While many of our readers are all about sled pulling, drag racing, and all-around performance, others just want to tow a trailer with a nice, quiet, on-road tire that will give them good performance, traction, and wet weather handling at a reasonable price.
| road Warrior project Rust Bucket Side Shot
For this over-the-road crowd, we’ve tested Mickey Thompson’s new Baja STZ tires. These tires are designed for traction in all conditions (especially snow and ice) and come in a variety of light-truck (LT) sizes, from 245/70R16 to 275/70R17. They’re available in E load ratings for towing and have a capacity of up to 3,195 pounds (depending on the tire you choose). For those not looking to tow a lot, lighter-weight P-metric tires can be used for better fuel economy and still have a weight rating of up to 2,833 pounds in a 20-inch size.
| The tread pattern on our Baja STZ tires isn’t too aggressive, yet it avoids the work truck look of a normal light truck tire. They’re also very quiet on the freeway.
The Quest for 30 mpg
The goal for our ’89 Dodge Ram, known as Rust Bucket, was to hit 1,000 hp and get 30 mpg. We came very close to both of those marks, at 972 hp and 27 mpg. Since then, we’ve been focusing on dragstrip times instead of the dyno, but we always figured we could hit the 30-mpg mark with a little more tweaking. We already had plenty of gearing, thanks to a 3.07:1 rearend and 47RH overdrive transmission, so we put on a set of 16x8 Mickey SideBiter wheels and 235/75R16 P-metric tires, since our diesel only weighs 4,900 pounds. This meant we’d save nearly 40 pounds of rotating weight on tires alone, and as soon as we can find the patience to drive 55 mph, we hope the 30-mpg barrier will just be a memory.
| Mickey Thompson makes tires and wheels for all diesel trucks—in a variety of styles, just in case you need to add a little flash to your ride.
Tire Specs
Tire Type: Radial
Tire Size: 235/70R16
Overall Diameter: 28.9 inches
Tread: 2-ply polyester+2-ply steel+1-ply nylon
Sidewall: 2-ply polyester
Tread Depth: 14⁄32 inches
Overall Width: 9.4 inches
Approved Rim Width: 6 to 8 inches
Weight: 33 pounds
Maximum Load (Per Tire): 2,094 pounds
Maximum psi: 44
Load Range: D
