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Tire/Wheel advice & opinions please Irok vs. MTR

mrk5

mrk5

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Okay here's the deal. I'm ready to upgrade my tires from 33" dunlops to something in the 35" variety.

I've narrowed it down to either 35-12.50-15 Goodyear MTRs or 36-13.50-15 Iroks (bias ply).

If I go with the MTRs I'm going to keep the 15x8 steelies I have on now.

If I go with the Iroks I'm thinking about using the 15x10 Colorado Customs I haven't had any luck selling.


Here's my concerns:
  1. Are the Iroks, and Super Swampers in general good quality. I've heard just enough to be worried, stuff like being out of round.
  2. Will my aluminum rims be okay now that I have a tire with a cross section of 14.5" instead of 12.5" I did have on them.
  3. If I don't get the Iroks I feel like I'm going to always wish I had.
Here's the pros:

  1. The Iroks sound awesome from everything I've read.
  2. I really like the idea of keeping the Colorado Customs
  3. The Iroks are cheaper.
  4. The MTRs are highly recommended.
  5. I trust the Goodyear brand.
  6. MTRs are quieter (for the wife's sake)
This is not a daily driver, only drives to and from the trails and camping with pop-up camper.
 
You know after writing and reading this I think I honestly may be saying "Convince me I should get the Iroks!":o
 
I like both tires, but the MTR's will be more road friendly and they are awesome in the rocks, I saw if you do any kind of mudding to stay away from the MTR's, but if you do trails with mud I would get the iroks. The iroks will wear faster on the street but if you just go to and from the trails they should last you a long time. It really just comes down to what kind of terrain you wheel in. :)
 
I really LOVE my MTR's :D If you don't do alot of mud running I would go with the MTR. 1 friend I wheel with has the 36" Iroks and they seem to be a good tire but I much prefer my MTR's. Myself and 2 other friends I wheel with have MTR's and we all love them. The only bad parts about them is they are not great in mud without wheel speed, and wet traction on rocks is not that great.

Plus Discount tire will sell you warranties for MTR's and they will not if you get Iroks from them (at least they won't in AZ).

Harley
 
Do you have problems with hitting your current rims on rocks? If you do you will want to stay with steel rims. They are much more forgiving then aluminum. All the guys here in AZ run steel rims because when (not if) you smack them on rocks they survive better and can be smacked back into place with a sledge hammer to keep holding air.

I tore up a 15x8 steelie in the rocks here about 6 weeks ago. I blew the tire off the bead and bent the rim up and rashed the hell out of it. We smacked the rim back somewhat straight with a 3lb sledge hammer and popped the tire back on the bead. It is torn up good but still holds air and doesn't vibrate very much, even at 75mph.

Harley
 
I rarely run in mud, and when I have I don't think it was "muddin" like many of the pics I've seen here.

I do wonder about the traction on wet rocks, because I like to wheel in the snow.

Actually I probably wouldn't even be debating the MTR if it wasn't for all the glowing reports I've read from the AZ guys. You guys have really gotten me to thinking hard about the MTR.

I've been pondering the aluminum wheel thing a lot. I bent up one rim on the trail, and luckily I had 5 so I just used the extra wheel.

The damage raised 2 questions for me:
  1. Was it because the rim was too wide for the cross section width of my tire.
  2. The rim actually bent and didn't "tear" like I've had happen when I hit a curb with a cheap aluminum wheel. Unfortunately I sold the damaged wheel to the scrap guy before I was able to try and straighten it. But now I wonder if I could have straightened it with some hammer work.
I've never damaged a rim on the trail before, or known anyone that has. But then I never did as hard a wheelin' as I have since meeting some of the CK5 guys.
 
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FortCollinsRam runs 37" MTR's and he is in Fort Collins. You might talk with him and see how his truck does with them. He is in your neck of the woods with those tires.

One thing I remember distictly about CO was the number of Jeep guys that run the MTR.

I don't think Iroks are bad tires at all but I do believe that MTR's are a better all around tire then Iroks.

I have heard good things about MTR's in the snow but have no personal experience with it to say yes or no.

Harley

P.S. I would probably ask around at Colorado4x4.org and other CO wheeling sites and see what people run and how they like them. They will know more about your type of wheeling.
 
Hossbaby50 said:
P.S. I would probably ask around at Colorado4x4.org and other CO wheeling sites and see what people run and how they like them. They will know more about your type of wheeling.
Click to expand...
I was thinking about that, as I'm a member over at Co4x4.org too. There was a poll running over there, and it was a dead heat between Super Swampers in general and MTRs. And that was with over 100 people voting, IIRC.
Hadn't thought about FtCollinsRam. I wheel with B_to_C, and he's running MTRs. I was going to get his opinion, too. T


84_Chevy_K10 said:
Get the IROKs. If nothing else they're taller and will give you more ground clearance.
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That's one plus that I didn't list.
 
