Here is a review of my new-ish Baja Boss A/T's (35x12.50x17, JKUR w/ 2.5" Clayton suspension & Pro Comp Trilogy bead locks). I was reluctant to move to an A/T but due to my current commute & vehicle situation, it was just the smart thing to do. After hearing that these were more of a "hybrid", I decided to give them a try.
I've only had them for 2 months & about 1200 miles, so I can't say how loud they may get after a rotation or two but as of now they are some of the quietest tires I have ever put on a vehicle... including "aggressive" all-weathers for the old Honda Pilot.
I noticed during the install that the sidewalls feel a a little more supple than the Pro Comp M/T's I removed but we'll see whether they have given up anything strength-wise. On the street, I'm running about 4 to 5 psi more than I did for the M/T's, and getting a very comfortable ride. Side biters are WAY more aggressive than any other tire I've run. Size seems pretty "true" to other 35x12.50's I've owned. Maybe slightly wider but that could be owing to the fact that the side biters stick out half an inch at least (haven't measured... just guessing). It really gives them an aggressive look on the vehicle. Combined with the fairly wide-spaced blocks on the outside edge, they "look" as capable as other M/T's in my opinion...
Finally did some fairl serious off-roading last weekend... Conditions were a mix of silty mud over rocks, dry/loose dirt, sharp rocks, & loose/steep inclines on a long-ish trail into the mountains with a heavily loaded jeep (passengers, firearms, etc.). Some mud holes exceeded 100 ft in length and hit about 30" deep. I've been over this trail many times in the past but never in such wet conditions or on A/T's, so it seemed like a recipe for disaster. I figured my trusty Warn 8274 would be getting a nice work out...
First thing I noticed was airing down to about 13 psi yielded similar results to 8 - 10 psi on my M/T's. I felt that engaging those aggressive side biters would be really important under the conditions so airing down was super important.
To say that I was surprised at their performance is an understatement. They matched the performance of my M/T's in virtually every situation, except 1 occasion when I was trying to get up a 20" rock shelf at about a 30 degree incline right after traversing a huge mud hole. I'm not a loud pedal kind of guy... but after spinning the wheels a bit, I took a short run at it and rolled right up it. I can't say for sure that the M/T's may have had an easier time but I could "feel" the more closely spaced blocks in the middle of the tire skipping over the rock lip.
A couple of times, I noticed the smaller blocks getting a bit loaded with mud but it never resulted in compromised performance... although I think an M/T would ultimately be better in really sticky conditions... can't beat physics. I absolutely hate those kind of conditions though, and I just avoid them anyway, no matter what tire I'm running. But on this trip I never engaged the lockers at any point on the trip or got stuck in any way.
Lateral traction is a big deal to me for some reason... I'm just really sensitive to it. These were easily superior to the MTR-K's I used to own, which are my benchmark for bad lateral traction. But they also seemed to be at least as good, if not superior to other M/T's. Even though there were a lot of slick, off camber situations, lateral traction was so good that I just didn't think about it at all. I'm guessing the side biters & the more supple sidewalls had something to do with it but either way, I was super impressed.
So far, I'm incredibly happy with these tires. If they maintain their road manners after 2 rotations, then I'll truly be over the moon with them. There was no sign of any chunking at all, even after spinning a bit on that jagged rock shelf. My only concern is that the sidewalls may show some weakness someday but I really have nothing to go on there except for the fact that they seem to conform better over rocks, etc. when aired down. So until they show weakness, I'll be happily wheeling these over the toughest terrain I'm willing to take my jeep on... and driving to work in peace and quiet. Lol.
I've only had them for 2 months & about 1200 miles, so I can't say how loud they may get after a rotation or two but as of now they are some of the quietest tires I have ever put on a vehicle... including "aggressive" all-weathers for the old Honda Pilot.
I noticed during the install that the sidewalls feel a a little more supple than the Pro Comp M/T's I removed but we'll see whether they have given up anything strength-wise. On the street, I'm running about 4 to 5 psi more than I did for the M/T's, and getting a very comfortable ride. Side biters are WAY more aggressive than any other tire I've run. Size seems pretty "true" to other 35x12.50's I've owned. Maybe slightly wider but that could be owing to the fact that the side biters stick out half an inch at least (haven't measured... just guessing). It really gives them an aggressive look on the vehicle. Combined with the fairly wide-spaced blocks on the outside edge, they "look" as capable as other M/T's in my opinion...
Finally did some fairl serious off-roading last weekend... Conditions were a mix of silty mud over rocks, dry/loose dirt, sharp rocks, & loose/steep inclines on a long-ish trail into the mountains with a heavily loaded jeep (passengers, firearms, etc.). Some mud holes exceeded 100 ft in length and hit about 30" deep. I've been over this trail many times in the past but never in such wet conditions or on A/T's, so it seemed like a recipe for disaster. I figured my trusty Warn 8274 would be getting a nice work out...
First thing I noticed was airing down to about 13 psi yielded similar results to 8 - 10 psi on my M/T's. I felt that engaging those aggressive side biters would be really important under the conditions so airing down was super important.
To say that I was surprised at their performance is an understatement. They matched the performance of my M/T's in virtually every situation, except 1 occasion when I was trying to get up a 20" rock shelf at about a 30 degree incline right after traversing a huge mud hole. I'm not a loud pedal kind of guy... but after spinning the wheels a bit, I took a short run at it and rolled right up it. I can't say for sure that the M/T's may have had an easier time but I could "feel" the more closely spaced blocks in the middle of the tire skipping over the rock lip.
A couple of times, I noticed the smaller blocks getting a bit loaded with mud but it never resulted in compromised performance... although I think an M/T would ultimately be better in really sticky conditions... can't beat physics. I absolutely hate those kind of conditions though, and I just avoid them anyway, no matter what tire I'm running. But on this trip I never engaged the lockers at any point on the trip or got stuck in any way.
Lateral traction is a big deal to me for some reason... I'm just really sensitive to it. These were easily superior to the MTR-K's I used to own, which are my benchmark for bad lateral traction. But they also seemed to be at least as good, if not superior to other M/T's. Even though there were a lot of slick, off camber situations, lateral traction was so good that I just didn't think about it at all. I'm guessing the side biters & the more supple sidewalls had something to do with it but either way, I was super impressed.
So far, I'm incredibly happy with these tires. If they maintain their road manners after 2 rotations, then I'll truly be over the moon with them. There was no sign of any chunking at all, even after spinning a bit on that jagged rock shelf. My only concern is that the sidewalls may show some weakness someday but I really have nothing to go on there except for the fact that they seem to conform better over rocks, etc. when aired down. So until they show weakness, I'll be happily wheeling these over the toughest terrain I'm willing to take my jeep on... and driving to work in peace and quiet. Lol.
