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MTR and KM2's in snow

jeepfreak1020

jeepfreak1020

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Thornton
Ok So Ive read and read tons of threads about the knew MTR's and KM2's. Im about to buy a set of 35's and am really having a hard time desiding. In all the thread though no one really talks about eather tire in the snow. I need to know how each tire do in snow. Ive heard the MTR's do ok because there kinda pre sipped and are kinda like a AT in the middle. Then Ive heard the KM2's do bad in the snow because there a mud tire and have the big blocks.

From what my buddy that works at discount told me to -

KM2's - should last about 30,000 miles
KM2's - cost less
KM2's - Lots of side wall flex
KM2's - More noisy on road

MTR's - should last about 25,000 miles
MTR's - cost more and less life
MTR's - Dont alwasy balance and have hardtimes
MTR's - Dont much side wall flex and need ( they need to be aired down more then or what?)

Im just really having a hard time trying to deside here. In Colorado we get quite a bit of snow so a tire thats going to do good in the snow, and slushy road is key to me since its a DD. And I want my tire to do great off road to.
 
From my experience, the KM2 does just aswell in the snow as the MT/R where the MT/R will most likely excel would have to be in the ice.. but that's an opinion..
the KM2 is a great tire.. my buddy is on his second set, and a member in the NWC has something like 25k+ on his set of 35s.. either way i think you will be very happy.. Get them sipped!

I personally bought a set of 35" MT/Rs 2 weeks ago.. all i have to say is.. GOOD LUCK FINDING A SET they just went back into backorder status
 
So far ive loved my km2's they're great off road and they're not really that noisy but i feel that they're not that good in the snow. There have been a couple times where ive wished i had a different tire with all the snow driving that i see.
 
Ive had two sets of both. I can tell from first hand personal experience that the MTR is an all around better tire than the KM2. They wear at about the same rate, but the MTR excells in the rocks. In the snow i liked the MTRs, in the rain i like the MTRs, on dry pavement i like the MTRs, you get the idea.

And the sidewall in the MTR is very strong, stronger than the sidewall in the KM2, but it is more rigid, the ride is slightly better with the KM2s, but not enough to care about.
 
I've had both, MT/R's on XJ and KM2's on my WJ. I would say your observations are correct, except I thought the MT/R's were louder on the street. I think they are both pretty good in the snow, although lately I've heard a lot of criticism of the KM2's on snow. I just got back from a huge snow storm with the WJ and the KM2's did fantastic on really icy roads and thick snow. They cleared themselves out pretty good too, but the temps were so cold that they iced up a bit when stopped for a while. My MT/R's did better in mud though. I will get about 35K out of my KM2's and I'm heavy on the gas pedal. Here's a snow wheelin pic with the KM2's (sorry, not my XJ):
2011-02-25_13-02-01_40.jpg


2011-02-25_13-05-52_642.jpg
 
nw-xj-scott said:
I personally bought a set of 35" MT/Rs 2 weeks ago.. all i have to say is.. GOOD LUCK FINDING A SET they just went back into backorder status
Click to expand...

Keep this in mind. I ordered a set before NW-XJ-SCOTT and still don't have mine. That was over three weeks ago. So if your looking for something fast Don't go MT/R's but if you can wait I believe they are worth it. Although this will be my first set!
 
Love my 35" MT/R's. I've tested them on every surface you could think of. Wet/dry roads, wet/dry rocks, loose sand, mud, and most recently, snow and ice. They were awesome in the snow, way better than I expected. The trails and rocks we ran were covered in snow and the tires would just claw right through it. There was probably 3-5" of pretty packed snow on the fire roads and I was nailing the gas around corners and kept in good control. Only place they didn't excel was when the trail turned to solild ice, but nobody in our group went anywhere then haha.

I have no reason to not like these tires and when they wear out or I upgrade, I'll probably stay with them.
 
