First Roll Review: Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar Off-Road Tires
Words and photos by Mike Levine
What makes an off-road tire good? According to Goodyear’s research with off-road enthusiasts, the two most important things are: not getting stuck and not getting a puncture. If you’re going to get dirty in the wilderness, it better not be from having to fix a flat. To that end, they’ve developed the first all-new Wrangler MT/R (Maximum Traction/Reinforced) off-road tire in a decade.
In designing and engineering the new MT/R tires to excel in the most primitive of off-road conditions, Goodyear partnered with some of the brainiest scientists on the planet.
At Sandia National Labs, Goodyear borrowed time on the same supercomputers that have helped design key components of the U.S. nuclear arsenal to virtually model the real-time interaction of more than 25 different tire components as a tire rolls on and off the pavement. They also digitally modeled various candidate tread patterns, seeking the right balance of rock crawling grip with the ability to quickly flush mud out of the tire’s deep grooves, without needing to travel to Moab or the Louisiana bayou to repeatedly test prototypes.
“We wanted to innovate more quickly,” said Joey Viselli, brand director of Goodyear North America. “We’re the only tire company in the world that’s allowed to work with Sandia. They help us model our tires so we don’t have to keep building and testing (in the real world). It compresses our test time dramatically and (Sandia) can verify their models are accurate because the finished product that comes out the other is extensively tested by both of us.”
The chemical wizards at DuPont helped Goodyear ditch the old polyester sidewall bolstering and make the switch to Kevlar – the same Kevlar used in bulletproof vests - for 35 percent better puncture resistance than the old MT/Rs. Kevlar, pound for pound, is five times stronger than steel. It’s the first time Goodyear has used Kevlar in an off-road tire, the company said.
According to Viselli, Goodyear is the only tire company licensed to use the Kevlar brand in its tire names. Other companies that weave Kevlar into their rolling stock have to use its generic molecular name, aramid.
Goodyear and DuPont also attempted to set the bar higher than Kevlar during their joint research and development.
“Enthusiasts said sidewall strength was critical,” said James Niedermier, lead engineer for the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar. “DuPont supplied us with some very exotic materials and polymers to try and meet our strength requirements, which may have future applications way down the road, but Kevlar worked best.”
Even with the extra computing horsepower and materials assistance, the new MT/Rs still took more than two years to develop. “That’s much more time than a passenger car tire,” Niedermier said.
Melissa Montisano, Goodyear’s general manager for light truck and SUV tires, said about 10 percent of the MT/R tires will be for purpose-built, core off-road applications, like custom rock crawlers or pre-runners. Jeep enthusiasts are expected to purchase approximately 30 percent, for models like the two-door Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimited.
“Pickup trucks are expected to be about 20 percent of the product range,” said Montisano. “They’ll be used for both work and recreational applications. During the week (truck owners) can use their truck for work and on the weekends they can go off-road. These tires are also very good for mining and forestry applications because they’re so robust. The original MT/R has been prevalent in those types of applications because of its heavy-duty construction. We anticipate the same will happen with the new (MT/R with Kevlar) tires.”
The remaining 40 percent, according to Montisano, will be split among other light truck and SUV on- and off-road applications.
Goodyear let us try out the new MT/R with Kevlar tires on Jeep Wrangler Rubicons in Johnson Valley, Calif., which is about an hour north of Palm Springs. Our test vehicle was equipped with size LT285/70R17 load range D rubber.
For those new to reading shorthand tire specs, LT refers to “Light Truck”, 285 is the tire’s width in millimeters (11.22 inches), 70 is the percent sidewall height relative to tire width from rim to tread (199.5 mm / 7.85 in), R identifies that it is a radial construction, 17 is the rim size in inches and load range D describes sidewall strength and the ability to manage air pressure (up to 65 psi max).
The new MT/Rs look impressive and technically sophisticated. The asymmetrical, deep tread pattern across the bottoms combined with sharply carved sidewalls appears ready to claw over or through dirt, sand, rocks and mud while standing still.
As rugged as the MT/Rs appear, they were surprisingly quiet driving to Johnson Valley on surface streets and highways while aired up to approximately 35 psi, even with the prominent wraparound side treads. They lacked much of the road noise and whine that typically accompanies mud terrain tires.
