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Tire opinions

J

jooper

NAXJA Forum User
Location
in a box by the river
Yes I know it has been covered, but I'd just like to hear some opinions. So here is the situation. I just put the RE 5.5 kit on my XJ. This jeep isn't going to be a dd, but it will see some road miles, and will be driven to and from the trail. I've ran BFG muds, and MTR's in the past and they work okay, but with the sloppy trails that I run in the NW, swampers are king. Now here is where I need some opinions. I'm looking at either getting the 33 inch TSL's which measure 33.7, the 36 inch Iroks, which are pretty much a 37, the 36 inch TSL, or the new 35x12.50 LTB. Cost is somewhat a factor, and the 33's are very cheap. They are less stress on drivetrain parts, but I have ran 35 inch radials in the past, and don't really want to downgrade to a smaller tire. Axles aren't an issue, I'll be running 44's front and rear, and I'm pretty light on the skinny pedal. Both the axles are stock width as well, so with a larger tire I will be sitting higher and would be more tippy, than say with the 33's. If you were in my shoes, which tire would you go with? Thanks for the help.
 
Ive got the SSRs. They are retarded expensive, but i do understand their benefits, they ride smoother and handle better than the regular TSLs and LTBs. They are also siped so do way better in ice, snow and rain. They arent as deep in the center lugs, but still beat a standard mud terrain. They also have stronger sidewalls than the TSLs and LTBs, they should last the same as a regular mudterrain, about 40k. But for $280 a piece they should be made of gold.
 
I rocks get me off lol :shhh:;)
 
I have the 33x12.5 TSL Radials and love them. They do awesome in mud and rocks. In sand they dig down too much. On they road, they ride like a tank, but my rig is like yours and is just being used as a trail rig, so the only street it sees is driving to/from the trail really. Occasionally I drive it around just because.

While I do love the TSL's, I believe the LTB's are cheaper price-wise and are still an excellent tire. They are bias ply, which means crappier street ride (should be a non-issue for you though). For budget reasons, I'd prob. go with the LTB's, otherwise TSL's all the way.

Sorry for the crappy quality, but here's some pics of mine:

OcalaTrip1-24-09069-1.jpg

OcalaTrip1-24-09070-1.jpg

OcalaTrip1-24-09074.jpg

OcalaTrip1-24-09082.jpg
 
emr1101 said:
Ive got the SSRs. They are retarded expensive, but i do understand their benefits, they ride smoother and handle better than the regular TSLs and LTBs. They are also siped so do way better in ice, snow and rain. They arent as deep in the center lugs, but still beat a standard mud terrain. They also have stronger sidewalls than the TSLs and LTBs, they should last the same as a regular mudterrain, about 40k. But for $280 a piece they should be made of gold.
Click to expand...

The SSR absolutely does not have stronger sidewalls than a TSL or LTB. You're comparing a couple radial plies in a thinner carcass to 3,4 or more bias plies in a thicker carcass. The sidewall strength is like night and day. I've seen numerous SSR sidewall failures over the years, both external cuts and internal bulging. I've only seen one TSL sidewall failure, and it was spun hard on a sharp rock edge. Not many tires will survive much of that, especially not radials.
 
fubar XJ said:
The SSR absolutely does not have stronger sidewalls than a TSL or LTB. You're comparing a couple radial plies in a thinner carcass to 3,4 or more bias plies in a thicker carcass. The sidewall strength is like night and day. I've seen numerous SSR sidewall failures over the years, both external cuts and internal bulging. I've only seen one TSL sidewall failure, and it was spun hard on a sharp rock edge. Not many tires will survive much of that, especially not radials.
Click to expand...

They dont? I thought there was something differnt about their sidewalls, maybe they are stronger than ordinary radials' sidewalls or something, but i know there is a difference. Does anyone know id the tread compound in TSL/LTBs vs. SSRs?
 
emr1101 said:
They dont? I thought there was something differnt about their sidewalls, maybe they are stronger than ordinary radials' sidewalls or something, but i know there is a difference. Does anyone know id the tread compound in TSL/LTBs vs. SSRs?
Click to expand...

General rule of thumb, bias-ply tires have thicker carcasses. One of the advantages of radials is their lighter weight. The other is their construction, radially oriented belts to give the tire strength and rigidity as well as a smooth roll-radius as it rolls along. Bias-ply (bias means two in this case) tires have two or more layers of cord running perpendicular to each other across the tire carcass. This makes them inherently stiffer and stronger, thus the harsher ride. There are certainly differences in strength between different models of both radial and bias-ply tires, but you'll be hard pressed to find a radial tire that's more puncture and damage resistant than a comparable bias-ply tire.
 
IMO an mtr or km2 will do everything you want and more plus a better ride, which also means you could take it to trails further away trom home without needing to trailer it there... Just my two cents.
 
nochance9 said:
IMO an mtr or km2 will do everything you want and more plus a better ride, which also means you could take it to trails further away trom home without needing to trailer it there... Just my two cents.
Click to expand...

In the dry rock like Utah, they would, but in the sloppy roots and rocks here in the NW a swamper is much better. I have ran both MTR's and BFG muds and have seen sidewall problems with both. I like radials, don't get me wrong, but here, swampers out perform them easily.
 
Looks like the LTB's are out of the question now. I spoke with Desert Rat, and they said they weren't going to be available til May. I was really leaning towards those too. Why does Interco not like to offer "traditional" size tires?
 
Very true, sorry i forgot about location... In that case i've heard god things about i rocks...
 
Matt98XJ said:
MTR's have 3 ply sidewalls, and have decent strength. quote]


wrong, the MTR's have a 6ply sidewall and in my opinion suck compared to the new KM2's.
My old MTR's rode like a tank compared to my new KM2's.
Click to expand...
 
jpcherokeekid said:
Matt98XJ said:
MTR's have 3 ply sidewalls, and have decent strength. quote]


wrong, the MTR's have a 6ply sidewall and in my opinion suck compared to the new KM2's.
My old MTR's rode like a tank compared to my new KM2's.
Click to expand...

Dummy, do some research before you post on here.

Goodyear's Wrangler MT/R evolved through research and development geared towards the rock crawling community, which helped Goodyear create one of the toughest all-around tires available on the market. Through patented compounds, the Wrangler MT/R holds up to serious abuse. Its aggressive tread pattern extends down onto the 3-ply sidewalls, providing excellent traction in a variety of terrains while resisting puncture from even the nastiest of razor rocks.
Click to expand...
 
Matt98XJ said:
jpcherokeekid said:
Dummy, do some research before you post on here.

Goodyear's Wrangler MT/R evolved through research and development geared towards the rock crawling community, which helped Goodyear create one of the toughest all-around tires available on the market. Through patented compounds, the Wrangler MT/R holds up to serious abuse. Its aggressive tread pattern extends down onto the 3-ply sidewalls, providing excellent traction in a variety of terrains while resisting puncture from even the nastiest of razor rocks.
Click to expand...

I just sold a set and they had the 6ply sidewalls. it was printed right on the tire.

Either way they still suck balls compared to the KM2's
Click to expand...
 
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