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2007 Jeep Tire Buyers Guide - bf Goodrich Mt Km - Photo 9007508

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  • <strong>BFGoodrich MT KM</strong><br />The BFG Mud Terrain is available in just about any popular size up to and under 37 inches in diameter and has a nice, semi-aggressive tread pattern that makes it a good all-around choice for a daily driver and weekend trail machine. On the street the tires run smooth, with virtually no tread slap noticed. Dry loose dirt, sand, light mud, and some rock capabilities don't cause the MT to break a sweat, but the 3-ply sidewalls have developed a reputation as being less resistant to punctures and tears than its Krawler cousin. The sidewall lugs on the MT KM are slightly larger than those of the previous generation MT, and we've found them to be reasonably long-lived on a daily-driven vehicle.<br />Street:***<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:**
<strong>BFGoodrich MT KM</strong><br />The BFG Mud Terrain is available in just about any popular size up to and under 37 inches in diameter and has a nice, semi-aggressive tread pattern that makes it a good all-around choice for a daily driver and weekend trail machine. On the street the tires run smooth, with virtually no tread slap noticed. Dry loose dirt, sand, light mud, and some rock capabilities don't cause the MT to break a sweat, but the 3-ply sidewalls have developed a reputation as being less resistant to punctures and tears than its Krawler cousin. The sidewall lugs on the MT KM are slightly larger than those of the previous generation MT, and we've found them to be reasonably long-lived on a daily-driven vehicle.<br />Street:***<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:**
154 0704 01 z+2007 jeep tire buyers guide+rock crawling 154 0704 01 z+2007 jeep tire buyers guide+rock crawling <strong>Maxxis Creepy Crawler</strong><br />The Maxxis Creepy Crawler is a gnarly looking bias-ply tire that excels in a lot of terrain. Like most modern tires, it exhibits good road manners without giving up any off-road performance. We found them ready to go with little to no break in time required. The tread is a little on the hard side, so there is some chunking of the rubber in hard, sharp rock, but the firm tread also translates into a more stable ride on dirt roads and on the street.<br />Street:**<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:**** <strong>BFGoodrich Krawler T/A KX</strong><br />The BFGoodrich Krawler is a radial tire that shares more in strength with a bias ply. In the rocks, the big lugs grab like gangbusters, especially with the tires at lower air pressures. The sidewall lugs work very well for climbing even slick granite on the sidewall. The tread and sidewall flex readily envelope obstacles but also resist tearing and damage to an impressive degree. They do well in most terrain, but the BFGs absolutely rule in the rocks. They're one of the best rock tires we've driven, bar none. However, they don't really seem to like deep, thick mud. On the street you can feel some lug slap, but the ride is not overly harsh, and they are pretty quiet considering their aggressiveness. However, some flat-spotting occurs at lowers temps and pressures.<br />Street:***<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:*<br />Heavy Rock:**** <strong>BFGoodrich AT KO</strong><br />We think of the BFG AT as the little sister to the MT. While it may not be able to do the same heavy lifting as its MT brother, it's smarter and more civilized. The BFG AT shares the same 3-ply sidewall as the BFG MT, but it has less aggressive tread and sidewall lugs. The BFG AT KO tends to clog in heavy mud and, like the MT KM, is vulnerable to sidewall cuts and tears. However, the mild tread pattern works well in the sand without digging to China and excels at delivering a quiet, smooth ride on the street. The tiny sipes on the tread blocks help grip on wet pavement, ice, snow, and even in some rocky terrain.<br />Street:****<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:*<br />Heavy Rock:** <strong>BFGoodrich MT KM</strong><br />The BFG Mud Terrain is available in just about any popular size up to and under 37 inches in diameter and has a nice, semi-aggressive tread pattern that makes it a good all-around choice for a daily driver and weekend trail machine. On the street the tires run smooth, with virtually no tread slap noticed. Dry loose dirt, sand, light mud, and some rock capabilities don't cause the MT to break a sweat, but the 3-ply sidewalls have developed a reputation as being less resistant to punctures and tears than its Krawler cousin. The sidewall lugs on the MT KM are slightly larger than those of the previous generation MT, and we've found them to be reasonably long-lived on a daily-driven vehicle.<br />Street:***<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:** <strong>Pro Comp Extreme AT</strong><br />Relatively new on the scene, the Pro Comp Extreme AT is an affordable tire offered in a wide array of sizes. As may be expected of an all-terrain tire with generously siped treads, noise levels and performance on the street-whether wet or dry-were outstanding. The tires ride smoothly and quietly with no drawbacks. Also, as may be expected from an all-terrain, these tires offer abysmal performance in the mud, where the treads quickly clogged and showed reluctance to self clean. Sand performance was decent, with digging experienced only at higher throttle levels, but they tended to slip a bit in the rocks.<br />Street:****<br />Sand:**<br />Mud:*<br />Heavy Rock:* <strong>Pro Comp Xterrain</strong><br />The Xterrain is a radial tire with up to three polyester sidewall plies. The plies are said to be thicker and woven more tightly to provide a more puncture-resistant sidewall than other 3-ply tires. We didn't gouge ours, even though we tried. The tread is appealing and aggressive, with large siped blocks that don't take away much from the tires' road manners. The sidewalls have proven flexible in the rocks, and we've found performance in slightly hard-packed mud to be phenomenal. Gooier mud and sand running are capably handled, but it's not this tire's main forte.<br />Street:***<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:*** <strong>High-Tec Retreading MT</strong><br />We liken owning a set of High-Tec tires to getting into Disneyland on half-price day. You're not too upset if you don't get on every ride, but it's a bonus if you get on all the roller coasters-and we got on all the roller coasters. While sidewalls change based on carcass availability, we were extremely surprised at how much performance we mustered out of a dirt-cheap set of MTs. The medium-sized lugs were quite soft and supple, so performance in the rocks was good. Street noise was moderate to low, and mud and sand performance was dead middle of the pack. They proved to be an all-around good performing tire that were fun to run.<br />Street:***<br />Sand:**<br />Mud:**<br />Heavy Rock:**