Our day-long testing exercise took us over every major off-road surface type: fine and coarse-grained sand, Moab-like granite rock faces, suitcase-sized boulder strewn dry creeks, hard-packed dry lakebeds and taffy-like mud.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicons we drove were equipped with on-the-fly locking front and rear differentials and front sway bar disconnect for maximum off-road articulation. The powerplant was a 3.8-liter V-6 engine rated at 202 horsepower and 237 pounds-feet of torque with a four-speed automatic transmission. In order to get maximum traction, we deflated the tires down to 12 psi.
It’s difficult to say exactly where the Jeep’s mechanical capabilities were significantly enhanced or superseded by the strength and gripping capabilities of the Wrangler MT/Rs. What we did notice was that in areas where constant momentum was needed to avoid getting bogged down - in deep mud and in sand dunes - the Jeeps performed amazingly well, staying true to the intended path we wanted to carve. In 4-Hi and 4-Lo, without using lockers, the tires were able to quickly clear dry and wet debris to keep chomping away for grip, so we didn’t find ourselves skidding across the desert like a hydroplaning car on a rain-soaked highway.
After driving through deep mud, we hopped out of the Jeeps to examine the tires’ self-cleaning capabilities. The deep tread was amazingly clear of mud after driving less than 100-yards on hard packed lake bed at speeds below 25 mph.
For rock crawling, we appreciated the high degree of grip the tires provided as they deformed to hug the rocks when most of the Jeep’s weight was balanced on the sidewalls. There was no slip when the Jeep was stationary and little slip as the trucks made progress over the dry stream bed boulder field; helpful for minimizing the unexpected movement of the rocks as the Jeep’s weight shifted climbing over them. They also easily withstood the jabs of the sharp edged granite though the points left noticeable marks and scratches on the Kevlar reinforced sidewalls.
Sand driving was easy, as long as forward momentum was maintained with liberal use of the accelerator through the deep, loose dunes. The sidewall treads again played a critical role helping to optimize traction.
Perhaps the best measure of how well Goodyear has done creating the new Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar was the lack of a single tire failure among the 20 Jeeps in our group through 15 miles of intense wheeling. That’s 1,200 miles ( 4 tires x 20 Jeeps x 15 miles) of off-road tire testing. In fact, the only bummer of the day was a Jeep that overheated from too much mud caking up its radiator.
The new Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar will be available in March in 30 sizes, Goodyear says, including a new 42-inch tall version aimed at the most hard core rock hounds. Goodyear leaves pricing to its retailers but marketing manager Montisano said standard-application tires are expected to cost from $170 to $380 and enthusiast application tires should run from $300 to $550 per tire.
Overall, we’re pretty impressed with the new MT/R with Kevlar. Goodyear hasn’t reinvented the wheel but they definitely have advanced the off-road tire.
Comments
Dear MIKE
re: "1200 miles of tire testing".
Give us a break!!!!!!!!!
You tested 80 tires for 15 miles each....PERIOD.
WOWEE and HOOPTEEDOO. We're all really impressed with that type of testing regimen.Yesiree-very scientific.
Trying to exagerate your test results insults our intelligence and undermines what little faith consumers have in the market place!!!!!!!!
You really should be disclosing any association with Goodyear.We've been bent over too many times in the last few years with false and incomplete advertising and we're not putting up with it anymore.
Credible reporting by scribes with integrity is our last defence.
Don't let us down again!
Skip
@Skip: Thanks for the feedback. I mean that sincerely, too.
For the record, we have no advertising relationship nor has there been any advertising from Goodyear on the site in the past.
The assessment, as written, was purely subjective and over most major terrain types you could expect to use the tires.
I agree with Skip. How in the HELL do you get 1200 miles worth of testing out of a quick 15 mile test on each tire???Wow, that was truly a low blow to your readers intelligence. In all my experience w/goodyear in the last 10 years thay have been absolutely marginal at best. By jesus they sold out to walmart... Maybe this new tire has its merits BUT please dont get all pie=eyed when goodyear supplies you a few Jeeps (cheaps, as the quality is horrible) and some free lunch in the hopes of selling an add or two... For integrity sakes lets not turn this decent website into a sellout, add banner site... Please, don't send me another lame rebuttal just like u did to skip... Your test was a pathetic attempt by goodyear to woo you for some positive press... How about doing another test with these new fancy-smancy tires against a few of the other popular offroad tires for more than 15 miles??? That would be a true review of a tire... UNTIL THEN I WOULD NEVER CONSIDER BUYING THIS NEW TECHNOTIRE....
