All-terrain vs. Mud terrain?

[Dan9]

Hey guys. i am still planning my lift and tires/wheel combo. right now im looking at a 2.5" suspension lift and some 32" tires, possibly 31s. i live in buffalo, so lots of snow. i cant decide between the mud terrains and the all-terrains. it is also, my only vehicle and drive it quite a bit. the only off road park near me is probably a good 4 hrs away, so i also do a good amount of highway driving. to be completely honest, i like the look of the mud-terrains so much more than an all-terrain. don't get me wrong though, i love the benefits of the muds and think that with my amount of deep snow wheelin, they would be the better choice. right now im lookin at the bfg m/t and a/ts, but am definatley up for suggestions. thanks guys, ur the best.

 

[Itchee96]

If you do a lot of highway driving, then you should get the A/T's. Maybe get a cheap set of mudders for the snow. Im not sure if the mudders would be any good in the snow, though.

 

[pinaplebob]

I had all-terrains 31's on my Xj for about a year. I was impressed off road, but on road they stunk.

I thought they wore fast, and they were horrible in the snow. (I plowed with them on the jeep for a year)

I got about 30,000 miles out of them before they were pretty much bald.

But on the other hand i've heard people swear by them.

As far as mud terrains, I like the way they look but havent tried them.

 

[mrkltj]

I have a tj with 2.5 bb and 31.10.5-15 micky mtzs and i love them. They ride good and are not to loud my buckshoots were very loud. They did better in the snow then the buckshoots also. Kinda pricy though.

 

[bgentry]

I have a tj with 31 bfg at's. I have almost 40k miles on them. They are quiet and ride great. They are pricey but I would definately buy them again.

 

[xt master]

I have 31" bfg mt on my jeep.I have received a fair amount of snow this winter,So far so good with the tires.I was impressed with some of the hills I climbed,Seen a few ATV's have problems,I went right up.They seem quite on the highway,but I dont drive highway that often.I have not had the chance to try them in the mud yet.

 

[mgmckenna]

I have 32'' in bfg mudders and i live in nebraska so also deal with the snow, not like buffaloe though. Anyways I have found that the mudders suck in the snow, and my next set I will go with the all-terrain.

 

[Dan9]

thanks for all the replies. what about wear? anyone ave a rough estimate of how long each of them will last? thanks.

 

[TJ_Jeep]

I have 35" Nitto All Terrains and there a little noisey but its ok i like that sound, and plus they have a lot better stopping than mud terrians

 

[91renegadeyj]

i have 33" BFG MTs right now and and they are so bad in the snow i won't drive the jeep when it is snowing. I am switching to the all terrains in about a week I can't wait to do some snow wheeling.

 

[jonsolbe]

...

 

[jonsolbe]

I lived for 25 years in the upper Midwest and we get some serious winter action! What makes a good snow/ice tire is the number of edges that contact tera-firma. That's why an AT tire has smaller/more numerous lugs, which translates to more edges on the contact patch. They are not, however, as good in the mud because they tend to have difficulty cleaning the tread. That's why a mud terrain tire has big lugs and large spaces inbetween, so that when you spin the tires, the mud gets thrown from the tread and there's a fresh edge to grab the next time the tread comes around. The way a tire wears is a function of keeping it properly aired/balanced/alligned/rotated, and also of how much rubber is in contact with the ground at a given time. An All terrain tire has smaller spaces between lugs and more numerous lugs per square inch, so theoretically an AT tire should take longer to wear out than a comparable MT tire. It will also be quieter as the air stream around the tire at highway speeds is smoother. If you're really looking for snow/ice traction, consider siping your tires (many many small horizontal cuts throught the tread blocks that increase the number of edges on contact with the ground; or consider a Blizzak type tire which also has many many many small edges for maximum traction. Personally, though, I think it's all essoterric if you're not familiar with driving on snow/ice. A transplanted Texan driving a jeep with chains will have a higher chance of sliding off the road than my grandpa, who drives a 2 wheel drive F100 truck with bald tires. Personally, I think the difference is minimal. Unless you're super hard core, my vote goes for the one you think looks the coolest and will give you the most satisfaction every time you have to walk up to it and compare it to other nearby rigs.

 

[Dan9]

thanks man. yea, i drive a lot in the snow and am very familiar with driving in snow, plus i like gettin a little drift here and there. i know if i dont get the mts, im not gonna be satisfied with the look, so i think im gonna go with some BFG M/Ts. how ig of a difference does th one inch width difference make from 31x10.5 to 32x11.5? thanks for al the help!

 

[jonsolbe]

I think the MTs are a wise choice. I have BFG ATs on my rubicon and although I've never been not-able to go somewhere because of them, I think a comparable MT looks cooler. If you're really going for floatation, consider a set a Mattracks! Otherwise, I don't think you can really get enough flotation on a set of tires to "float" across the snow. Some people ding the pizza-cutters, but really, i think a narrow tire, like a 33" x 9.5" (in conjunction with a few sand bags in the back) gives you better snow traction, as it sinks and cuts to the bottom of the snow to give you contact with terra-firma, and offers more pounds per square inch of traction. Also, there's nothing more utilitarian looking than a jeep with tall narrow tires! Do these and you'll be surprised as you blow past others who are running 36" x 14" mudders!

 

[YuriSouder]

I have MT-Rs 35 mud and i daily drive them. I dont drive far but i love them to death. They look awesome and in my opinion so far have lasted a long time.

 

[Dan9]

thanks guys, what about gas milage?

 

[SteelHeadz]

thanks guys, what about gas milage?

You can expect it to go down a little. it will depend on your driving habits as well. you might also consider re-gearing your axles..

 

[YuriSouder]

i have 4:10 gearing with those 35s and my gas milage is still affected. Get 32s if you want better fuel economy

 

[fathead]

I was kicking the samething around at or mt,my jeep is my primary vehicle also.i liked the more aggressive tread on the mt but wasnt sure how they would hold up on the pavement.I bought a set of firestone mt's and erased all doubt, exellent wet weather traction on pavement great in snow mud and sand,little rumble when coming to a stop but once rolling pretty quiet.I would highly recommend these tires and they won't break the bank.Ive got 18,000mi on mine and hardly any trace of wear just rotate and watch pressure and you should get plenty of miles out of them.Go with the mt's you won't be sorry!

 

[YuriSouder]

well said