Tires for Muddy Clay

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about: greasy, sticky clay mud that clogs the tread pattern.

I'm interested in hearing your AT or MT tire suggestions for my 98 XJ DD with a 2" BB.

I don't go looking for mud to play in, however I'd like to get some tires that are fairly sure footed on muddy clay trails. For MPG and wear/noise reasons I'd like to stay with an AT, but AT tires seem to have lugs that are too close together to clear easily. Are there any good AT/MT hybrid tires that will handle to clay pretty well?

I'm looking to get 235/75/15 or 30/9.5/15 tires with 3-ply or tough 2-ply sidewalls, so that limits my choices somewhat.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

I hunt pigs on a steep, volcanic clay, ranch with my XJ. I would have to say that the Dunlop Mud Rovers (original style, not the new ones), work fantastic in both winter and summer. They're 30x9.5r15's. We have gone both up and down some very steep and sketchy trails with deep ruts and slick like vaseline running open diffs. I've also hunted this ranch in the same conditions with BFG KM2's on my WJ with detroit true trac diffs and a v8, and have gotten stuck where the XJ made it. Here are some pics that don't really do justice to the road conditions during the winter:

Holy hell! How do you park that thing with the 5 feet in front of you?!

BFG A/Ts are horrible in mud. You'd be better off with tires from an '87 Honda Civic. Any M/T is going to do decent in mud. Any tire is going to clog up in sticky mud. I don't care who makes it or what the tread pattern is. The only way its coming out is wheel speed.

Stock up on PAM!

No problems with my duratracs yet. And they are awesome in the snow.

Thanks for suggestions.

Do the Mud Rovers and Duratracs have tough sidewalls? How is the ride quality, wear and MPG on the highway?

How about the Firestone Destination M/T and Maxxis Bighorns, have you heard anything about how they handle clay? I had Destination AT's on a previous rig and they were horrible in the mud.

Mud Rovers only have a 2-ply sidewall. BFG has 3-ply.

Andy your nuts lol always have some remark and now I got a face to go with it makes it even funnier
BFG KM2

Planetcat--What in the world are those two bright objects with trailing stuff..? At first I thought they were headlights pointing down into the immediate foreground of your Cherokee, but now I think it's a crashed ufo from one species visiting.., hmmm...

98XJfeet-- Have you looked into the tire 'shoot-out? One, or two magazines have carried out a fair test, albeit with bigger tires, of the various brands, and treads, etc., and they were astonished as to the results. #1 Hankooks. They overcame the 'greasy' mud uphill on the course, and all other tires in the test. Had good highway manners too, 'ceptin for a bit of drone. Others here on have reported that their sidewalls are crappy on rocks, i.e., easy penetrations. Google around for it. Me, I don't have the time right now to provide the link herein today.., although I have in the past posted the link to the results here at .

I loved my Bighorn they are kinda noisy but I like that had good road manners and Great rock and mud traction.

I run MT's year round, Too much Mud here in IN. Yeah there are better tires on the snow but i've been driving in it for years and the MT's have always out performed the crappy street tires on my other vehicles. As for fuel economy concerns, its a Jeep it already sucks.

lowrange2 said:

Holy hell! How do you park that thing with the WINCH 5 feet in front of you?!

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I completely left out a word....

98XJFEAT said:

Thanks for suggestions.

Do the Mud Rovers and Duratracs have tough sidewalls? How is the ride quality, wear and MPG on the highway?

How about the Firestone Destination M/T and Maxxis Bighorns, have you heard anything about how they handle clay? I had Destination AT's on a previous rig and they were horrible in the mud.

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The sidewalls are fairly stout, but not as much as the KM2's or MT/R's I used to have. Surprisingly, it rides smooth on the street and is a little noisy like an MT should be. The side lugs on those tires have been lifesavers for me. There's been a few times where we've been stuck on an uphill in a rut or in loose stuff, and cranking the wheel so the lugs dig in has worked like a charm.

