The Wrangler is a popular, compact, open-top variety of Jeep that Chrysler produces. While different models have slightly varying specifications, all Jeep Wranglers feature complex suspension systems and four-wheel drive capabilities, making them suitable for off-road driving. The best tires for a Wrangler should have sophisticated tread designs for optimizing traction on harsh terrains. However, drivers who use their Wranglers primarily for street driving will also want to take quietness into account.
According to Offroaders.com, the Pro Comp Xterrain Mud Terrain tires are ideal for traversing rocky and muddy terrain, as well as for everyday street driving. Unlike other off-road Jeep Wrangler tires, the Xterrains are "considerably quieter" on roads. The radial design of Xterrain tires means that they consist of parallel configurations of rubber-coated cable belts, which "radiate" out from the center lines of the tires at 90-degree angles. This design makes the tires more flexible, lessening their rolling resistance and improving fuel economy. Distinguishing features of the Xterrain tires include their deep, wide treads, which have a staggered, directional pattern for channeling out gravel, mud and other debris. In addition, the lugs -- or outward-projecting portions of the treads -- feature sipes -- or grooves -- for improving traction.
The BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM tires are radial off-road tires with large footprints, interlocking tread patterns and lugs with large voids between them.
As JeepReviews.com notes, the tires perform well off-road and are quiet during on-road operation. In addition, the BF Goodrich Mud Terrains are less prone to wear in comparison to other tires, so they last longer. The Jeep enthusiast resource JP Magazine named the Mud Terrain T/A KM tires as one of the top 10 most influential off-road products.
Unlike the Xterrains and the T/A KMs, the Interco Super Swamper TSL Bogger tires have a bias ply construction. This means their cable belts have a diagonal configuration and extend out at 30-degree angles, making the tires more rigid. According to Offroaders.com, the TSL Bogger tires are incredibly puncture resistant and their "aggressive" tread patterns allow them to handle mud, sand, snow, rock and other obstacles that you might encounter on wooded trails. The lugs of the tires come in three different sizes, or stages, digging more deeply into terrain. While performing optimally off-road, the tires can be noisy on the highway.
While the Xterrains, T/A KMs, and TSL Boggers are all mud terrain tires, which means manufacturers produce them specifically for off-road activities, the Pro Comp Xtremes are all-terrain tires, which means manufacturers produce them for both the highway and off-road driving. The Xtremes feature a tread design that is "mildly aggressive," as Offroaders.com notes, which means its lugs are closer together in comparison to mud terrain tires, but are still further apart in comparison to standard street tires. The treads of Xtreme tires provide excellent on-road performance, as well as "great" performance in rock, dirt and sand and "moderate" performance in snow and mud.