<strong>Mickey Thompson Baja Claw</strong><br />The Mickey Thompson Baja Claws have proven to be some of the toughest tires available. The polyester and fiberglass bias-belted design puts up to 6 hefty plies in the sidewall. Plus, the tread wraps most of the way around the tire, offering traction and extra protection at any angle. The Claw has plenty of sizes, but because it's a bias ply you'll notice some flat-spotting when parked overnight in cooler temperatures or when run at lower pressures.<br />Street:**<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:**** <strong>Mickey Thompson MTZ</strong><br />Another relatively new arrival on the scene is the Mickey Thompson MTZ radial. Like most Mickey Thompson designs, the MTZ features big, biting tread lugs that extend part way down the 3-ply sidewalls. The thick, siped tread blocks provide excellent grip in the rocks, and we've found their performance in most types of mud to be outstanding. The tires don't require a lot of wheel speed to clean out and pull willingly. However, as seems to be the case with any tire that works well in mud, there is a lot of road noise given off. That isn't to say the ride is harsh, just noisy.<br />Street:**<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:*** <strong>Goodyear MT/R</strong>With roots in the extreme rockcrawling competition world, the MT/R was designed to be one of the toughest tires out there. With an exceptionally durable 3-ply sidewall and sizes up to 40x13.50, these tires excel in razor-sharp rock. Another bonus we've found with these tires is that their delivered size is pretty close to what the sidewall says. That's a nice distinction in the land of 36-inch tall 38s. On the road, we've found that the tires get noisier over time, especially once they get over 10,000 miles. Frequent rotations every 3,000 miles or so will help the tread wear more regularly and helps with sound levels slightly.<br />Street:**<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:***<br />Heavy Rock:**** <strong>Nitto Mud Grapplers</strong><br />One of the first things we thought after driving the Nitto Mud Grappler for the first time is, "Wow, somebody finally made a round Bogger." While the Mud Grapplers may share the Bogger's legendary World War II bomber noise level, they also share the Bogger's legendary strength and ability to suck up abuse. With huge lugs extending down the thick sidewalls and huge, thickly siped treads, these tires offer stunning performance in soft, gooey terrain, handle rocks with ease, and float well over sand. Wet streets and even some snow and ice are in the Mud Grappler's vocabulary, thanks to sipes in the tread blocks. Most surprising for a tire with this aggressive build is its civil road manners. Sure, they're loud as hell, but they roll round, don't require a lot of weight to balance, and wear slowly and evenly on the road.<br />Street:**<br />Sand:****<br />Mud:****<br />Heavy Rock:*** <strong>Super Swamper Irok</strong><br />The Super Swamper Iroks are aggressive bias-ply tires that still provide good wet-pavement traction, thanks to a soft compound and siping in the tread. The sidewalls are durable but compliant. However, they still flat-spot badly, especially on cold mornings at low pressures. It takes a few miles to get them warmed up and round again. Like most Swampers, the large scooped lugs on the Iroks grip well on jagged rocks and dry surfaces but also move a lot of material to help forward momentum when in the soft sand and mud. The soft tread compound seems to wear a little quicker than we had expected, especially on the edges of the outer lugs, but that's the price you pay for traction. Irok tires are good for all-around off-road use as long as you don't spend too much time spinning them in sharp rocks or on the street.<br />Street:*<br />Sand:****<br />Mud:****<br />Heavy Rock:*** <strong>Super Swamper Bogger</strong><br />Look up what an off-road tire is supposed to look like, and you'll be looking at a Bogger. It's the kid that comes to town and wrecks the place. Making no excuses for its poor road manners, incredible street howl, or near inability to take a balance, the Bogger simply rules the roost in the mud and sand, thanks to its paddle-like construction. Likewise, in the rocks the Bogger's long, wide treads act like little hands or tank treads to provide forward traction up just about any rock face or ledge. Lateral stability suffers because of the tires' lack of biting edges. Usually, Boggers that have met the grooving iron exhibit better lateral traction in the mud and rocks.<br />Street:*<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:****<br />Heavy Rock:**** <strong>Super Swamper SX</strong><br />The Super Swamper SX is probably one of the most bulletproof tires available, but at a price. It sucks on the street. Then again, you probably already knew that just by looking at its huge lugs, aggressive sidewall tread, and bias-ply construction. On the street and at higher speeds off-road, the SX will develop cracks in the outer sidewalls. They won't leak air, but they look kind of spooky. Very low air pressures in the single digits are needed to get the SXs to stick to off-road terrain, so think bead locks. Flat-spotting and excessive balance weight are common traits.<br />Street:*<br />Sand:***<br />Mud:****<br />Heavy Rock:****
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