I've been looking at the bighorns and Destination M/T's for my WJ because they have a similar tread pattern as the dunlop's and come in 16" which the dunlops do not. I would get any of the three and feel comfortable in snotty mud.

Alaskan89XJ said:

Planetcat--What in the world are those two bright objects with trailing stuff..? At first I thought they were headlights pointing down into the immediate foreground of your Cherokee, but now I think it's a crashed ufo from one species visiting.., hmmm...

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Now I see what you're referring to. The temps got below freezing the night before and all the water and puddles on the trails got iced over. Those are two iced over puddles in the trail reflecting.

lowrange2 said:

I completely left out a word....

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LOL. Now I get it. We swap that winch between the XJ, a CJ5, and my WJ. Not ideal, but we only need it when the ranch gets really bad (like in the picture). FYI, it's all vineyard land in the wine country.

Pretty place.

I have been running the definity dakota MT on mine in the same kind of stuff you describe, and they work great.

I put 30k on a set and still had over 1/2 the tread left when I punctured a sidewall.

very good price for the wear and traction you get, but the sidewalls are the weak spot, they are only 2 ply

I think I punctured it driving across the stumps & junk while going across a 1 yr old cut over section of woods

OK.., here is the link to the test(s) I mentioned:

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/35/wheels/index.html shows the various tires.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/wheels/129_1104_massive_mud_tire_shootout_intro/index.html ...a two page discussion about the test.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarti...out_first_place_hankook_dynapro_mt/index.html shows Hankook Dynapro MT details, i.e; "...it was the clear winner. Not only did it provide smooth on-highway performance, but it absolutely schooled all the other tread patterns in terms of traction during our two-mile test loop at Hollister Hills. Forward momentum never ceased at any point, and wheelspin was minimal at even the steepest off-camber section of the rutted S-turn trail."--AND-- "...we mounted up the second-most impressive pure mud performer of the group, the Pit Bull Rockers, and ran the same line back-to-back with the Hankooks. Again, the Hankooks outperformed the Rockers, this time without a doubt".--AND-- "The Bottom Line:
Hankook's Dynapro MT may not be the sexiest-looking tire of the group, but it did everything we asked of it, and in virtually all cases returned above-average scores. It was the best mud performer of the bunch and offered the highest weight-carrying capacity of those tested. Combine that with the tread's polite street manners, and it's easy to see why it's the champion of Four Wheeler's 2011 mud-terrain shootout.

Planetcat: Your photos seem similar to the Alexander Valley, although there used to be more second growth redwoods there. Me, I grew up in Sonoma County amongst the coastal virgin redwoods. In other words.., lol, I know the mud stuff all around Sonoma, Mendo, and Napa counties. (and the best rainbow fishing spots).:eyes:

Treadwright Crawlers! https://www.treadwright.com/p-8-235-75r15-crawler-m-t-c.aspx

Alaskan89XJ said:

...Planetcat: Your photos seem similar to the Alexander Valley, although there used to be more second growth redwoods there. Me, I grew up in Sonoma County amongst the coastal virgin redwoods. In other words.., lol, I know the mud stuff all around Sonoma, Mendo, and Napa counties. (and the best rainbow fishing spots).:eyes:

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The ranch is on the west side, about 20 miles west of Lake Sonoma. Been hunting there for a couple years now, and it's the only place where I can hunt, get completely skunked, and still have a great time. Or as we like to say, " Four wheelin' with guns".

Kevin108 said:

Treadwright Crawlers! https://www.treadwright.com/p-8-235-75r15-crawler-m-t-c.aspx

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Another good candidate, especially for the price.

Thanks to everyone for their input. I haven't quite decided which tire yet, but your suggestions have all been very helpful.

Have you considered Interco's "Boggers"? I understand they are good for mud.

You may also consider posting in your regional chapter's forum to see what your neighbors run.

For Clay/mud Nothing can even come Close to Boggers NOTHING..

The problem with them is, they suck in EVERY OTHER catagory..