MTR's Street/Trail - AZ Heat

[Markos]

All:

It appears that many of you are running MTR's. Additionally, I see tons of jeeps around town running MTR's. What are you getting in terms of tread life for a DD MTR?

My street driving far exceeds my trail driving in my XJ. However, the XJ isn't driven every day. My trail driving mostly includes easy trails that a stock rig could probably do. I have BFG AT's now, and wanted to try somthing different. I'm open to AT suggestions if you don't think the MTR is necessary. I was hoping to try something more aggressive, but I don't want them to wear out in a year.

Heat: How does Heat affect tread wear out here? I know that you have to pay close attention to your tire pressure. Anything else?

Siping: If I get MTR's, should I sipe? Center lugs or the whole tire? Is chunking a big issue with siped MTR's?

[AzTrailrunner]

From what you have shared about your off-roading,i don't see the point of spending extra $$ for MTR's.But thats just me.I run BFG A/T and they serve me just fine.

[Hunter]

Markos,
I think Jim is on the right track. Normally, I would be all over the for some to get any kind of MT tire since AT more or less blow for offroad use..... But that depends on what you define as offroad use. For your offroad use, sounds like an AT tire would be just fine and not sure of the extra money spent on MT tires would be justified since you may never be in a spot where the extra traction of the MT would be needed.
As far what AT to get, who knows, lots of brands and types avalible. If you were to get MT's, siping does help them keep cooler. The extra cuts allow for more area for heat to escape off the surface.

Best Regards
John K

[Devil Man]

All:

It appears that many of you are running MTR's. Additionally, I see tons of jeeps around town running MTR's. What are you getting in terms of tread life for a DD MTR?

My street driving far exceeds my trail driving in my XJ. However, the XJ isn't driven every day. My trail driving mostly includes easy trails that a stock rig could probably do. I have BFG AT's now, and wanted to try somthing different. I'm open to AT suggestions if you don't think the MTR is necessary. I was hoping to try something more aggressive, but I don't want them to wear out in a year.

Heat: How does Heat affect tread wear out here? I know that you have to pay close attention to your tire pressure. Anything else?

Siping: If I get MTR's, should I sipe? Center lugs or the whole tire? Is chunking a big issue with siped MTR's?
I HAVE SEEN BFG MUDS LAST 2 OR 3 TIMES LONGER THAN MTRS ON THE ROAD :D

[Hunter]

GFG? hehehehehe

[Devil Man]

GFG? hehehehehe
HUNTER MUST BE HITTING THE HELIUM AGAIN :eek: YOU CAN GO OFF ROAD WITH ALL TERRAINS :D http://www.virtualjeepclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2597&stc=1&d=1129492478

[Markos]

I may just get another set of BFG AT's. They did me well. I just thought it might be a good time to try something new. I don't want to buy MTR's and have them wear out just as fast. I'd be getting 30X9.5, so the price isn't too ridiculus for MTR's. Depe down I know that it wouldn't be the optimal tire for my driving conditions. I'm still interested to know how they do in terms of tread wear.

[AzTrailrunner]

I'm still interested to know how they do in terms of tread wear.
A while back i picked up the spec info from a local Goodyear dealer.I seem to remember something to the effect of them being guaranteed for 30K miles.Of course that would depend on someone's routine balance and rotation habits not to mention off-roading adventures.But i suppose that was all factored in when they were in the engineering stages.

[weasel_ugs]

A while back i picked up the spec info from a local Goodyear dealer.I seem to remember something to the effect of them being guaranteed for 30K miles.Of course that would depend on someone's routine balance and rotation habits not to mention off-roading adventures.But i suppose that was all factored in when they were in the engineering stages.
I worked at a Goodyear retailer a year ago,Goodyear gives no treadlife on offroad tires(that was then).On the other hand Toyo does,60k on their open country AT tires. Don

[D-Dub]

I have alomst 30,000 miles on a set of 35" MTR's and they still have decent tread. Probably can get another 4 or 5 thousand. It is a dd too.

