After nearly a decade long run of the extremely popular Goodyear Wrangler MT/R, the engineers at Goodyear finally updated it's line with the Goodyear's Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar.   Although the tire carries forward the well known name of its predecessor, the Kevlar is not the same Wrangler MT/R by any means.  Completely redesigned for strength and multi terrain supremacy while maintaining quality handling on the paved road.  Goodyear accomplished this by creating a new asymmetric tread design that blends multiple tread patterns into a single footprint and increased it's sidewall puncture resistance strength by a reported 35% over the previous generation MTR with the addition of a third ply layer of Kevlar.   Use of Kevlar is new to offroad mud tires.  Kevlar, registered trademark for a high strength para-aramid synthetic fiber, is light weight, very strong and puncture resistant.  Most notably known for use in personal body armor such as combat helmets and ballistic vests because of its high tensile strength-to-weight ratio, it is 5 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis. Kevlar was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires.  When used in the offroad tire, this translates into a more markedly more durable tire pound for pound when compared to other similarly plyed aggressive mud tires.

Off-Road Performance

One of the key characteristics of an offroad tire is the durability to survive the offroad's abusive elements.  This is where the Goodyear Kevlar excels.  The 3-ply Dupont Kevlar sidewalls use an advanced opposing cord angles creating much improved sidewall protection over standard 3-ply sidewalls resisting punctures and cuts.  Additional wrap-around tread adds even more resistance to the elements.  Many users as well as publication trail testing attest to MTR Kevlar's sidewall durability to the point of being considered bulletproof.  While our testing didn't involve some of the extreme terrain of the rocky regions around the country that would have put the sidewalls to the test, we do run these tires through trails that have been known to slice a sidewall.  One location in particular would be the coal regions of PA where broken shale can become dagger-like and puncture not just sidewalls but weak tread.  A good year and a half of trail runs in these areas have not phased the MTR Kevlars on these vehicles.

Long Lasting Treadlife DuPont Kevlar reinforced sidewalls help increase sidewall puncture resistance by 35% (Source: Goodyear Sidewall Penetration Energy - LT285/70R17 LR-D-65 psi.)

Mud is another challenge that frequently presents itself in many areas of the country.  While the extreme mud tires on the market force buyers to compromise between a good mud performer or a tire with good on-road manners, Goodyear struck a balance with the Wrangler MTR Kevlar tire.  The unique asymmetric multi purpose tread pattern has specific tread sections that were designed for specific terrain with the outer lugs giving great traction in mud, loose dirt and snow and the inner tight tread giving the tire a decent ride on the road.

Traction Hardworking wraparound tread helps to deliver sidewall traction in deep mud, sand, and rocks.  Outer lugs and void channel mud away from the center of the tire improving self clean out. Silica rubber provides superb off-road and wet traction. Advanced mudflow geometry is self-cleaning and enhances mud traction.

Snow & Mud Performance

We have had the pleasure of a couple of winter seasons in the PA mountains riding on Goodyear Wrangler MTR Kevlars.  On several occasions we were fighting our way through 20+ inch snow drifts and pushing our way through the trails in snow well above 1 to 1½ feet of snow with little trouble finding traction.  Compared to the other tires along for the winter trail runs including the Super Swamper SSR's and the Mickey-Thompson-Baja-MTZ, the Kevlar's performed the best without question.

Spring and fall presented many opportunities to get the Kevlars muddy.  Just like in snow the Kevlars found traction easily and cleaned well.  We never had a problem with mud caking up in the tread.

Rock Crawling Performance

One of the trails that we recently started navigating is a loop along the back property line.  Cut out as an access road by a 26 ton bulldozer, the trail is nothing but rocks and boulders.  If it wasn't for the fact that the trail was recently cut wider than the first pass that was made by the bulldozer, there would be locations where it was impassible due to the size of the boulders and the break-over angles.  Now we can choose our lines and make it through.  Aired down to about 18 psi, the Kevlars still felt stiff in the sidewall.  18 psi was the lowest we had air down to mainly to make it over some of the break-over angles with the rocks.  The silica rubber compound though got great grip on the rocks.  Even though there was some wheel spin on a few occasions and some sidewall abrasions, the rubber held together very well.  No chipping or gouging.  The season after, they felt better with sidewall flex at about 20 psi so the years worth of driving seemed to loosen them up a little.  Over-all a great tire on the rocks.

Handling Innovative asymmetric tread design helps provide aggressive off-road traction and enhanced handling on the road.

On-Road & Wet Weather Performance

Once again, the asymmetric multi purpose tread pays dividends with on-road handling even in wet weather.  The large outer lugs as well as the tight inner lugs have sipes, which are the slits seem within the lug.  Sipes give additional traction biting edges that really aid when the road is wet compared to non-siped mud tires.  Handling is positive with very little vague floating feeling of many larger mud tires.  Road noise is on the low side for a mud tire.  With a driving distance of about 250 miles one way we had put several thousand miles on our Kevlars.  So far tread wear is next to nothing as far as we can tell and we are glad to hear that many users are getting a great number of miles out of their MTR's, up above 25,000 with plenty of tread to go.  Though the tires were on the expensive side, there is no regrets and would recommend them and probably buy another set when these wear out.    Definitely a top notch mud tire.

For more information see Goodyear's description of the Wrangler MT/R Kevlar.

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