There are two things that...
There are two things that set the new MT/R apart from the tire it replaces: the Kevlar-reinforced sidewalls are 35 percent more puncture resistant than the previous tire, and the asymmetrical tread design was computer modeled for extreme traction with the help of a super computer at Sandia National Laboratories--the same facility charged with safeguarding and maintaining our nation's nuclear weapons arsenal.
Traction, it's the one thing everyone wants from their tires. Of course, how well a tire grips depends largely on what type of terrain the tread was designed for, and in the diesel truck market, that means one of three categories: street tires, all-terrain tires, and mud tires. However, Goodyear has set out to stretch those three categories to a more extreme level and has introduced its new Wrangler MT/R tire with Kevlar-reinforced sidewalls.
Is a Mud Tire Right For You?
First, some honesty. Mud tires make any four-wheel-drive truck look better. Many of us have purchased mud tires just for their looks, but the true test to know if you're a mud tire customer is this: how willing are you to let your truck get stuck off-road? If the answer is: "No, not ever, I'd rather die first," you're a mud tire customer. If your answer is: "I'll never go off-road," you'll want to buy a milder tire.
Goodyear Tire Testing
At first glance, the new MT/R's asymmetrical tread looked odd to us-which we took as a good sign. The way we figure it, a tire only looks good to us after it has proven that it works well. Suffice it to say now that we've put more than 5,000 miles on a set of 285/70R17 tires, the new Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar has proven to work well, and looks just as good.
Over the Sand
We lowered the air pressure to 18 psi in order to get a wider footprint for better flotation. The MT/R's new sidewall tread really came into play to provide more protection and grip for the tire. Aggressive tread patterns often dig trenches in sand, and the MT/Rs proved to as well, but we found the MT/R's lateral traction for steering to be much improved over traditional mud tires
We mounted a set of 285/70R17...
We mounted a set of 285/70R17 Gooodyear Wrangler MT/R tires with Kevlar-reinforced sidewalls on our 3.0L diesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee for testing. The tires are rated to carry 3,195 pounds apiece, have a D load range rating, and are speed rated to 99 mph.
On The Street
We can definitely hear tire noise from within the Jeep, but as mud tires go, the MT/Rs are very livable. The center rib tread blocks provide a consistent surface for smooth highway travel, and we were particularly impressed with the wet weather grip the MT/Rs had on windy roads.
In The Mud
The Wrangler MT/R's aggressive design is well suited to the low-end torque of a diesel engine. The tires dug and flung so much mud that the MT/Rs clawed us through anything we could find in California.
Through the Rocks
Off-road enthusiasts from the Southwestern United States have made rockcrawling a popular off-road hobby. The Kevlar-reinforced MT/Rs we tested were rugged enough to survive the abuse of being scuffed up against the roughest rocks we could find. Trust us when we tell you that the Wrangler MT/R tires are more than capable of taking a 3/4-ton diesel truck further into the rocks than most of our readers will ever have (or want!) to go.