4x4Review Off Road Magazine
I know everyone else has already used, abused, and reviewed the new Goodyear Wrangler MT/R, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t get our turn! I have seen these tires punished pretty bad during the Goodyear Extreme Rock Crawling Series, so I was really eager to see what we could do to destroy, pop, mutilate, or otherwise turn one of these new tires into a useless rubber carcass!
Well Most of our efforts seem futile against this rock star. We tested a set of 35×12.50-15 MT/Rs on 10″ American Racing Baja Wheels. The new MT/Rs come in sizes ranging from 30×9.50-15 to 37×12.50-15.They are also available in 16″ metric sizes from LT235/85R16 to Lt305/70R16. The 37″ size may seem a little odd, but offers a great alternative for those who want a bit more clearance under the diffs without the added wieght of a 14 or 15 inch wide tire of the same hieght.
Testing
On the road we found that the new MT/R’s were extremely quiet and smooth. While still noticably noisier than an all-terrain tire, this could be the quietest mud-terrain tire on the market. The Goodyear MT/R’s are very stable at highway speeds and fairly stable during cornering, even though the Jeep used for testing isn’t. This new tire really shines when it’s in it’s element; Rocks! We found that on our test Jeep the Goodyear MT/R performed best on the rocks at about 8-10 psi. The sidewalls flex great at 10-psi and the tread blocks wrap around rocks like sticky little fingers and grip like glue. The Ultra tough sidewalls thwarted all of our efforts to puncture them. Goodyear employs a new Dura-wall puncture resistance technology to create an extemely tough side wall. Albeit, they aren’t completely puncture proof and after 6 months of hardcore rockcrawling abuse, we finally managed to punture a sidewall on this tires. One quick plug and it has been holding air ever since.
In the mud we found that given enough R.P.M., the MT/R did fairly well at “self-cleaning”, but it did take a good amount of horse power and a lot of R.P.M. to get them to shed the stickiest of goo. In comparison to a Super Swamper, it fell a bit short of being a true mud tire, but we feel the quiet road manners and rock-crawling capabilities more than made up for it. In the sand the MT/R performs great at low air pressure, floating well, and the tread pattern helps it to stay on top and not dig in too much, while still providing decent traction. So is the new Goodyear MT/R the ultimate off-road tire? While the extreme rock and mud terrain tire market is growing fiercely, Goodyear has done a fantastic job at producing a tough, pliable, all around, extreme-use tire that has tame street manners and won’t drown you in annoying humming sounds while driving at highway speeds.
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Wrangler MT/R Sizes & Specifications |
| Tire Size | Service Description |
Sidewall | Approved Rim Width |
O.D. | Section Width |
Max. Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30X9.50R15LT | 96Q | OWL | 6.5- 8.5 | 29.7 | 9.4 | “1,985” |
| 31X10.50R15LT | 100Q | OWL | 7.0- 9.0 | 30.7 | 10.5 | “2,270” |
| 32X11.50R15 | 104Q | OWL | 8.0- 10.0 | 31.5 | 11.4 | “2,535” |
| 33X12.50R15LT | 108Q | OWL | 8.5- 11.0 | 32.7 | 12.5 | “2,205” |
| 35X12.50R15LT | 113Q | OWL | 8.5- 11.0 | 34.7 | 12.5 | “2,535” |
| 37X12.50-15LT | BSL | 8.5- 11.0 | 36.7 | 12.5 | “2,910” | |
| 37X12.50R17LT | 129P | BSL | 8.5- 11.0 | 36.7 | 12.5 | “4,080” |
| LT225/75R16 | 110P | OWL | 6.0- 7.0 | 29.5 | 8.7 | “2,335” |
| LT235/75R15 | 101Q | OWL | 6.0- 7.0 | 29 | 9.2 | “1,985” |
| LT235/85R16 | 116P | OWL | 6.0- 7.0 | 31.9 | 9.2 | “3,042” |
| LT245/75R16 | 116P | OWL | 6.5- 7.5 | 30.7 | 9.7 | “3,042” |
| LT255/70R16 | 108P | OWL | 6.5- 8.0 | 30.3 | 10.2 | “2,205” |
| LT265/70R17 | 112P | OWL | 7.0- 8.5 | 31.8 | 10.7 | “2,470” |
| LT265/75R16 | OWL | 7.0- 8.0 | 31.8 | 10.5 | “3,000” | |
| LT275/70R17 | 114P | OWL | 7.0- 8.5 | 32.4 | 10.9 | “2,600” |
| LT285/75R16 | 119P | OWL | 7.5- 9.0 | 33 | 11.2 | “3,305” |
| LT305/70R16 | 8.0- 9.5 | 33 | 12.2 | “2,910” | ||
| LT315/75R16 | 121P | OWL | 8.0- 10.0 | 34.8 | 12.3 | “3,195” |
| Goodyear Tires |
| Web Site: http://www.goodyeartires.com/ 1144 East Market Street Akron, Ohio 44316-0001 Email: consumer_relations@goodyear.com |
