The Baja Claws feature an...
The Baja Claws feature an all-new directional-tread design and perhaps the worlds gnarliest Sidebiters, all hung on a bias-ply carcass, with the thick and meaty sidewalls we look for in extreme-use tires. Despite the very narrow center void, the alternating lug sizes delivered shockingly less highway noise than wed expect from tread this aggressive. Hang these things on a Grand Cherokee with the Premium sound system turned up, and we doubt youll whine about road noise.
When the Claws were first...
When the Claws were first revealed at Moabs Easter Jeep Week, the campfire buzz was that the tires were way too stiff for acceptable flex. Wrong. True, the unmounted Claws seem a tad heavy, but thats because theres plenty of rubber on em. Mounted to 15x8 wheels on our V-8 Scrambler, off-road pressure of 8 psi proved ideal, and obstacle attacks netted the sidewall pook shown here. We were concerned that the tires would only flex at the portion of the sidewall without the Sidebiter lugs, which could lead to popping the tire off the bead, but the photo proves that we were wrong.
Sandblasting was another great...
Sandblasting was another great playground for the Claws. The 23-degree V-shaped tread blocks acted like mini paddles, flinging nice roostertails as we five-granded it through the soft stuff.
Though this water crossing...
Though this water crossing proves virtually nothing about tires, it did remind us of some wet-running experiences in Moab. On pure red slickrock, the Claws nice and gummy tread compound was able to slowly crawl where Boggers and BFGs chirped. Even wet, the Claws seemed to dig in. However, we learned the hard way that the tread design tends to sideslip off rocks, especially when the tires are wet, even when the forward traction is decent. The sideslipping is a pretty big bummer and is also common with Boggers, but it might be curable with some aftermarket siping from your local tire store.
We also flung em around...
We also flung em around in the snow, and even though it was mild California powder, we had no problem going everywhere in two-wheel drive.
The tread nicely cleaned itself...
The tread nicely cleaned itself of the white stuff and just kept pulling. The Claws werent noticeably scary in the rain, but they were an all-time no-no on icy roads.
We had to rely on our now-politically-acceptable...
We had to rely on our now-politically-acceptable friend Ben Stewart at Four Wheeler for input and a photo of the Claws in muddy action. Stewart stuffed the Claws into 15x10 wheels, mounted em on Project Teal J, and reported that they worked pretty dang wellespecially in comparison to some traditional mud treads tested the same daybut required a bit more wheelspeed to clean out the tread than youd use with a dedicated mud tire like a Swamper.
We keep comparing Claws to...
We keep comparing Claws to Super Swamper Boggers, so heres the side-by-side of 33s of each design. As you can see, Claws are just a bit smaller, making for easier legal fitment on your Jeep. The rubber is noticeably stickier on Claws, but the tread is less aggressive. The good news about that is reduced noise and increased streetability. Ever notice how Boggers feel a bit lumpy when cornering? Claws have alternating tread block sizes on the shoulder and handle noticeably smoother. Were not denouncing Boggers. Theyre excellent off-road tires, and ones wed still use in lots of applications, but Claws sure give us another option. However, theyre a bit short: Mounted to 15x8 rims set at 30 psi and bolted to our Jeep, the Claws measured 303/4 inches tall with a section width of 121/2 inches and a static-loaded radius of 151/8. We dont have the true specs on the pending 35x13.50-15s, but were sure looking forward to them.
Its cool how the extreme wheeling craze has led to a bunch of aftermarket development for serious off-road performance parts. Mickey Thompson (MT) answered the call with its latest tire: the Baja Claw. While Mickeys Baja Belted and the recently reintroduced Baja King have been at home on sand and at shows, and even though the Baja MTX radial is a proven all-terrain winner, the Claw is the companys first attempt at a true rock tire.
The company listened to enthusiasts and the 4x4 press, and MT really did it right. Were proud to say we had a hand in em, because these suckers really work. By the time you read this, the 33x13.50-15s should be available. The 35s will be out shortly thereafter, and we expect 31s and variants for 16-inch rims to follow.
Based on our experiences with these radical treads, you can expect a set of the 35s to find a permanent home on our test Jeep. Check out the captions for road-test details.