Tire choices.

Which tires should I run?


  • Total voters
    56

GOAT

Back from the beyond
Location
Roanoke, VA
I am also looking at buying some 42"+ tire for my rig.

If I were running "only" 40s, it would definitely be a BFG. I doubt you can get a blue label 40 kx anymore though. BFG wouldn't tell me if the KM2 has the same compound as the kx blues so ,that's up in the air. The krawler is the best tire I've run so far.

The Maxxis creepy is a great tire and sticks like mad. However, they are nearly impossible to get and cost a small fortune comparatively. After looking into them, just seems a bit ridiculous to beg for a set of tires for months and then pay double.

Pitbull seems to have a good reputation and would be rocking my jeep if they weren't 200 inches wide. Supposedly they will be offering the rocker in a 41x14.50 soon.


The MTRs are looking like the dual purpose tire to beat right now. Some guys on pirate are running them up and down the hammers with good results. They aren't that spendy either. The 42s on Walker Evans buggy were much cooler looking than the smaller ones. The 35s look like ATs.


Swamper is offering the SX in 43x14.50 which is EXACTLY the size I want on my rig. SXs are indestructible and also dated, heavy and not as sticky as modern MTs.


Iroks. To gain the true Irok experience, take all the tires listed above, coat them in WD40 and hit the trail. They are cheap for a reason.
 

Bear T

Tacoma free since '93
Location
Boulder, mt
I'm tellin ya, the new 40" Big lug LTB swampers look damn cool, and the have a 6 ply sidewall. That should make them more indestructable than an SX. And they are only $1199 for 4. (That included shipping and tax)
 

LT.

Well-Known Member
I cannot source a 39 inch Krawler in anything but a red label. The red labels are not DOT approved and this is why you cannot purchase them without some sort of a racing certificate. I have run IROK's with some success. They are cheaper than most other tires but, I am looking for something better. The Maxxis are expensive but, I have a few leads on some and I am not too scared by the price. Another had posted the thought that the Pitbulls work great on heavier rigs but do not work as well on lighter rigs. I suspect that I am a lighter rig. The MT/R's is what I have been looking at most seriously as I do drive my rig to and from the trails. I do trailer it to Moab but, once there I drive my rig to every trail head and back again. Some folks had stated that the new MT/R's with kevlar are better than the old ones but, someone here said that they still were not on par with the Creepy Crawlers.

I am really excited to read all the new posts on this subject. Please keep the posts coming.

LT.
 
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LT.

Well-Known Member
I'm tellin ya, the new 40" Big lug LTB swampers look damn cool, and the have a 6 ply sidewall. That should make them more indestructable than an SX. And they are only $1199 for 4. (That included shipping and tax)

I just took a look at them and they are impressive looking. Does anybody have any experience with them on the rocks? Perferably on the Moab slick rocks?

LT.
 

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
...Some folks had stated that the new MT/R's with kevlar are better than the old ones but, someone here said that they still were not on par with the Creepy Crawlers...

They are not even inthe same state, let alone on the same golf course
 

Bear T

Tacoma free since '93
Location
Boulder, mt
I just took a look at them and they are impressive looking. Does anybody have any experience with them on the rocks? Perferably on the Moab slick rocks?

LT.

I don't know anyone running the 40's because they are a very new tire, however I do know a gentleman from Manti running the 47's and he claims they grip better than any other non-sticky he's ever ran. But that's just what he told me. I am going to save the pennies and get a set hopefully next spring when the SX's run out.
 

ChestonScout

opinions are like Jeeps..
Location
Clinton, Ut
the guy I bought my 46" claws from had some interesting insight.


He has a Toyota buggy and is running red labels. His wife has a different toyota if I remeber right and she is running Rockers.

He told me that once the Rockers broke in he cannot tell a difference between the rockers and the red labels. They are both extremely light rigs.

Of course that is just heresay tho.

Sounds like you dont want the Rockers so I wont try to talk you into them anymore. Cant wait to see what you do with the beater!
 

LT.

Well-Known Member
the guy I bought my 46" claws from had some interesting insight.


He has a Toyota buggy and is running red labels. His wife has a different Toyota if I remember right and she is running Rockers.

He told me that once the Rockers broke in he cannot tell a difference between the rockers and the red labels. They are both extremely light rigs.

Of course that is just here say tho.

Sounds like you don't want the Rockers so I won't try to talk you into them anymore. Cant wait to see what you do with the beater!

I am not against the Rockers by any means. Currently I am just listening to what others have to say. I would be a fool not to listen to everybody and get their opinions. Everybody has an opinion and they are all worth listening to. I would be an idiot if I bought tires just because they look cool or if I just listened to one person. This web site is based off of the Utah rock crawling community. It is my humble opinion that the folks here on this board should be experts in this field. In essence, I have come to know the folks here as SME's (subject matter experts). Pitbull does make the Rocker in a 39.5 inch size. However, when you get it in a 17 inch wheel it is listed as a load range D. Meaning an 8 ply tread. This may be a little bit more tire than I need. If I step up to the 42 inch Rocker it goes back to a load range C. I have been thinking that the extra weight of the 42 and the extra rolling resistance of a tire that wide may prove to be too much for the axles with a rowdy 440 or even the 500 if I stroke it out. Also, I have been eyeballing the 40" tires because they are not quite as wide. If I run a 17 inch beadlock wheel and a 40 inch tire that is about 13.5 inches wide I may be able to drive the beater into the race trailer without changing tires everytime. It really is not too big of a deal just one less thing that I would have to worry about. I am looking at the Rocker seriously, along with the Creepy Crawler, and the MT/R. I just want to make the right decision the first time so I am not doing this again soon.