@CSR: Again, thanks for the feedback.
If I'm selling out for a free lunch and some wheeling in the desert, then you might as well stop reading my stories now and burn me in effigy.
There were 20 Jeep of journalists on the drive. Like the story *clearly* describes, 4 tires x 20 Jeeps x 15 miles = 1,200 miles.
I watched as the tires took on brutal rocks (see the pics for an idea) and kept us on track through very slippery mud. Neither us nor anybody else had a tire problem the entire today. That's the least you can ask for if you're taking a truck out into the middle of nowhere. The rest, as I said above, is purely subjective. A Jeep broke when the tires didn't.
- Mike
ok mike i see where your getting the 1200 miles from..but the way the article says it makes it sound like you put every tire through 1200 miles even tho each one went through only 15 miles..if each tire did go through 1200 miles of that..i think thered be some problems
*No promises when* but I'll see what I can do to setup a truck tire torture test with (5?) popular off-road tires, similar to the Shootout. I'm definitely up for it after reading your comments. I sincerely take the feedback seriously and want to see you guys are getting the best reviews.
You guys are being a bit tough on the writer aren't you? This was an introductery announcemnt review of a NEW product. It hasn't been around long enough to be thoroughly tested. Maybe you guys could go and buy some tires and drive
50,000 miles. Then do a write-up in a few months when you've driven around the globe.
Kevlar is a pretty tough material and it seems logical that it would be useful in preventing and resisting damage to tires from hazards on and off road. It's been a while since I've had to change a tire and I don't relish the thought of having to.This tire is something I would defintiely be seriously looking at when my Jeeps need new shoes.
I've never been to Johnson Valley but I've certainly heard about it being a preeminent off-road park. As described in the review 15 miles over such varried terrains is the equivalent of hundreds if not thousands of miles over average trails and roads.
You media critics must have read some other story than I did. I never read any attempt at deception or misrepresentation of the facts. It's easy to criticize.
And as far as Jeeps being cheap, are you crazy? I've owned many vehicles, I'm 61 and I have come to the conclusion that Jeep is the brand of vehicle I will drive until I die because of their reliability, ruggedness and being the most capable off road vehicle out of the box. I have 25,000 miles on my TJ and not one issue. I just bought a new 4-door Wangler JK and it's a fantastic vehicle on and off the road.
I did much research on Jeep sites before purchasing Jeeps and those who own them love them. If they had serious issues you would be hearing about them from HYPER-critics on the web who like to bash for the sake of bashing.
I see where people didn't like the mileage stated for testing. but, the writer did explain how he came up with it.
In my experience, I have the older generation MT/R and love them. I bought them from a friend after he had ran them on his rig for a couple of years. They had about 1/3 tread when I bought them, and now, after three years and about 10,000 miles, they are no less than 1/4 tread and I have never had a lead, flat or any other disaster and I usuall run them between 5 and 10 psi, on and off the road. I am sad they are discontinuing the old mold.
Thanks for the review. Sounds like a fine improvement to the original MT/R.
These are on my short list for new tires later this year.
Im not quite sure why some of the readers flipped out. The writter clearly stated how he came up with the mileage. Anyway, I will try a set out and see if I like them. That is trully the only real test there is. If the writter would have stated they sucked then I wouldnt give them a second look. Since he stated they performed well then I will take it to the next step. I like tests like this so I can weed out the lesser tires without wasting my money. Thanks for the review
Mike
I like the review and agree that these tries are great in design. The writer didnt deserve the flamefest he got. But I will add that the 1200 miles on 80 tires is not the same as ever 400 miles on each of 4 tires on a single truck. In 15 miles they wouldn't have the best chance to settle in, flex out and adjust themselves. This is not to say that the review is wrong, just incomplete due to time constraints. They need more testing to be a sure winner but that cost time and money. I'm willing to bet mine on these next tire time.
