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Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX's.

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#1 ·
Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX\'s.

Mickey Thompson Baja Claws in 31x11.5

Super Swamper TSL/SX in 31x13.5

1- Will these bias ply tires flex and conform to rocks well under the weight of a mostly stock Samurai?

2- AND if you've run these tires on the road did you find them acceptable for short daily around-town trips and for the occasional jaunt on the freeway to get to the trail?

I've researched this until it felt like my eyes were bleeding. There wasn't much that I found on this board and most of the stuff I did find was for other (heavier) vehicles.

I know bias plies aren't what a guy wants for driving around on the road -- I had them on my first car and I had them on my '53 CJ. But, in pursuit of a tire with strong sidewalls, I'm willing to trade off some on-road manners but only as long as the tire is safe on the road! If it grabs ruts and grooves like crazy then it's not the tire for me, no matter how strong it is. If it just goes "bump - bump - bump" on cold mornings and is loud, I can have that.

The reason I'm asking is new tires are in the future. What I'm running now are the Bridgestone MT's 30x9.5's. I've had them for three years and the lugs (other than some small chunking) are hardly worn. The sidewalls are scraped, gouged and cut. They still hold air, but now that I've run them, I think they are too hard for good traction on rocks, too narrow for the occasional sand, and the sidewalls are too soft for sharp rocks and sticks we have out here. I'd also like to go to 31's.

Don't get me wrong, radials would be great -- preferred even, and I may be over-reacting because in three years I haven't put a hole in the tires I have. I've been accused of fretting too much over stuff like this and maybe that's what I'm doing.

What do you all think?
 
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#2 ·
Re: Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX\'s.

I have been running a set of Super Swamper TSL/SX 32 11/50 for about 4 years. I run them both on and off road . Off road I air them down to about 5 lbs. and get fantistic traction on all surfaces. One thing I strongely recomend is to get them SIPED when you buy them. Cost me $10.00 a tire extra to have it done. It will give you very good road manners and better traction on slippery surfaces both on and off road.
I've seen guyes with the mickeys and they seem to realy have a broblem loding up in gumbo mud!!
I strongely recomend the Super Swamper TSL/SX 's

P.S. about 1/2 way down on the right of my Home page (click bellow) you can see a pertty good pic. of them as I'm posing on a rock.
 
#3 ·
Re: Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX\'s.

on my last zuk i ran 29x10.50 sx's for about 3 years & loved them. if it sat for several days, they would flat spot but that went away after several miles. they did great off road when aired down to around 8 psi, drove good on road--a little noisy--& wore like iron on my light zuk. i'm running 33x12.50 trxus mt's on my current zuk & i think i like them better than the sx's. they are radials with super tough sidewalls--i air them down to around 8-10 psi--they have siped tread blocks that are closer together so they are really good on the road (they don't develope flat spots) & somehow seem to pull just as strong as the sx's & tsl's i've run in the past in the mud, sand, & rocks. when i say rocks, i'm talking about wet tennessee rocks covered with greasy clay!! you might want to check them out--they're cheaper than the sx's too!
frank
 
#4 ·
Re: Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX\'s.

I ran the Baja Claws on my Samurai. (33") They were awesome on the trail. I would air down to 5 psi, and you really wouldn't see it bulge much. Never went down further, 'cause they would grip so well where they were. Used them on a daily driver. I never noticed any flat spots or bumping, but they were a bit loud - not as loud as swampers tho.
Both are good tires, but I think the Claws will last longer if it sees a lot of pavement too. I personally like the looks of the claws better. The side-biters make a statement.
 
#5 ·
Re: Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX\'s.

Thank you all very much for the replies.

I was seriously considering the Claws because I know only two really extreme wheelers and they both recommend the Claws for traction on the stuff we have in the Southwest and for sidewall durability. I'd have to travel quite a distance to even start to see anything resembling gumbo mud.

I thought I really had narrowed the tire selection down to just a few tires and now Cueball has me thinking the TrXus MT's might be a really good tire for me. If the sidewalls are as tough as they sound, they might be the ticket. And really, if they're not quite as tough, but close, I can buy six TrXus MT's for the price of four Claws in the same size (I hear the Claws run a little small though).

Back to searching... and searching... and searching... Someday soon I'll make a decision. Maybe -- I can't decide.

Thanks,
WB
 
#6 ·
Re: Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX\'s.

i have never been one thats likes siping my swampers but if you groove them you'll love em. it breaks up the lugs alittle and allows them to wrap more. i'd go with the sx's but thats just me.
 
#7 ·
Re: Specific Tire Questions; Claws, SX\'s.

I have the 31x13.5 SX swampers. They howel LOWER and a little bit quieter than the 29x10.5 swamper sx's I had before. They are indestructable! NEW tires will handle well on the road, make sure to keep them balanced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mine are on 15x10 aluminium mag rims with ~~ 2" or so of backspacing. These tires dig in the soft sand and require more power/wheel spin vs. less agressive tires. I had to do the virtural lift on my samurai inorder to clear the tires.

They look very nice on my samurai and perform equally as well. VERY VERY good mud tire. I've had them in snow/ice. NO traction on ice (I almost slid of the road up @ tellico when the roads were under 3" of snow!). I do not have my tires siped.

 
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