Tire Test: Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ Radial
When it came time for new tires, I knew whatever brand I would ultimately like to see on my Dodge Ram 2500 couldn’t be at the expense of my frequent off-highway adventures. There were other things to consider as well, like the fact that the Dodge is used mostly as a daily driver with long commutes as far away as 150 miles.
| 0906 8l 01 Mickey Thompson Baja Mtz Radial Tires Dodge Ram 2500
My weekends in the truck are often spent exploring the backcountry or towing an enclosed trailer loaded down with a Jeep. Like you, I’ve heard the rumors that tires with outstanding highway rides and long tread lives can’t offer the kind of traction needed to climb steep or rocky off-road trails. However, serious off-road tires leave their drivers tone-deaf and wearing their morning coffee in their laps by the time they arrive at work. Wanting the best of both worlds, I tested the Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ Radial (LT-315/70R17).
The tires were mounted on 17x8.5-inch Walker Evans Street Locks and measured out just less than 35 inches tall and 13 inches wide. They balanced with very little weight and were a great fit for the truck. On the pavement I noticed only minimal road noise, which was surprising for aggressive mud terrains, and the ride was smooth. But the true test would come off-highway, with a ride up a 9,000-foot snow-covered trail.
Immediately, the tires cut through the snow pack and the traction was excellent thanks to the larger sipes across the tops of the lugs. I headed down to a lower altitude, where the snow had already turned to mud. I thought twice about driving into this mud hole, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see if these tires could handle it. If the tires didn’t self-clean I’d probably be hoofing it back home. Fortunately, the Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ Radials performed better than expected, and I drove out easily.
In the end, I think these tires can do it all—and for a semi-modest investment of $260 to $300 each, depending on where you shop. The MTZ is available in a variety of popular sizes (from 31x10.50R15-LT to 38x15.50R20-LT). So work hard and play hard, but don’t let your equipment hold you back.
Web Exclusive Update: With tires there are always some compromises. Being primarily designed for the Mud, the Mickey Thompson tire has fewer voids leaving more rubber to contact the road. Although unnoticeable in most conditions, it is a factor on ice covered roads. The day I tested these tires we had a nice 3 to 4 inches of snow fall and the tires were very impressive. However the next day after the snow plows had come through, turning the roads to something similar to an ice rink, I found out that it was not very difficult to get the back end of the truck to want to come around on me. Some of this was caused by my driving a bit aggressively to see how the tires would handle the slick conditions, some had to do with the amount of large surface tread that came in contact with the slick road and much more to do with the fact that rubber and ice just don't mix. We have had much snow and much ice this year and the tires have worked very well. I would run them again with out hesitation. I think most of all...on ice I'll just slow down a little.