We have a big problem with mesquite thorns in West Texas (also called goatheads). The inch-long thorns are very troublesome wth sidewall punctures, and some tires come in looking like a porcupine on the interior sidewall. Any ideas if this contruction will be more effective? Not too much mud, and only a moderate amount of rock crawling. Thanks
My buddies and I sould be your test subjects. June 13-23 we are headed from fl to ga for rock climbing trip, after ga we go to nc for largest Landcruiser event this side of the Mississippi. We are hard core rock climbing and many of us use as daily drivers. Many have 37 inch old MTRs. Good opportunity to actually get 1200 miles on each truck in one week. We all drive modified landcrusiers from fj40 to fj60 and fj80. Goodyear will get lots of advertising plus a true test of the new tire.
looks good but any chance on a longer road test than 15 miles, say around 200 to 400 mile road trip atleast? possibly thornier terrain like someone asked above as well. being from arizona i know what a good sized tumble weed or cactus will do to a tire, and its no fun since side wall holes can't be fixed. definitely thinking of buying these tires in the future though.
james
Well maybe 15 miles on each tire isn't a real break-in, but on the other hand, 80 tires, various terrain, 0 failures. I disliked Goodyears (bad luck with some passenger car tires) until I had the MTRs on my rubi. After 40K miles, lots of sharp rocks and no punctures, I've had a change of hart. I just purchased some new rims, when they come in I hope to dress them with these new MTR's. I like the review, and when I get some mileage on mine I post on a forum how they worked out. I wish they would make more sizes with-out the OWL. I want Black side walls for my particular application. Can't please everybody, But they try! That's what competition does!
I just bought 5 of these for my Jeep Cherokee XJ in the 35x12.50r15 shoe size. I live in BC Canada and will definitely post up initial thoughts, first impressions and whatnot.
I have run BFG MT KM's(33x10.50r15), BFG AT KO's(35x12.50r15, 33x9.50r15, 235/75r15), Cooper ST's (31x10.50r15), STT's(30x9.50r15), and Interco TrXus (35x12.50r15). My 96 XJ of which i am the original owner had all of the above tires on this Jeep at various stages of it's life.
I live in a very, very remote area (well for NC anyways). I travel about 8 miles, one way, over an under-maintained gravel road with long, sharp shards of gravel, pot holes, nails, bullet casings and long runs of some serious washboards on sharp, hairpin curves along a cliff; an unmaintained mountainous rocky road that has claimed a few oil pans of "cars" that have tried to get to my house; one mud bog; and a private driveway that has rocky washouts about a foot deep on very steep grades. Not including winter driving on ice and snow, I have had some bad experiences trying to find the right combination of vehicle and tire.
I am not an enthusiast, I am an IT consultant that drives excessively, about 30,000 miles a year. I like my privacy and living in a remote area (been bit twice by rattlesnakes), so I have learned a lot about off road driving and tire/vehicle durability, not to mention alternative energy since the power company refuses to hook me up to the grid!
So far my road has killed a Chevy S-10, a Jeep Wrangler, and a Land Rover discovery, in only 3 years. I had to get rid of a brand new GMC 3500 Dually because it was too big for these narrow, single lane trails on the sides of cliffs and it was just not sensible to drive such a large vehicle through washboards and hairpins every day. I also got rid of a new Eddie Bauer Expedition because I was afraid it was going to fall apart in such a harsh environment and I had gotten stuck in a wet, grassy front yard (gasp!).
Although the trip is only 8 miles it can hog up a lot of time, depending on the vehicle. My Sierra held me to making the trip one way, 8 mile trip to 45 minutes. My Expedition would make the trip in 30 minutes, the Wrangler about 30 minutes. The Land Rover about 25 minutes, and the FJ 15 minutes. I have found my chosen vehicle in the Toyota FJ Cruiser in which I have accumulated 46,000 miles in a year and a half, with no problems whatsoever, except tires.
I have tried all the highest rated tires and my commute will eat them up like gummy bears, or Pop Rocks. I have been through Toyo ATs, BFG ATs, Wrangler Silent Armors, Wrangler ATs, Continental ATs (not sure if they are ATs since they came stock on the Expedition), Winterforce snow tires, Bridgestone Duelers, BFG MTs, and now I am getting ready to order these Kevlar tires.
In my experience thus far, I have rated the tires from worst to first in terms of durability to my driving style (fast and hard): Continentals, Bridgestone Duelers, Toyo ATs, Wrangler ATs, BFG ATs, BFG MTs, Winterforce and Wrangler SAs. I am defining durability in terms of frequency of flat tires, not traction. Traction counts, but I hate changing flats, plugging tires, and Sliming tires.