[burby777]

I may just get another set of BFG AT's. They did me well. I just thought it might be a good time to try something new. I don't want to buy MTR's and have them wear out just as fast. I'd be getting 30X9.5, so the price isn't too ridiculus for MTR's. Depe down I know that it wouldn't be the optimal tire for my driving conditions. I'm still interested to know how they do in terms of tread wear.I had 31" BFG MTs that got about 45k, and then a set of 32" MT/Rs that got about 40k. Both sets could have gotten maybe another 5k, and I did a LOT more wheeling with the MT/Rs. I was happy with them. I would think you could get similar results...

[cactuscatcher]

MTR- Have 40" Rock Spiders on my (was a) Rubi and have 305s on our Diesel tow rig, had 285s on my Montero daily driver for two+ years and when the wheels and tires were stolen I forgot to get replacements and it is back to stocker ATs :( .
We used to run BFG ATs on the tow rigs and our Mercedes ML daily drivers but after back sliding with a fully loaded trailer in NM on a steep gravel/dirt road and needing to drive the Rubi forward off of the trailer that was mostly off the road and hanging and using the 12k winch and the Rubi to bring the rig back up the road they ATs were given away and it could not happen fast enough. ;) Been back and through the same pass over a dozen times with MTRs while towing and for me ATs=bad, MTRs= Good.

[SavageSun4x4]

35k on my first set of MTRs [37x17] and currently have 15k on this set of MTRs [37x17] My first set had a good 10k in miles left on them and I still use one as my spare. My current set is getting close to a replace, but I have about 7 trips to Moab on them and a lot of off road time here.

My exp may or may not be an indicator of what MTRs will do as the 37x17s are a Mil-Spec tire group, because of that I stay with them, they will outperform most any tire out there...

[Markos]

Well I just checked Discount Tire's site using the 15th & Bell zip code (based on forum sponsor location) and they don't have any 30x9.5's Or 15" 235's.


LT235/85R-16/E1 116Q $213.00
LT255/70R-16/C1 OWL $220.00
LT265/75R-16/D1 119 $195.00
LT275/70R-17/C1 OWL $269.00
LT285/70R-17/D1 121P $243.00
LT285/75R-16/D1 119Q $207.00
LT305/70R-16/D2 118 $250.00
LT305/70R-17/D2 119P $287.00
31-1050R-15/C1 109Q $169.00
33-1250R-15/C2 108Q $196.00
35-1250R-15/C2 113Q $238.00
37-1250R-15/C2 BSL $272.00
37-1250R-17/E2 129P $321.00
40-1350R-17/C2 121P $472.00

[My1stJeep]

On my 1st set of MTR's (33x12.5) I got over 40K on them. Second set are doing well too. That said if you are not using them for trails other than what a stock rig can go through a set of BFG AT's should get you at least an extra 20K on a set, not sure the extra for MTR's is worth it.

Mine on on my daily driver, over 170K miles on a 97 TJ.

[tomfooshee]

I've had my MTR's on my 98TJ for almost 3 years. They are worn half way down. I am very happy with them. I think they are quiter than the BFG at's I had before. I got them from Rick Beer at Discount. Mine are 12.50 X 33 and I run 35 lbs pressure and rotate about once every 8 months xing them.All:

It appears that many of you are running MTR's. Additionally, I see tons of jeeps around town running MTR's. What are you getting in terms of tread life for a DD MTR?

My street driving far exceeds my trail driving in my XJ. However, the XJ isn't driven every day. My trail driving mostly includes easy trails that a stock rig could probably do. I have BFG AT's now, and wanted to try somthing different. I'm open to AT suggestions if you don't think the MTR is necessary. I was hoping to try something more aggressive, but I don't want them to wear out in a year.

Heat: How does Heat affect tread wear out here? I know that you have to pay close attention to your tire pressure. Anything else?

Siping: If I get MTR's, should I sipe? Center lugs or the whole tire? Is chunking a big issue with siped MTR's?

[Antman]

Well I just checked Discount Tire's site using the 15th & Bell zip code (based on forum sponsor location) and they don't have any 30x9.5's Or 15" 235's.


Call 15th and Bell and ask for Rick Beers. He'll locate the tires you want at a good price.

[Markos]

I'll give him a call in a week or two. The roof blew off our apartment in fountain hills, so the priorities changed again. If you saw a tree on top of a car in fountain hills, that was our neighbor...

