MICKEY THOMPSON BAJA BOSS M/ T

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Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels

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MICKEY THOMPSON BAJA BOSS M/T

10,000-mile torture test with a Baja-inspired mud-terrain

By Jered Korfhage jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Photos: Jered Korfhage

Mickey Thompson’s Baja-inspired radial mud-terrain rolled with us across the United States for a 10,000-mile whirlwind adventure spanning both coasts. Baja Boss is the name emblazoned on the sidewall and the tire is as much a continuation of the company’s offroad legacy as it is a round-and-black testament to the latest in mud-terrain technology.

While “mud-terrain” is in its name, Mickey Thompson made sure to optimize the tire for the improved surfaces found between the trailheads. Face up to the Baja Boss and you’ll see an asymmetric tread pattern. Larger-sized tread elements along the outboard portion of the tread contribute to on-road stability while their wide spacing and subsequent voids help grip loose substrate. Looking inward, the tread elements are smaller and spaced closer together. This is said to promote all-weather traction and minimize road noise. Silica reinforcement (Mickey calls it “T4”) is onboard to enhance tread life and operations in wet weather.

Fans of Mickey’s Baja Claw TTC might see the resemblance of the current Sidebiters to those on the now-discontinued mudder. The evolved sidewall lugs have four pitches (look close and you’ll see lugs with four different lengths and depths) that were designed with bold looks and protection in mind. Beneath the sidewall armor, there’s more armor—and it’s called PowerPly XD. Mickey says the beefed-up cord on the bias-angled third ply improves the tire’s response to steering inputs and contributes to on-road stability.

According to Mickey Thompson, the Baja Boss M/T was its first LT tire offered in sizes with Load Range F ratings. As Four Wheeler went to print, there were more than 10 sizes featuring this Load Range for 18-, 20-, 22-, and 24-inch wheels. Yes, if your tow rig runs 38x15.5R24LT tires, Mickey has you covered. Mickey also said the Baja Boss M/T is its first tire offered in sizes to fit 22- and 24-inch wheel diameters. The full lineup also satisfies 15-, 16-, and 17-inch wheel diameters and includes many offerings for 3⁄4- and 1-ton vehicles with popular sizes available in LT-metric and floatation equivalents.

Continue reading for more on how we spent time with our set of Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/Ts.

We like it sticky, deep, and slathered over roots and rocks, and that’s where the Baja Boss exceled— mud. Voids between the outer tread elements bit deep into the glop and the mud-ejecting ribs helped break suction, sending it flying when we applied throttle. Sidebiters added another plane of traction grabbing the walls of slick ruts, slimy roots, and greasy rocks, pulling us through again and again.

Mickey’s PowerPly XD sidewalls strutted their stuff in the rocks. We wrapped and folded them over some gnarly edges where lesser rubbers surely could have suffered damage. We were not gentle and did not hesitate to spin the tires against rocky obstacles to clear out mud and get a boost in traction, and the sidewalls (and the Sidebiters) were up to the challenge. Any scuffs and gouges to the sidewalls were purely cosmetic.

We spent the majority of our off-road time on some sort of gravel or stony surface. While this terrain can chew up tread blocks and send stones drilling into the tire carcass, we experienced nothing of the sort. For long days of washboarded or rutted backroads, 12-15 psi seemed to be the sweet spot.

Balancing the Mickeys took very little weight per wheel, and we noticed no signs of shakes or wobbles along the way. After about 5,000 miles we rotated the tires following the X-pattern, not including the spare in the rotation. Following 10,000 miles of use, the tread depth measured between 11⁄32 and 13⁄32 of an inch. We used the tires on our two-door JK Wrangler with and without the hardtop installed. We report no abnormal sounds while operating on the interstates.

Final Thoughts

Let this statement speak to the durability of the tires: The spare tire (and our patch kit) both remained untouched throughout the duration of our time with the Baja Boss M/Ts. We also dig the subtle nods to the Baja Claw TTC tire, the durable sidewalls, and the range of sizes available to fit various disciplines of 4x4.

SPECIFICATIONS

MICKEY THOMPSON BAJA BOSS M/T (as tested)

Size: 35x12.50R17LT Type: Radial mud-terrain Load range: D Max load (lb @ psi.): 3,000 @ 50 Approved rim width (in): 8.0-11 Tread depth (in): 21⁄32 Overall width (in): 12.5 Overall diameter (in): 34.8 Maximum psi: 65 Weight (lb): 70 fw