Tires for dedicated off-road crawling rig?

Rick2004LJ

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 11, 2018
Messages
159
Location
Texas
We have a dedicated trail Jeep we use mainly for Jeep Jamborees 4-5 tips a year. The trips we take are almost exclusively rocky/gravel trails, rock crawling, and obstacles - not a fan of the mud/water.

Jeep is a 2004 LJ with a 4" lift - current tires are the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 33 /12.50R15. We have used the KO2's ever since they came out because they seemed to be the best fit for a Jeep that was used as a daily driver in addition to off-road.

Now that we have a dedicated trail rig I am wondering if there is a better option or if we should stick with KO2's?
 
Cooper STT Pro or Maxxis Trepador
 
One does not discuss religion, polo, or tires in polite company. Good thing we don't qualify ;)

It's a very loaded question. I picked up a set of bias Trepadors and I love em in mud (keep in mind I live in the north east so while I'm not into mud, most trails have at least some of it) they work great on dry rock (limestone or smooth garnet here mostly so fairly slippery for rock) on wet rock they have a tendency to spin more than other tires I've owned, on loose earth and top soil they toss huge clumps of it out but can't seem to bite and climb.

I've got friends with bias rockers and they seem to do better in this area, the swampers seem to do well here to.

On the slightly less expensive side I've also seen good results from the cooper stt pros and the procomp extreme MT2 around here.

Tread life on the Trepadors is also quite short if you drive on pavement much. I bought a trailer because of them.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
 
I agree with @Drizit, it really depends on where you wheel the most. I have never been a fan of the KO's mostly because most of my wheeling has been mudding and no rock crawling. They do not clean worth a crap. I have used the crap out of the swampers, far better in the mud. The will kick up mud pies like the size of a soft ball. That is fun stuff! You could probably get away with ko2's for rocks or sand if you air way down. They will probably last longer than a mud tire.

You kind of have to think about what you are doing and where you are doing it the most, and buy tires for that. I could tell you to buy Ko2's and you could go to your first mud hole and look like you put racing slicks on your Jeep. Or I like @Drizit's maxxis, but after you go through a set really fast because you find yourself driving more on the road then off of the road you may be disappointed.

So curious do you go out with a posse and if so what are they running?