[Offroader5]

Not to say MTR's are bad tires, cause they're not, but what your rig will be used for, you don't need to spend the extra cash on them. One tire to consider is the Nitto Terra Grapler. It's an AT, but an aggressive AT. I have them on my XJ in the 35" size and they do better on the trail than many of the higher dollar mud terrains. They stick really well to rocks, and do pretty well in slick rock and wet rocks. They do lack in the mud catagory, but I don't wheel mud purposely so... They're not real cheap, but they're not as pricey as the MTR's.

Here's the best pic I have of the tread.
http://photobucket.com/albums/v126/offroader5/Just%20Some%20Pics%202/th_IMG_0695x.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/offroader5/Just%20Some%20Pics%202/IMG_0695x.jpg) <---Click Me

BTW...if you still want a smallish set of MTR's, you can usually find wheels and tires that people sell from the Rubicons which are the 31" MTR's. Seems like they are always on the old site classifieds. FYI though, the tires from those Rubi's fit 16" wheels, so you'd have to buy the whole set that someone's selling.;)

[jeep4offrd]

I didnt see anywhere in this thread the mention of pro comps. Not sure why. I've ran MTR's, BFG's, and pro comp M/Ts as well as others over the years. I go with the pro comps for a few significant reasons. The M/Ts come siped and you can get the buy 3 get the fourth free deal at 4 wheel wholesalers. They last and grip as well as either of the others mentioned. And there quiet on the road. The one thing I have noticed on the pro comps is. The lugs lose there edge and even can lose corners on the jagged rocks.
For mild to moderate off roading, It should'nt come into play. Either way you go. all the tires mentioned are exellent choices.
Just another option to consider.

[Markos]

All signs point to an AT at this point. I'm still going to get a price on the MTR's though. The graplers look like a nice tire. I just have a sneeking suspician that there is a better AT than the BFG tire, and the grappler may be it. It certainly has an aggressive look to it. I wasn't really dissapointed with the BFG's on the trail, but they didn't do very well in the rain. I beleive it is because they don't have any center grooves. They turned into ice skates in the snow, not that it will be much of a problem in AZ. I've spun a 180 on hard pack snow, and slid into a snow bank on a slippery hill with the AT's. The first incident may have been due to speed (maybe 25mph), but the second definately caught me off guard. I don't like hydroplaning on a half inch of water though, and I'm sure we'll get that next summer...

[Mike H.]

I'm puzzeled by your last comments.
Having lived on east coast of Canada for 32 years I've had more than my share of torential week long downpours and city closing chest deep blizzards.
Having tried many brands of tires, I found the bfg at's to be the best all round tire, as did most others.
When the ko version came out with it's smaller more tightly packed tread blocks, the performance of the tire increased significantly in snow, and, running 30x9.5's on a grand wagoneer, I never hydroplaned.
Of note, no one ran mud type tires in the winter.

I will admitt that the roads here are very slippery when it rains.

With the amount of street driving you do(I'm in the same boat), I think you'd be hard pressed to beat the bfg at or the michelin ltx at.
I got 60k out of my last set of bfg's and they still had plenty of tread left, but, the ride had gone to heck in a hand basket.

Good luck making your decision.

[Antman]

I'm puzzeled by your last comments.
Having lived on east coast of Canada for 32 years I've had more than my share of torential week long downpours and city closing chest deep blizzards.
Having tried many brands of tires, I found the bfg at's to be the best all round tire, as did most others.
When the ko version came out with it's smaller more tightly packed tread blocks, the performance of the tire increased significantly in snow, and, running 30x9.5's on a grand wagoneer, I never hydroplaned.
Of note, no one ran mud type tires in the winter.

I will admitt that the roads here are very slippery when it rains.

With the amount of street driving you do(I'm in the same boat), I think you'd be hard pressed to beat the bfg at or the michelin ltx at.
I got 60k out of my last set of bfg's and they still had plenty of tread left, but, the ride had gone to heck in a hand basket.

Good luck making your decision.



I am puzzled also....I live in snow country (Mogollon Rim) for 25 years now and have found the BFG AT's excellant in snow. I run them on all my vehicles except my offroad Jeep (35" MTR's for rockcrawling). For a good year round tire, the BFG AT is hard to beat!