I just bought a set of 35x12.5R15 MTRs, they aren't backordered there is just not much stock out there. My usual tire guy said he couldn't get them, the next place the guy spend half hour on the phone and found a place with 44 of them.
I looked at a bunch of tires, MTR > KM2 in my book.
 
Have you considered the Bighorns (vs. MTR) or DuraTrac (vs. KM2's)? It seems like there's a lot of love for the KM2 and MTR on this site, but they're really not the be-all end-all of tires.
 
bdahlg said:
:laugh:
Click to expand...


Well I drove through 10-12" of snow with my old 32" mud tires, so I'm assuming a 35" MT/R won't have much of a problem. I was just relaying my recent experience with the tires and what conditions I was on. I wasn't going through 5" of snow, but there was 5" of packed snow over the dirt road.
 
sunburned said:
Well I drove through 10-12" of snow with my old 32" mud tires, so I'm assuming a 35" MT/R won't have much of a problem. I was just relaying my recent experience with the tires and what conditions I was on. I wasn't going through 5" of snow, but there was 5" of packed snow over the dirt road.
Click to expand...

yea, I gotcha. It's just after this winter, or January for that matter, and somewhere around 50 inches in that month and a snowstorm every week, I just hate the word "snow" now it makes me cringe. Quite fun to drive in though. My 32" BFG A/T do some serious justice in 2 feet of the white stuff. I guess that's why they are called all terrains :looney:
 
I'm running KM2 33x12.50s and have had them through snow, mud, rock, and sand. I have yet to get stuck because of my tires. I love my KM2s and I'm not sure who thinks they are noisy cause I can only hear mine if I'm listening for it. I'm sure the MTR's are a good tire, but I don't see what the big hype is about them.
 
Comanchedude said:
Dont forget the Rocker.. It does all you are asking.it has siping
395231519.jpg
Click to expand...

I will definitely be looking to check that out at WF.

I like the looks of the pitbull tires, I just wish they made them a little skinnier. I'm finally going from a 9.5" wide tire to a 12.5" so we'll see how I like wide tires.
 
Porch951 said:
Have you considered the Bighorns (vs. MTR) or DuraTrac (vs. KM2's)? It seems like there's a lot of love for the KM2 and MTR on this site, but they're really not the be-all end-all of tires.
Click to expand...

I have the DuraTracs now and there ok. Pretty good offroad just looking for something more aggressive

Comanchedude said:
Dont forget the Rocker.. It does all you are asking.it has siping
395231519.jpg
Click to expand...

haha not for over $200 a tire lol. and that is my DD

But it seams like I had to go with the KM2's. As the MTR's are backordered for 4 months atleast, so that was out. The KM2's are backordered to they just happen to have 4 tires in his warehouse and that was it! SO I put a deposit down on them and will be getting them in 2 weeks from yesterday! Thanks for all the info guys.
 
This is very interesting information. I work for Michelin here in Greenville SC which is the parent company of BFG and I'll have to check into why the availability of the Mud Terrains is so poor. We can't sell em if Ya'll can't buy em. I do know when the plant in Opelika Alabama shut down there were bookoos of MTR's there. I don't recall where the production was shifted to but I guarantee you I'll find out. I'm a fan of the MTR's myself although the folks I know that have rum KM2's seem to like them too.
 
Hemihed426 said:
This is very interesting information. I work for Michelin here in Greenville SC which is the parent company of BFG and I'll have to check into why the availability of the Mud Terrains is so poor. We can't sell em if Ya'll can't buy em. I do know when the plant in Opelika Alabama shut down there were bookoos of MTR's there. I don't recall where the production was shifted to but I guarantee you I'll find out. I'm a fan of the MTR's myself although the folks I know that have rum KM2's seem to like them too.
Click to expand...

mhm very interesting :smoker:
 
My Kevlars seem to have some trouble in the snow, even when aired down. Guys with km2's seem to struggle much less. Who knows though...
 
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