Christian Lee
Contributor
Photographers:
4WD Staff
Phil Howell wrote an article on the Rat Patrol JK (May 2013). My tire guy tells me those tires are what they call asymmetrical (similar to what we used to call directional). Can you tell me why the Rat is running the tires correctly on the rear axle on Page 17 and the other way on the front axle on Page 16? My tire guy says some fellas run them that way to obtain better steering characteristics. On the cover of the same issue is a picture of the correct way to run that tire. My question is why is he running the tire the wrong way on the Rat? Does he know some secret about that tire that we don’t know? Did his tire guy make a mistake?
Ron Sooke
Canada
Goodyear MTR with Kevlar tires are asymmetrical, not directional as is commonly mistaken. Here they are shown mounted on James Fonnesbeck’s Rat Patrol JK featured in the May 2013 issue.
Ron, according to our guys at Goodyear your tire guy gave you some not-so-correct info. He wasn’t completely off the mark as the Goodyear MTR with Kevlar is an asymmetrical tire, however it is not directional. An asymmetrical tire has different tread characteristics on its inside and outside edges. In the Goodyear MTR with Kevlar’s case, there are chunky blocks on the outside edge of the tire and smaller blocks on the inside edge. The larger blocks are designed to attack and stick to rocks and other obstacles while the smaller blocks help dissipate water, mud, and sand. Although it’s indicated on the tire to “mount this side inboard,” our Goodyear contacts assured us the tire can be run either way. In fact, they have heard back from various competitive ’wheelers who preferred the MTR with Kevlar mounted with the large blocks on the inside and small blocks out. Hope this helps. ’Wheel on.
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