I probably get these flats because I drive my vehicles hard. I drive hard because in my business time is money and I don't have time to waste. Finding the right vehicle has been a challenge and so far the FJ is far superior to any of my previous vehicles in this environment because it is very tough and very fast, not to mention the Vehicle Stability Control has saved my life countless numbers of times.
As you can see I have a legitimate necessity for tough tires that can outperform for 16 off-road miles a day (more if I am forced to make multiple trips) as well as perform excellent for another 100 miles or more per day on paved road through twisty hairpin curves through the Appalachian Mountains. I am preparing to order these Kevlar tires and I will know within 2 weeks if they are really worth the price tag. It won't be a scientific review, but it will be real, because I am sick of changing tires but too stubborn to move. I am hoping that these tires will save me lots of money on wasted billable labor time, Slime, plugs, and Fix-A-Flat. I'll let you know.
I worked for Goodyear for over a year as a tire installer. Been working in tire shops for over 12 years as a installer. I have been riding the new MTR With Kevlar and let me tell you...for what Goodyear advertises it to do...I’m very unimpressed. I live in northern Ontario Canada, and am a Avid outdoorsman. 1/2 of my driving is on unpaved roads. I have put approx 8,000KM on since I got them and there's less then 1/3rd Tread left. I have gotten stuck numerous times where I shouldn’t have gotten stuck. I had 1 tire replaced under warranty do to a sidewall puncture. I have had over 4 Main tread face punctures. but what upsets me the most is I am unable to get anymore MTR with Kevlar size 33X12.50X15. apparently they are backordered until mid august. My local Good year dealershit told me this sad fact. so as much as I want to keep theas pieces of garbage on...I'm thinking I’ll be taking all of them off and donating them to my local Go-cart track. they might be useful there!! I think a set of all season Wall mart Specials would give this tire a good Run for the $
8000km and 1/3 tread left, that is horrible. My old MTR's held up to 50 000km just fine, if these kevlars cannot do the same, then i am out for sure
I don't know if the first guys that ripped the writers about the new MTR's but my guess is that they have never been to the hammers at all. I've wheeled both the old MTR's and another very popular tire that many people use out at the hammers and the old MTR's out shined them allin side wall strength and grip when aired down to 3.5psi. Yes, I'm on beadlocks. All te other tires I've run have all had side wall damaged that cased me to change the tires. These new MTR's both look to be stronger on the side walls and have better grip to boot.
My next set of tires will be the new 40" MTR's.
I have to agree with the negative responses. It doesn't matter that you had 4 tires x 20 Jeeps x 15 miles=1200 miles; that just a bunch of mathematical mumble jumble that's completely designed to make people read that and go wow those tires lasted a long time! When in fact the tires were brand new, run some rugged off road track for 15 miles on a staged well calculated course then declared a winner, yet the tires were still basically brand new after the testing.
Don't be in such a hurry to report on a tire that you have to come up with magical numbers to impress the dead heads. If you had taken one set of tires and ran them in those conditions for 1200 miles then reported you would had a better response; or came in at the end of the 15 mile test and said a long mileage test is underway and the results of that test will be published at a later date would have added credibility to your report. But that report was bogus-sorry!
have mtr with kevlar on 2005 ford.about 5000 kms on them and tread wear is horrible.like another post, over a 3rd of the tread has been taken off on just highway miles.odd though, every odd nub is short and the even are a good 1/2 inch higher all over the tire in a perfectly even pattern.for the price u pay for these they pretty well suck.and thats coming from a girl.
I worked for the company that supplied the jeeps for this event. Prior to the event, we did our own comparison between these tires, the BFG Mud Terrains and BFG All Terrains. They seemed to perform better on mud, snow/ice, and rocks. The jeeps that we kept equipped with these tires all still have their original GY tires. The MT/R with kevlar has a stronger side-wall than just about any tire I've experienced. Tread-wear is hard for me to gauge as 99% of our milage is off-highway; but for a tire to sustain thousands of miles of adventurous off-highway driving on a rental vehicle is pretty shocking. I think they're a great trail tire. If you want a 30K mi pavement tire, buy a Wrangler Silent Armor, Kumho, or some other light truck street tire.
