These tires are very good even when the tread is almost gone i put these on my 2001 chevy zr2 and i havet gotten stuck once and i have pushed these tires to the limit in mud past my wheel wells and water up to the bottom of my window
Rating: 8
Product Details: "BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO Tire" by Editor - posted: Tue January 30, 2007 - Rating: 7.08
Last Review Posted by Unregistered - posted: Tue November 27, 2007 2:17am
Ever wonder how well biased ply rates versus a radial ATV tire? I did! I constantly read all this hype on how well the radial tires work when compared head to head on another set of after market biased ply tires.
I had often asked the question to people I would meet out on the trail as to how well they like their radial tires. I always received the same answer like "I love them!" or "They are awesome!" Then came the reply "Much better than the stock tires".
So here I am thinking to myself "Self should I get a pair and try them?" Always going back to wondering how much better the radial could possibly be. 1. It's an off road vehicle, so we aren’t really hauling the family to Disney with it, and 2. Most generally anything other than the stock tires are going to perform better.
Mulling over different makes, models and manufacturers products I decided on the ITP MudLite XTR tire. It was competitively priced to the other manufacturers and seems to have a very nice aggressive tread that should meet all my needs.
So I called Dick’s ATV at 1-877-764-8313 and spoke with Mike. We decided that the 26 X 9X12 and 26 X 11 X 12 for the front and rear respectively was going to suit our needs the best. Three days later a brown truck arrived and dropped off 4 new tires at the door. One great thing about Dick’s ATV is that I have always received fast and accurate shipping and customer service is second to none.
We decided to mount the ITP MudLite XTR on a set of ITP SS108 black rims. This combination really gave the camo Grizz an attitude. After a quick stop at Glotfelty Tire to mount them on the wheels we were all set to bolt them onto the Grizz and head off to Southern W.V. for the Hatfield and McCoy trails.
The initial test came on a 4-mile strip of blacktop road between the cabin and the trailhead. Transition around turns was smooth and tire wobble that I normally felt was non-existent. Once we transitioned to the actual trail I took some time to really try to find something negative about the ride of these tires.
After putting 5 miles or so on the trail to get used to them it was time to pour on the heat. This began around a wide section of trail with many small stones scattered about which made it extremely rough with tight turns which really allowed me to power slide the rear end around. The XTR’s seemed to soak up a good bit of the shock for me and seemed to add a bit more stability to tight corner maneuverability. Not once during our trail test did these feel un-stable even in extremely off-camber situations. I think the radial construction adds a bit to sidewall strength and prevents the tire from flexing and rolling. Another thing to note was when compared to some biased ply tires, there was definitely more surface area touching the trail than I was used to, which aided greatly in traction.
After putting some miles on these tires I must say they do ride very well. I speeds on pavement proved to be smooth as well. Now do they ride better than the stock tires? Heck yeah! It is however still questionable as to how much better they are compared to another aftermarket brand tire of equal tread pattern. We swapped the vehicle around a couple times to allow me to again reacquaint myself with the old feel of the tires I was used to which were the ITP MudLite XL's. There was a noticeable difference in ride as was noted by a couple other ATVTORTURE testers. Not a huge difference but it was noticeable nonetheless. Handling seemed better with the radial but the MudLite has a more rolled tread pattern extending a little along the sidewalls giving just a bit more roll so it’s little more like comparing apples to oranges.
Durability leaves a little to be desired (LOL). Of course we push these machines a little more to the limit than your average weekend warrior would. But I was able to poke a hole on the inner sidewall while traversing a rocky section of trail. Again in defense of the tire, it was probably more my fault and the way I was riding than the tires.
All in all we give these tires the “Tortured” stamp of approval. They handle good, look good and should do everything I need them to do. Hopefully in the near future we get the chance to compare another type of radial tire.
If you would like to purchase a set of these tires then give Dick's ATV a call and try them for yourself.
Customer Service / Technical Service: 10
Price competitiveness: 10
Packaging: 10
Ease of installation: 10
Fit: 10
Finish: 10
Performance: 9
Test Mileage: 416
Rating: 10
Product Details: "ITP Mud Lite XTR ATV Tire" by Editor - posted: Tue August 14, 2007 - Rating: 7.67
Last Review Posted by Unregistered - posted: Mon November 26, 2007 11:08pm
Ive had my thornbirds for 3 months now, I offroad them every other weekend, ive only been stuck once, but that's because I was pinned because of open differentials. Lockers I would of made it out no problem. They are classified as an all terrain tire, and I think they do that quite well. I would recommend these tires to anyone. It seems the only ppl that bash this tire, havent had them to experience them. Ive had bfg mud terrains previous, and these are definitly better in mud no question.
Rating: 8
Product Details: "Thornbird TSL Radial Mud Terrain Tire" by Editor - posted: Tue January 30, 2007 - Rating: 7.35
Last Review Posted by Unregistered - posted: Sun November 25, 2007 11:03pm
In the last 3 months, I've put 5,500 miles on my TJ Unlimited Rubicon. Needless to say, I drive quite a bit. I'm on my second set of MT/R's, and wouldn't go to BFG's just yet. Total milage on the TJ is just a bit over 39,000 miles, and I have never had a problem with the tires. I do recommend rotating the tires every other service. Runs about 5-6K miles. Many tire shops do this for free if you buy the tires from them.
Ii would have liked to see the tires last until 50K miles, but maybe that's asking a bit too much. The rubber compound needs to stay soft for off-road use. So, if you want an amazing tire that has done several feet of snow, Moab, random mountain trails, and Interstate travel time and time again on my LJ, but are willing to sacrifice a bit of tread life for the off-road performance, go for it. A bit pricey, but worth it in the long run.
Rating: 9
Product Details: "Goodyear Wrangler MTR" by Editor - posted: Thu January 25, 2007 - Rating: 7.05
Last Review Posted by Unregistered - posted: Sun November 25, 2007 2:25pm
I wanted some decent mud terrain tires, but did not have the money to spend on some BFGoodrich, ProComp, or TSL. Enter the Phantom Mud King XT (approx. $105 ea. as compared to $149 ea.). I've found that these tires offer excellent off-roading capability, as I have used them on the trails and creek crossings. On-road traction is pretty good, with just a little tire noise. But, that is expected with mud terrain tires. The one problem I've had so far is that a small nail punctured the sidewall and caused a very slow leak. Seems to me that the sidewall should be a little more sturdy for an off-roading tire. Overall, I'm happy with the tires and the traction they offer.
Rating: 8
Product Details: "BFGoodrich Mud King XT Radial" by Editor - posted: Sun November 25, 2007 - Rating: 8.79
Last Review Posted by Unregistered - posted: Sun November 25, 2007 1:37am