LT.
 

LT.

Well-Known Member
I am starting to think that the tire technology is like computer technology. It is changing so fast that every time you turn around there is a new, and improved tire out there. Y'all have helped more than you could imagine. I could not even begin to put words to express how much it means to me that y'all are willing to help me out like this. Thanks so much for all your feed back. Keep the thoughts coming.

LT.
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
Here's my take. I've run two sets of MT/Rs, Swamper SX, Toyo MTs, Creepy Crawlers Swamper SSRs and will be trying out some new MTR Kevlars PDQ. Each has it's benefits and drawbacks. For your mostly off-road rig, I think you're smart to stick with a mostly off-road tire. An SX is an ancient design but still works pretty acceptably and has a solid reputation for durability. Definitely not the best tire out there, but a solid choice.

I've been IMPRESSED with the Creepy Crawlers. They make me and my Jeep WAY more capable than I/it really am/is. Greg's TJ was fairly impressive with the 40" Creepys. Between the Trepadors, Creepys and red label Krawlers I'm AMAZED what a nice compound and solid tire construction can do in comp and extreme trail situations.

I'd like a little more streetable tire as I like to drive my Jeep a little on the road. I'm hoping the Kevlar MTR is the ticket and I don't give up much off road prowess for some decent road manners. We'll see?

The Toyos have been EXCEPTIONAL on my Stuper Duty. About 55K to date and I'll probably run them into the fall? From what it looks like, I'll get about 60K out them? Amazing tire on the Stuper Duty. I ran the 37 x 13.50 on my Jeep for a while (trying to make it "streetable") and while it did OK on slickrock, in other situations it was a little annoying because of the hardness of the rubber compound. It just wouldn't grip quite as well as other things. It was serviceable and fairly tough, but there are better options. I'll probably replace the Toyo MTs on my Stuper Duty with Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors, but if those don't last as well as the Toyo MTs, I'm going right back to them. I think I lost about 1-1.5 mpg with the MT tread vs. the craptastic Cooper ATs that were on there before. I'm hoping the Goodyears will be round like the Toyos and the tread pattern will get me back the 1-1.5 mpg?

I've got about 60-70K miles on two sets of traditional MT/Rs. They were both run on an XJ and I really liked those for that vehicle. They excel at on/off road and are quite a good compromise for a street/trail tire. I've heard of people wasting sidewalls but I had no problems with those at all. On my 32" MTRs, I did take EVERY opportunity to waste the drivers front as it was worn out of alignment (kewl XJ steering systems) and it never really would tear after multiple attempts. I sold both sets before they were half tread, the 32" to move to 33" SSRs with about 25K on them, and the 35" with about 20K on them with the Jeep as it went to Rifle, CO.

I'm in the "not quite an IROK fan" category. I've seen them work on some rigs, but they don't seem to work quite as well as other things and seem to wear quickly and have "floppy" sidewall characteristics that their SX or TSL brothers don't have. I've never run them and don't think I would. (unless there's an Interco rep out there that wants me to try a set and then I'll give them hell)

For your RamCharger, I'd expect a Swamper SX, Creepy Crawler or possibly a BFG Krawler would be a solid choice.
 
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casper customs

Active Member
Location
Rigby ID
Pitbull seems to have a good reputation and would be rocking my jeep if they weren't 200 inches wide. Supposedly they will be offering the rocker in a 41x14.50 soon.
the 42x15. rockers really arent that wide and they look good on jeeps I will try to post some pics of them
 

LT.

Well-Known Member
Mr. Bryson, Your report is, as always, well written and gives first hand experience and some insight. You went to the painstaking process of not only addressing most of the tires I had thought of you also gave a report of each and their uses. Thanks for your report. Very well received.

the 42x15. rockers really arent that wide and they look good on jeeps I will try to post some pics of them

Corey, that would be really cool of ya'. Thanks for the pictures. As of right now the choice is between the Maxxis Creepy Crawler, Pitbull Rockers, and the Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs. I am having a hard time swallowing the price of the Creepys especially when I priced out five of them. A little over $3000.00 for the set. If they are really that good then I guess that would not be too much to pay but, I also drive on the street. I don't want to spend that much money if they are going to be shot in a couple of years. The Rockers sound more like what I am wanting. Mostly a dedicated trail rig that can be driven on the street when the times calls for it. Kind of like my current IROK's. From what most have posted of the Goodyears it sounds like this is the most dual purpose tire in exestince. Good road manners followed by good off road performance. The thing that keeps me comming back to the Maxxis Creepy Crawlers is the size. I keep wondering if I was to run a 17" wheel from either Walker Evans Racing or from American Rock Rods (formerly know as the spyderlocks) if I would be able to squeeze the beater into the race trailer without changing tires everytime. If you would not mind post up the pictures when you get the chance. Maybe I am asking too much. I really do want to eat my cake and have it too. I want function and I want form.

LT.
 

OREGON85

from OREGON
This has been a good thread to follow. It has gotten me thinking about my next set of tires already. They even make a 33'' rocker, perfect for my little Toyota. How do they hold up on the road?
 
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