Has anybody ran these new tires in some ice and snow packed roads the old mtr did very well
I'm going on my 12th year as President of the Lost Coast 4x4's club in Humboldt County, CA and have run trails ranging from local monthly runs to the Rubicon, Sierra Trek and the Moab Easter Jeep Safari. I have several modified 4x4's with my primary one being a 94 YJ with a spring over along with many other modifications. I have run many tires in the past with the last set being 35" Baja Claws. I just purchased a set of the MTR-Kevlars (35x12.50x15) and will be putting them to the test and will report on my impression of their capabilities after I give them a fair chance.
hey all, i jus got a set of these in 33x12.5x15 on my lux and am going on a trip to middle of australia for about 3800 km (no idea what that is in miles) with 1200 of that being really bad corrugated roads, my dealer has a promo where if im unsatisfied with them in 30 days they will swap them out for something different, my old wrangler mtrs didn't take to the corrugation too well but seen as i can swap them if they're crap, im gonna give em a go, back in 3 weeks, and i'll let u know
- sim
I will never purchase a goodyear tire or any other tire not made in the USA. Thousands of good jobs gone to canada, no thanks buddy.
What is everybody whining about! Bullet proof vests are made out of kevlar, so they might work on rocks too, perhaps. As far as tire wear goes.... did we purchase these tires for longevity, or performance. Softer compound tires get better tread for traction, so to balance side wall retention and more positive grip is a pretty hard thing to achieve wouldn't you think? Yes the mileage is load of crap 1200 miles. Last time I checked most Trophy trucks use a Baja Champion Project core tires, about 100 bucks more than these kevlar tires. They attempt to put 500 to 1000 miles on each tire x 4. Most of the time they fail.......going over 130 miles an hour over rough dessert terrain with your tire psi up to 50psi can put any tire up in smoke. So I would say great idea, and as soon as it out lasts my project cores for 1oo to 200$ dollars less a tire, than back to the drawing board!.. .................. My nissan vq will take any jeep 3.6 or 4.0 any day, and I will still be driving it at 300,000 miles so figure it out!!!!!!!!!!!! Besides jeeps and and any chrysler, arent they made in mexico? Go figure.
How about this for a test. I have been running the old style MTR for 135000 km on a Nissan Titan for 4 years with at least 30000 km of gravel, and two of the tires have never had a flat. These tires are used in the military, and in my opinion they are the best tires ever made. If I had a car I would put these tires on it. I just purchased 4 brand new MTRs with Kevlar, and I can't wait to see how far they will go. And by the way, I don't drive very kind. I spin these tires every chance I get. These are the kind of tires you can put on and just forget about maintenance. I hardly ever check the air because they don't leak. I drive them at 180 km/hr on gravel or pavement, wet or dry. They will withstand pretty much anything except insane spinning on hard packed gravel. That tends to rip the lugs off.
Wow, and they are made in CANADA!!!!
That's even better.
Anybody got any new information about the actual longevity of these Goodyear Kevlar tires for offroad use? I don't want to buy a set without more information about them.
Just read the article as I wait for a set I purchased for my 2dr Rubicon JK. Moving from the 32" BFG MT's to the 35 MT/R's. Thanks Mike for the review, I'll let you know what I think. I have close access to the Rubicon and some good trails in Nor-cal to test these out. Part of the story that I like is Goodyear used the US powerhouse supercomputers at one of our National Labs to come up with a better product. This is something that we should do more of to compete with China, Japan and others. Go USA!
I have an 89 bronco, with everything in it weights over 7000 pounds. I have had had ever tire known to man except good year cause they have sucked so bad for too long. I work for a tire dealer. we sell more goodyear tires than goodyear does... that being said. I saw this tire in the show room and had to try it. I have not read anything on them or hear anything about them. My store manager and I took them for a test drive in some nasty stuff here in the florida swamps. I tried everything in my power to get stuck and couldnt do it. They ride like michelins on the road and are quieter then my last three sets. I recommend this tire.
Thanks for the review Mike. I love the fact that people get all upset over the 1200 miles quote, yet they can't spell or check their own grammar. The author explained the mileage in simple plain English. I'm sorry, for Mike, that you can't slow down enough to read EVERY word. Sure 1200 miles on 1 tire isn't the same as 15 on 80, but I'd imagine there would be at least one journalist in the group who would have dared to stomp the skinny pedal, and "try" to mess 'em up. I just bought a set of these...the sidewalls are beefy, the voids are large, and they are surprisingly quiet. I have yet to hit the rocks, but have buddies in my trail group that have, and they perform great. Here we are, a year since this article posted and I have yet to hear 1 credible complaint, yea, I'm calling BS on Fred Fluchel. So because a 13 year experienced (dude you didn't catch any breaks, huh?) tire tech gets stuck playing where us smarter wheelers wouldn't and spun the tread off his tires, he'd have you believe these tires suck? Give me these tires and 7 minutes, and I can give you back slicks, but I'd wager that'd be pretty dumb...huh? It'd be one thing if he ran the shop or was a mechanic, or somehow proved he wasn't an idiot but... too late... You know how I know the naysayers are dumb? You guys had to wiki "effigy".....ha ha. Thanks again Mike.