Then here is a con, they will break your front axle quicker. More aggressive taller tire equals more stress on the axle internals.

Harley
 
just my opinon

i use to work at a goodyear store. i do like the goodyear mtr for stength and bite, but thay are the most ( OUT OF ROUND AND HEAVY TO BALENCE TIRE ) i have had the dis pleasure to work with!!!!!! the swampers i have had ride great and i have not balenced them on both sets. thay were both bias, and warmed up in 1-2 miles at most for the flat spots to disapere. thats my .002 cents whats yours????:thumb:
 
I can tell you that the Iroks are awesome offroad. I have the 36" version and they are doing circles around my old 35" SSR's. On the rocks, a little tire spin warms up the soft rubber and takes you right up. They really do work! Mud and trails, also work great. Snow, good grip there too. If you are worried about tire wear, well I haven't had mine long enough to say on that, but they are a cheap (er) than most 36" tires so who cares ;)
 
I run the 37" MT/R's and I highly recommend them. You said you mainly dont run in the mud. MT/R's arent great in heavy mud but are absolutely awesome in the rocks. I personally have never owned a super swamper tire, but I am friends with a guy who owns a nice tire shop in my city. He hates super swampers. When I asked his opinion on a tire when I was looking for new tires for my truck he told me that whatever I do, stay away from super swampers if I will ever be driving on the street. Granted, boggers and tsl's will do great in the mud, but he said super swampers are never round, and horrible to balance. He also said that interco tire company had a bad reputation for using a cheap rubber compound. I have mt/r's on my truck. 3 out of the 4 tires on my truck are not balanced at all (due to rocks taking the weights off) and it doesnt shimmy or shake at all. Plus mt/r sidewalls are very tough. I would say if your doing mud, go with the iroks, but since you said you arent, go with the mt/r's. You wont regret it.
-Harrison
 
Another vote for MTR's. I am on my second set and love them. If you can afford them get 37's! My 35's look like 31's to me now:) Anyways they are a great tire, BTW I live in Vegas so the terrain is similar to AZ. They stick like glue when properly aired down. Just my .02:grin:
 
yeah, if its not gonne be street driven except to/from trails, go with the iroks. If those trips end up being 1000 mile jaunts to Moab or something or you decide you want to drive on the street more, go with the MTRs. IMO, the only drawback of the MTR is that they arent good in mud. If you dont drive in mud, thats a non factor. Iroks are cheaper/lighter... but will wear faster (maybe even much faster) and they probably wont be round. Its just something you have to deal with with swampers. They aint the roundest tire out there. If that matters, go mtr, if you dont give a chit you just want kick azz offroad tires, go irok.

j
 
I have 36" iroks and my friend has 35mtrs.

The mtrs do ok, but not as near as good in the mud.

I dont know why ppl say if you are going to be doing rocks get mtrs. Iroks preform just as good on rocks as they do.

Iroks are great in the snow and ice. The traction on slick streets are better then my old radials.

If you plan to do any serious offroading get the iroks, they will be worth it. And hey if you dont like them wait 1 1/2 to 2 years until they go bald and get a diffrent tire.
 
jekbrown said:
yeah, if its not gonne be street driven except to/from trails, go with the iroks. If those trips end up being 1000 mile jaunts to Moab or something or you decide you want to drive on the street more, go with the MTRs. IMO, the only drawback of the MTR is that they arent good in mud. If you dont drive in mud, thats a non factor. Iroks are cheaper/lighter... but will wear faster (maybe even much faster) and they probably wont be round. Its just something you have to deal with with swampers. They aint the roundest tire out there. If that matters, go mtr, if you dont give a chit you just want kick azz offroad tires, go irok.

j
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys.

I do make the trip to Moab once every couple of years, but for me it is 300miles which isn't too bad. Especially since my sister lives in Junction, so I can lay over there one night.

Well so far the poll is even, which is how my mind is right now.

All lot of the Colorado guys over at Co4x4.org are running MTRs, and not many Iroks. But it seems to be just from a lack of experience with the Iroks more than a preference of one over the other.

As far as going with 37s in the MTR, from what I'm reading the 37" MTR is about the same height as the 36" Irok. :thinking:
 
Sounds like you should be looking to get 37" MTR's or 36" Iroks then. The 37" MTR is only a few dollars more then the 35's are.

Harley
 
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