[Markos]

I'm puzzeled by your last comments.
Having lived on east coast of Canada for 32 years I've had more than my share of torential week long downpours and city closing chest deep blizzards.


My bad snow experiences were on hard pack. Generally, the deeper snow wasn't the issue. My guess is that the deep snow was usually more of a champaigne powder. The hardpack would just fill the little gaps in the tires until it was one smooth tire. Also, I'm sure that your snow storms were much colder than the Colorado storms. Most of the snow in Denver melts by the following afternoon.

I don't know why they hydroplaned, but it isn't fun. A lot of the roads have tire grooves in them from the truckers. So an inch of rain can turn into a few inches when it pools in the grooves.

[SavageSun4x4]

My bad snow experiences were on hard pack. Generally, the deeper snow wasn't the issue. My guess is that the deep snow was usually more of a champaigne powder. The hardpack would just fill the little gaps in the tires until it was one smooth tire. Also, I'm sure that your snow storms were much colder than the Colorado storms. Most of the snow in Denver melts by the following afternoon.

I don't know why they hydroplaned, but it isn't fun. A lot of the roads have tire grooves in them from the truckers. So an inch of rain can turn into a few inches when it pools in the grooves.
X2

I have lived and driven in several parts of the country and I can tell that snow is not snow. Ask any snow skier and they will tell you for sure. I don't snow ski, but I do know that different parts of the country do reqire different tires and driving styles on snow...

Nice to be here in Phoenix, if I want snow I will buy a plane ticket.

[Mike H.]

snow does indeed varry... I am a ski'r too.
streets in my home town were hard packed for days after storms... being on the coast we could also have weather swings of 32 on Monday and -40 by wednesday.
Also, gererally speaking, it doesn't snow when it's super cold out in those parts... it usually warms up to snow, and generally the snow that came down was of the wet sticky variety, and yes, the bfg at's would plug up with snow, which is what you want, because nothing sticks to snow like snow.
Being a ski'r, this all sucked, 'cause it made for ice on the hills... fresh light powder might happen once a year... sometimes not...

It's all irrelivent tho I guess.
Your experience has been your experience.
Certianly not trying to tell you that you are wrong, just, is puzzeling given what I've experienced.
Round and round it goes eh?

[danno]

My last set of 37x12.50 R15 MTRs lasted 48K and they still had 20% tread left (not until they were bald but until they hit the wear bars)

This was on mostly street use with 1-2 times per month 4 to 4.5 rated trail use.

I used them 5 times in the snow last year when I went skiing up at Sunrise... They performed just fine on roads with anywhere from 6 inches of fresh snow to packed white with gravel.

Based on this, I am sold on the MTRs and I now have a set of 37x12.50 R17 Red Dots.

These tires take a real licking, especially on the sidewalls. I routinely scrub the sidewalls on sharp rocks, and while I have given them a few good gashes on the sidewalls, I have never had a puncture.

The key to getting the most mileage out of a set of MTRs is to be good about rotating them... I rotate mine at every oil change.

Just my 2 cents. Personally, I will not buy another brand of tires again... Goodyear has sold me.

[SavageSun4x4]

Based on this, I am sold on the MTRs and I now have a set of 37x12.50 R17 Red Dots.

The key to getting the most mileage out of a set of MTRs is to be good about rotating them... I rotate mine at every oil change.

Just my 2 cents. Personally, I will not buy another brand of tires again... Goodyear has sold me.
On the back of my Jeep is a 37x17 spare with 35k miles, check it out next time you guys see it.

Danno, What is "Red Dots"??

Rotate often and CHECK air pressure often. I run 20lbs

[cactuscatcher]

Danno, What is "Red Dots"??


Don- red dots mean the id indicating the sticky/race compound version.

[SavageSun4x4]

Don- red dots mean the id indicating the sticky/race compound version.
Interesting, is the red dot found on the tire somewhere?

[danno]

Interesting, is the red dot found on the tire somewhere?


Yep, the red dot is about the size of a dime and is right on the sidewall of the tire.

I don't expect to get 48K out if the set of red dots, but since I am not running it on the road everyday anymore, I will be happy if they last me a few years.