Well im sold on mike's review. Mike im sorry dude for some of the comments you got, they were really incalled for. I knew what you ment, like it a team of 3 people were working together and each had 10 years experience at whatever, the team would have 30 years experience. I think it was an excellent review and I will be deffiently be putting these on my truck (2005 chevy silverado crew cab z71 pakg).......that is ofcourse, whenever i get the money. Ha ha is sucks being a broke 16 year old (but I am getting a job so dont get on my case like you did mike, lol)
Sirs; Between Winnemucca Nevada and Gerlach Nevada, we have a dirt, rock, and sand road that stretches 100 miles. Gerlach Nevada is the home of the Black Rock desert and also the Burning Man festival. The rock on the road is called obsidian, it is very sharp and punctures tires at an alarming rate ! ( sometimes you can't carry enough spares to make it through ! The only tire that we have any luck with is the Toyo M-55. I run the 285 75 16 siped. Does the Goodyear have kevlar in the face (tread), or only on the sidewall ? The tread lookes very good, but would it resist punctures on the face better than the M-55 ? This would be a very good test road for your tires ! ( and I'm just the man to try them for you )
Jan Lechner
jan.lechner@gmail.com
BS on Me? Okay, whatever. Don't know what BS you're calling but again, whatever. If you think I'm a journalist then Google me.
I have had these tires for almost a year. I have had no problems with them. At first I was a little disappointed with the grip in deep snow this past winter, I aired the tires down and had no problems after that.
I have put approximately 12,000 miles on these tires and I think I have maybe 1500 miles to go on them. I did run over a lag bolt last week that pierced the tire pretty good but any tire would have been pierced.
I am buying another set. I am disappointed that I have to have the white lettering out since I do not like to look at dirty white lettering all the time. The performance is high enough for me to deal with the white lettering because for the first time in 4 years I was able to drive my car without fear of a flat and that alone was peace of mind.
All I would like to know is , what is the total milage I can get out of the Goodyear wrangler mt/r ? If it's at least 40,000 I'll buy them this week
Mike I got about 15,000 miles off them so far and I am due for new ones, BUT I drive the hell out of them. Our paved roads in the mountains are very curvy and I don't slow down. If I drove like an old man I'd say you could get 20K miles out of them. Tires for me are an annual expense. My BFGs had better mileage, but they also got more flats, I have only had one flat with these MTRs.
Just read this entire review and I appreciate everyones inputs. I'm now happy I just put 35" MTR/Ks on my 2010 2Dr Rubicon. They came with good referrals from friends and when I have no less than 150 trail miles and 1K road, I will repost my opinions about these tires. But at this point, I feel they will come out being one of the best on the market.
Hi, I just bought these tires. I have my jeep through ice, snow, mud, dirt, and the highway, and the tires couldn't perform better. They are fansatic. Thanks for the article!
Jen
ok...i agree with most of u...but skip....dont be rude...it just shows how stupid u really are.....BUT...i do think they should have take a few other tires like bfg krawlers and bfg km2's...and pro comp X teraines (which i am runing on my wrangler and am not very happy with)...with that said Mike good reveiw i plan on putting the new MT/R's on my jeep asap...all i can say that would have made it better is putt a wider vriety of tires on a few other jeeps when u go out for your next review so we can better gauge the new tires proformance
I have goodyear mt/r on my 2002 dodge dakota.... I love the toughness , design of the tires.....My only problem is it like to pick up small rock on my adventures. And i use a screw driver to take to small rock out. But I been told this is normal on some treads.... and I can handle it.....
I have had these tires a little over a year now, and I can not complain one bit. The traction is amazing even in two-wheel drive. I have around 30,000 miles on them and they still look brand new because I have kept them rotated like you should. I have no problem going through anything and would recommend these tires to any with a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
vince-
Goodyear is an American company that still makes a lot of their tires in the U.S.A. The Goodyear Marathons on my travel trailer, Goodyear Wrangler STs on my Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs (pre-Kevlar) on my Jeep Wrangler are ALL Made In The U.S.A.
