Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Jeep Tire Suggestions?

Okay guys, I have a 1985 Jeep CJ-7. It stays at my farm and is basically used to run around the property and occasionally between properties on a rural blacktop county road. We only put 200-300 miles on it each year. Off road is usually in fields or on edges of the fields. Sometimes in wet conditions in low areas I've nearly gotten stuck with it. It currently has BFG Land Terrain tires in size 31x10.50R15LT, which were on it when I acquired it. I would like to replace those with something that would get better traction in slick/muddy conditions. Given how few miles I put on it, longevity/wear really isn't a consideration, just want something that can get through mud better and also, not break the bank. So, what would you suggest?

Cool vehicles! I like that vintage of Jeep.

If it were me, I'd pick a turf tread or mudder and run low pressures. Low pressure and even crappy tires can often perform better than expensive tires and high pressure. When I was young and broke, my cars and trucks went a lot of places with cheap car tires. I just aired them down and went places that lifted trucks and mudders got stuck in. Farm fields, near streams, and rivers, etc.

Normally I like stiff sidewalls and a tough carcass for stone drilling, where there are sharp rocks, but in your case I would focus on a more flexible sidewall and running low pressures. I bet you have a decent flange on that 15" wheel, and can probably run 10 PSI or even a little less for flotation. Just be careful not to spin the wheels fast as a tire can come off unless you have beadlocks. Or run a little higher pressure. At 15 - 20 PSI you should still have a good contact patch, unless the sidewall is really stiff.

Your vehicle weight is low, so you would benefit from sidewall flex. And it should ride nice. You could still drive to your other properties. Not too fast of course. Just check the tire temp with your hand. If it feels hot, you either need to go slower or add air.

In terms of tires, either a turf tread or mudder of your choice and budget, depending on which is more important to you. Less damage most of the time, or better performance in deep mud on rarer occasions?

I'd also suggest looking at the tires in person, and visually check the wheel flange. Unless you get an E-rated model, you should be able to push down on an unmounted tire and check the sidewall flex.

https://www.hankooktire.com/us/passenger-cars/hankook-dynapro-mt-rt03.html

https://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-516-104-razr-mt

200-300 miles a year and only a portion of that on blacktop? I'd get the gnarliest mud tires I could find.

The cheapest mud tires your local tire shop can find.

I started running firestone mt2s on my 2001 tj last hunting season and could not be happier. bit of road noise but your not running pavement a lot.
Larry

Thunderer trac grip MT, or Eldorado mud claw, look at Walmart site and tires, or Google them, inexpensive and good tires. I'm running the thunder track MT tires on my f150.

Thanks for the input, guys. Yesterday I spoke with the owner of the only tire shop in town (pop. 500) and it turns out he leases land from our neighbor and guides deer hunts there. Anyway, a good old boy. He knows the area obviously and when I explained my situation and what I was looking for, he recommended the Milestar Patagonia MT; $137/tire balanced and installed plus tax, with a road hazard warranty. I did a lot of research on it last evening and it seems like it would fit the bill nicely, literally and figuratively, so I'll probably go that route.

Personally I'd pass on Chinese tires.

I'd probably go cheap also, if only going a few hundred miles a year.

Best luck I've had in recent years regarding mud tires for everyday use has been the Maxxis Buckshot II. Mine are wearing evenly and don't howl like many other mud tires. There's some noise of course, but they are much quieter than the off-brand MT's I've had in the past.

As little as you drive it, the tires will age-crack long before they wear out.

I’ve had a set on my FZJ80 for over two years now. I have nothing but good to say about them. I only drive it occasionally now, but when I put them on, I was running about 400 hwy miles each weekend to and from a camp, then hitting some of the nastiest mud bottoms and clay-slicked, rutted up, rocky hillsides around, after logging rigs had torn the trails up. They’ve never let me down off road, and they’re the least noisy mud tire I’ve ever run....though they look like they’d HAVE to be noisy, as crazy aggressive as they are. I put some Cepek Trail Country EXPs on my 1st gen Tundra, and I should have just bought more of those Patagonia MTs.....the Cepeks were loud as heck, with half the traction.

Jeeps do best with wide tiers so they float on the mud a bit more...
From the jeep guys that would come in back during my tire changing days.

hh4whiskey, thanks for the comments, sounds good. Curious, what psi do you run in them?

I just put some Forecum M/T 08 LT235/75R15's, I like the aggressive thread and reviews I looked at.

Forecums?! Must be competing with the Hancocks and Kumhos.

Is go with what the tire guy recommended

I had several sets of BFG AT on CJ and XJ Jeeps.
They did well enough, but when half worn they were worthless (as are most tires I reckon).

Switched to Goodyear MTR. Expensive.
Not perfect but offroad I loved em.
3 sets of those $$$ SOBs.

If I was gonna make an offroad hunting rig, that's what it'd wear.

My old beater rotted out (ZJ) and I got another, came w good shape Firestones Destinations.........they sucked.
Have some offbrand AT's on it now, and the factory alloy clearcoats are making for leaks.
Went low buck because I'll proly junk the vehicle next yr.

Last season, woods/leaves/logs........the new tires did OK. Didn't get into any mud.

Wide tires help on the soft stuff, but suck on the road as they lighten the footprint.
My MTRs were hard enough that at reg street pressure, a little rain/snow and they spun.
32x11.50s w a 3.73 geared V8.

Think a 31x10.50 a good all arounder for stuff not lifted much.

POS I have now runs Mastercraft ATs, 255 70R16. Got em on sale, dude I know runs a tire shop.
Need to order some steelies to get rid of the peeling/leaking factory rims.

Didn't the old CJs come w some farm type tire, L78 ?
Seem to remember those.

I ran 31x10.50 on my CJ5.
Shorty wants me to buy another one.

Might be a fun father/daughter wheeler rig. Off to Craigslist...........