rule covers passenger-car tires only, which is why the LT sizes carry no grade.

Klever R/T (KR601)

Kenda says the R/T is built for extreme terrain with the comfort and control of an all-terrain tire. Its spec sheet lists:

Kenda also says the design was validated in desert and short-course competition, and that racers use the same tires sold to consumers.

The 2026 spec sheet lists 41 size and load variants: 22 LT-metric and 19 flotation sizes on 15-24in wheels. Tread depth is 16-17/32in on LT-metric sizes and 19/32in on every flotation size. Load Range E is the most common, and nine variants reach Load Range F. Most sizes are R speed-rated (106 mph). Five LT-metric sizes are S, and six flotation sizes are Q (99 mph): the three 15-inch sizes, 37x12.50R22LT and both 24-inch sizes. Neither the product page nor the spec sheet claims 3PMSF, and Kenda's mileage warranty chart doesn't list the R/T.

Load Index Worked Examples

A tire's load index converts to a maximum load per tire at its maximum inflation. Goodyear's published charts convert the Kenda indexes below. In 265/70R17, the A/T2 comes as a passenger SL at 115 T (2,679 lb) and as a Load Range E at 121/118 S (3,197 lb). That is 518 lb more per tire on paper.

On a pickup or SUV the real gap is wider. FMVSS 120 (49 CFR 571.120, S5.1.2) requires the combined load ratings of the tires on each axle to at least equal the axle's gross axle weight rating (GAWR). When a passenger-car tire goes on a truck, bus, trailer or multipurpose passenger vehicle, its rating must first be divided by 1.10. The P-metric 265/70R17 therefore counts as about 2,435 lb per tire, or 4,871 lb per axle, against 6,394 lb for a pair of the LT version.

The R/T shows why the load range letter isn't enough on flotation sizes. Three of its Load Range F sizes share a 33x12.50 section but not a rating:

Klever R/T sizeLoad rangeLoad indexMax load per tire
33x12.50R20LTF119 R2,998 lb
33x12.50R22LTF114 R2,601 lb
33x12.50R24LTF106 Q2,094 lb

The 24-inch version is rated 904 lb less per tire than the 20-inch version, despite the same letter. At the other end of the chart, the 35x12.50R15LT is a Load Range C at 113 Q (2,535 lb), while the 35x12.50R20LT is an F at 125 R (3,638 lb), 1,103 lb apart. Always compare the index, not only the load range, with the load on your vehicle's tire placard.

Kenda's Limited Warranty

Kenda's US passenger and light-truck radial warranty covers tires made after April 1, 2009, and has two parts.

Workmanship and materials. A covered tire is replaced with an equivalent Kenda tire, and there is no free-replacement period. The replacement charge is the original purchase price multiplied by the percentage of original tread worn. Coverage ends when the tread reaches 2/32in or 72 months after purchase, whichever comes first.

Treadwear. Only tires in Kenda's mileage chart qualify, and the charge is actual miles driven divided by warranted miles, times the current dealer price. An A/T2 LT tire that wears out at 40,000 miles against its 50,000-mile warranty costs 80% of the current price to replace. Staggered fitments get half: 30,000 miles on metric A/T2 sizes and 25,000 on LT sizes. The tire must be installed within 60 months of purchase, rotated and not used commercially.

The exclusions matter more on a 4x4 than on a commuter car. Kenda does not adjust tires that fail from:

Coverage applies only to tires sold or adjusted in the US, DC and Canada, on the vehicle they were first installed on. The same booklet recommends rotating all-season tires every 8,000 miles and replacing any tire whose tread has worn to the 2/32in wear bars.

Man checking trailer tire pressure at a trailhead

Kenda’s Lineup in This Library

2 Kenda models (Rugged-Terrain / Hybrid, All-Terrain). Specs come from Kenda’s own spec pages; we don’t buy or test tires — see how we rank.

Kenda Klever R/T
Kenda
Kenda Klever R/T

Rugged-Terrain / Hybrid

LT265/70R1733x12.50R17LT33x12.50R20LTLT285/70R17LT275/55R20
Check Price (paid link) Full write-up — Live Fri, Feb 19
Kenda Klever A/T2
Kenda
Kenda Klever A/T2

All-Terrain 3PMSF

235/75R15285/45R22265/70R17275/55R20275/60R20
Check Price (paid link) Full write-up — Live Fri, Mar 12

BFGoodrich, Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Falken, Toyo, Cooper, Nitto, Mickey Thompson, Yokohama, Hankook, General Tire and all other tire brand names referenced on this site are trademarks of their respective owners. 4x4 & Overlanding is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by any tire manufacturer.

Sources

  1. Kenda — Our Story (corporate history) — Founding in Yuanlin, Taiwan, in 1962 as a bicycle-tire maker; motorcycle tires by 1970; first passenger radials in 2001; US headquarters in Columbus, Ohio (1991); Akron technical center (2014).
  2. Kenda — Klever A/T2 (KR628) product page — A/T2 positioning and features, 3PMSF on all sizes except Heavy Duty sizes, the 60,000/50,000-mile warranty and the 560 A B grade.
  3. Kenda — Klever A/T2 KR628 Product Spec Sheet 2026 (PDF) — A/T2 sizes, load indexes, speed ratings, load ranges and tread depths.
  4. Kenda — Klever R/T KR601 product page — Klever R/T technical specifications and the absence of a 3PMSF claim.
  5. Kenda — Klever R/T KR601 Product Spec Sheet 2026 (PDF) — R/T features (Triple Threat 3-ply sidewall, all-weather compound, pinned for studs, rim protector, race validation) and its size, service-index and load-range table, including the 33x12.50 F sizes.
  6. Kenda — USA Passenger and Light Truck Radial Tire Warranty (PDF) — Replacement-charge and treadwear formulas, the 72-month limit, the mileage chart (A/T2, A/T2 HD, staggered figures), exclusions for commercial, racing and off-road use and stud pin holes, and the 8,000-mile rotation guidance.
  7. Goodyear — Load Index and Speed Rating — Load-index conversions to pounds up to index 120, and the speed-symbol chart (Q 99 mph through V 149 mph).
  8. Goodyear Canada — Tire Load Index chart — Load-index conversions above 120 (121 = 3,197 lb through 129 = 4,079 lb) used in the worked examples.
  9. 49 CFR 575.104 — Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (LII / Cornell) — UTQG applies to passenger-car tires; the treadwear-grade comparison (150 vs 100), and the traction and temperature grade thresholds.
  10. 49 CFR 571.120 (FMVSS 120), S5.1.2 — Tire selection for vehicles other than passenger cars (LII / Cornell) — Axle tire load ratings must cover the GAWR, and a passenger-car tire's rating is divided by 1.10 on trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles.
Straight Answers

Frequently Asked

How many Kenda tires does this library cover?

2 Kenda models — see the full list below, each with load range, tread depth, 3PMSF rating and treadwear warranty sourced from Kenda's own spec page.

Do any Kenda tires in this library carry a 3PMSF severe-snow rating?

Yes — 1 of the 2 Kenda models here carries 3PMSF certification. Check each model's own write-up or spec table, since certification sometimes applies to select sizes only rather than the full size range.