I hope that you are not a fan of the BFGoodrich tires...as BFGoodrich is owned my Michelin, a French company. I guess that would be better than Bridgestone/Firestone, a Japanese company.
Since 2003 I have gone through four sets of the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R (pre-Kevlar) tires. They were original equipment on my 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. My Wrangler is on it's third set and my Jeep Grand Cherokee had a set at one time.
I have never had a tire failure with these tires. My only complaint, not a real one because it is expected from a mud tire, is that they only last me 25-30,000 miles. Driving up and down a mountain every day with frequent off-roading. The Wrangler MT/Rs on my Wrangler, I bought about six months before the MT/Rs with Kevlar came out. Too bad I was not able to wait a few months for the new Kevlar reinforced tires.
Mike, I'm just curious if overall mpg suffers from the aggressive, offroad tread design. In othe words, do they lose a few miles per gallon in highway driving?
I read several other reviews about these tires and they also appear to be very quiet on the highway. If they handle and wear well on pavement and are quiet to boot, without significant reduction in mpg, they really would be a very good tires to have.
I think the small loss of fuel economy is well worth it, for the extra strength and traction these tires afford.
just purchased these tires. i had run duratracs previously on my 01 1500 ram. i had got 40000 out of the duratracs and highly recommend them for any type of driving, even when they were bald in the snow. that said i purchased the mtrs (285/75/16)(33in)about a week ago and have about 1500 miles on them so far. i drive hard, fast, and a lot of miles. summer time is either in the sand or rocks and winter is in vermont in the snow. in the last week ive tore up some snow and now heavy rain as nj/ny has some serious flooding. i put on about 900 miles a week from my 80 mile commute to work and 500 mile commute to vermont EVERY weekend.
So far in heavy rain the tires were excellent cruising at about 80mph ripping thru the water. in the snow they did pretty good.(compared to the duratracs they weren't as good but that was expected b/c duratrac is one of the best aggressive snow tires) on the highway they are fine, excellent manners, no swaying and a comfortable ride aired at 45psi all around.
my boss has 2 h1 hummers and runs 37 mtrs on both, one gets shipped to moab and is all crawled out and the other is his DD. he is up to 50000k on his dd mtrs and they still have meat on them. he is the main reason i got the tires b/c i have heard nothing but good things from NO punctures or problems in Moab to 50000k on mostly all highway and nyc potholes. and he doesn't drive like your grandpa.
all this being said everyone has their own opinion. some are dumber than others. if you dont maintain your sh*t your going to have uneven treadwear and a bunch of things to b*tch about. i rotate every 3000 when i do an oil change this way there is no issues. everyone wants to add there 2 cents when they havent even gave the product a chance. honestly save ur time and effort b/c no one cares what you think.
on that note stop giving Mike a problem about his review. he is one of the only people that actually tested the tire. who cares about the 1200 miles, its just a number. its not like that is going to make or break YOU buying the tire. and if it is.......
buy a hyundai.
the above review was written a couple weeks ago, i never got a chance to post it because of computer trouble. i am now at 10000 miles strong on these tires with all even wear. to end the snow season off in vermont they got hit with a good 6 inches. the tires were great in the fresh powder EXCEPT like another post stated on hard pack/ice they are not worth a penny. these tires were not meant for that kind of condition. besides that these tires have done nothing but work for me. last week i did a little crawling over some decent size rocks and through some mud. they held up without missing a beat. i have also towed a good size trailer for a couple hundred miles with no problem. from going from duratracs to these i feel the kevlar does make a difference and does not sway nearly as much. as far as gas mileage i would say they are about the same as duratracs and that there is no noticeable increase or decrease. people are mentioning how the road noise is. as far as that goes we are talking about an MT tire. there will always be some sort of noise but compared to others i heard putting down the road these give off a mild hum and thats about it. nothing that u cant speak over. 10000 miles so far and it looks like i would buy another pair as of now. come another 10000 ill be back for another review.
Thanks for the write up, very informative. I am curious, maybe I missed it in the article or in a post but these appear to be uni-directional tires. Are they? If they are, I don't like that due to spare tire and rotation issues.
Thanks for the info if you have it.
Matt
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