Jeep Tire Buyers Guide - 4 Ply Guide

Goodyear MT/RWith roots in the extreme rockcrawling competition world, the MT/R was designed to be one of the toughest tires out there. With an exceptionally durable 3-ply sidewall and sizes up to 40x13.50, these tires excel in razor-sharp rock. Another bonus we've found with these tires is that their delivered size is pretty close to what the sidewall says. That's a nice distinction in the land of 36-inch tall 38s. On the road, we've found that the tires get noisier over time, especially once they get over 10,000 miles. Frequent rotations every 3,000 miles or so will help the tread wear more regularly and helps with sound levels slightly.
Street:**
Sand:***
Mud:***
Heavy Rock:****

Nitto Mud Grapplers
One of the first things we thought after driving the Nitto Mud Grappler for the first time is, "Wow, somebody finally made a round Bogger." While the Mud Grapplers may share the Bogger's legendary World War II bomber noise level, they also share the Bogger's legendary strength and ability to suck up abuse. With huge lugs extending down the thick sidewalls and huge, thickly siped treads, these tires offer stunning performance in soft, gooey terrain, handle rocks with ease, and float well over sand. Wet streets and even some snow and ice are in the Mud Grappler's vocabulary, thanks to sipes in the tread blocks. Most surprising for a tire with this aggressive build is its civil road manners. Sure, they're loud as hell, but they roll round, don't require a lot of weight to balance, and wear slowly and evenly on the road.
Street:**
Sand:****
Mud:****
Heavy Rock:***

Super Swamper Irok
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.
Street:*
Sand:****
Mud:****
Heavy Rock:***

Super Swamper Bogger
Look up what an off-road tire is supposed to look like, and you'll be looking at a Bogger. It's the kid that comes to town and wrecks the place. Making no excuses for its poor road manners, incredible street howl, or near inability to take a balance, the Bogger simply rules the roost in the mud and sand, thanks to its paddle-like construction. Likewise, in the rocks the Bogger's long, wide treads act like little hands or tank treads to provide forward traction up just about any rock face or ledge. Lateral stability suffers because of the tires' lack of biting edges. Usually, Boggers that have met the grooving iron exhibit better lateral traction in the mud and rocks.
Street:*
Sand:***
Mud:****
Heavy Rock:****

Super Swamper SX
The Super Swamper SX is probably one of the most bulletproof tires available, but at a price. It sucks on the street. Then again, you probably already knew that just by looking at its huge lugs, aggressive sidewall tread, and bias-ply construction. On the street and at higher speeds off-road, the SX will develop cracks in the outer sidewalls. They won't leak air, but they look kind of spooky. Very low air pressures in the single digits are needed to get the SXs to stick to off-road terrain, so think bead locks. Flat-spotting and excessive balance weight are common traits.
Street:*
Sand:***
Mud:****
Heavy Rock:****