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.
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Think of the BFGoodrich All Terrain KO as the sister of the BFG MT KM. It's available in the same sizes and has the same sidewalls and carcass construction but has less aggressive tread and sidewall lugs. The BFG AT KO tends to clog in heavy mud and, like the MT KM, has a sidewall that can be cut in sharp rocks. However, its mild tread pattern works well in sand without digging to China and excels at giving a quiet, smooth street ride. The tiny sipes on the tread blocks help on pavement in rain, snow, and ice, and help make the AT KO an acceptable tire in some rocky conditions.
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The F-C Kevlar features a polyester and Kevlar bias-belted design. The sidewall is strong, which is typical of any bias-ply or bias-belted tire. Sizes are limited to 36x16.50 and 38x15.50 in 15- and 16.5-inch wheels. The mild tread pattern provides good traction on all but the muddiest surfaces and works extremely well on the street for a tire this size. Some flat-spotting is normal at cooler temperatures.
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Extreme rockcrawling pushed the development of the Goodyear MT/R and has helped create one of the toughest all-around tires available. The MT/R is in sizes up to 37x12.50-15 and even a 40x13.50-17. The three-ply sidewall is extremely durable, even on the nastiest razor rocks. MT/Rs should be rotated frequently (every 3,000 to 5,000 miles) or the tread wears irregularly.
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The Mickey Thompson Baja Claw has always been one of the toughest tires available. The polyester and fiberglass bias-belted design puts up to six 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 line has plenty of sizes for 15-, 16-, 16.5, and 17-inch wheels. Because it's a bias tire, you'll notice some flat-spotting when parked overnight in cooler temperatures or at lower air pressures.
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The Xterrain is a radial tire with up to three polyester sidewall plies. The plies are said to be thicker and more puncture-resistant than those found on some other radial tires. We didn't gouge ours, even though we tried. The Xterrain comes in sizes up to 40 inches. The Xterrain tires offer an appealing, aggressive tread pattern that doesn't take away from the road manners of the tire, making it a great all-around choice.
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