When you look across the board at the major manufacturers of Mud Terrain tires, Mickey Thompson, who is owned by the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, is one of the serious contenders for top rated Mud Terrain tires developed for serious offroad conditions. With their development of the Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ, they have once again proved that they can produce an offroad tire that is designed to meet or exceed the expectations of those who may push their equipment to the extremes.

There are many key elements that make up a good offroad tire and the closer we look at the Baja MTZ and talk to those who use the tire in some pretty harsh conditions, the more we like the MTZ. Here are a few of the key element that we think make this tire one to consider. First, we like radial tires. Mainly because a lot of us, are going to put one set of tires on our vehicle and drive it hard on weekends, then commute to job on Monday. With the cost of tires these days, it makes economical sense to buy one set that will work for both worlds, off-road wheeling and on-road driving. Additionally it's just nice to have an impressive set of tires on your vehicle that handle well on the road, and generally a radial type tire does that.

Mickey Thompson advanced on the typical radial design construction and made improvements for better wear and a smooth ride which is important for daily commuting. Tread design incorporates several traction adding features such as a multi-stage lug pattern and sipes across lugs. The multi pattern lugs help to break up highway driving frequencies for a quieter ride, while the sipes across the lugs improve traction on slick roads and snow as well as improving traction in mud and snow. All lugs have a decent amount of void area between the lugs for added bit and traction in mud & snow while improving the ability to self clean. The outer lugs extend down around the sidewalls for increased traction in deep mud with the aid of a patented sideway lug design called Sidebiters® which add traction in deep mud and increase protection against abrasion on the rocks. When aired down to the low teens or high single digits, the MTZ flexes well and the sidewall lugs come into play. 3-Ply Sidewall and 6-Ply Tread offers plenty of protection and Resistance to punctures.

While this is not the most aggressive MT tire on the market, it is an aggressive Mud Terrain radial constructed with 3-ply sidewalls and 6-ply tread making this tire as tough as they come. Self-cleaning high-void lugs and enhanced Sidebiters® give this tire exceptional traction in mud and snow. It is an excellent choice for those who need an offroad Mud Tire that works well on the street with little compromise offroad. Fellow 4 wheelers we have talked to who run the MTZ all say they are happy with this tire and are impressed with the traction and offroad performance as well as the drive home. There is a decent selection of sizes to choose from however the cost per tire is on the expensive side when compared to tires of the same caliber.

Manufacturers description of this tire:

Mickey Thompson® Baja MTZ Radial
Polyester Ply/Steel Belted Radial

Popular Sizes Available for Today's Demanding Off-Road Vehicles!

An aggressive mud terrain radial in Specialty Light Truck (SLT) sizing, features cut resistant 3-ply sidewalls and a full 6-ply tread for superior strength & toughness on or off road.

Advanced Radial Construction for High Mileage & Smooth Ride
Self Cleaning High-Void Tread Lugs for Traction in Mud & Snow
Deep Shoulder Lugs Provide Aggressive Traction and Bold Looks
Enhanced Sidebiters® for Added Traction & Protection
Traditional Light Truck Sizes Have Outlined White Letters.
Siped tread lugs for better grip on smooth surfaces & ice.

Specialty Light Truck Size (SLT) Features 3-Ply Sidewall and 6-Ply Tread for Added Strength and Puncture Resistance.

Note: All Specifications Are For Single Rear Tire Applications.

† Specs are estimated, availability to be announced.

Traditional Light Truck Sizes

Part #	Size	Size Equivalent	Appx. Weight	Load Range	Max Load	Max PSI	Approved Rims	Measuring Rim	Sidewall Width	Tread Width	Overall Diameter	Tread Depth
5251	31X10.50R15LT		47	C	2,270	50	7.0-9.0	8.5	10.9	8.3	30.8	19/32
5253	33X12.50R15LT		56	C	2,205	35	8.5-11.0	10.0	12.1	9.7	32.8	20.5/32
5254	35X12.50R15LT		66	C	2,535	35	8.5-11.0	10.0	12.2	10	34.8	19.5/32
5262	LT265/75R16	32X10.50R16LT	53	E	3,415	80	7.0-8.0	7.5	10.1	8.3	32.0	18.5/32
5263	LT285/75R16	33X11.50R16LT	56	D	3,305	65	7.5-9.0	8.0	11.3	8.9	33.1	18.5/32
5265	LT305/70R16	33X12.50R16LT	61	D	2,910	50	8.0-9.5	9.0	12.0	9.8	33.1	19/32
5266	LT315/75R16	35X12.50R16LT	67	D	3,195	50	8.0-10.0	8.5	11.9	9.8	34.5	19/32
5271	LT265/70R17	32X10.50R17LT	53	E	3,195	80	7.0-9.0	8.0	10.8	8.3	31.9	18.5/32
5273	33X12.50R17LT		63	D	2,600	50	8.5-11.0	10.0	12.5	9.8	32.8	20.5/32
5275	LT315/70R17	35X12.50R17LT	68	D	3,195	50	8.5-10.0	9.5	11.9	9.8	34.6	19/32

Specialty Light Truck Sizes

Part #	Size	Size Equivalent	Appx. Weight	Load Range	Max Load	Max PSI	Approved Rims	Measuring Rim	Sidewall Width	Tread Width	Overall Diameter	Tread Depth
5255	33X15.50R15LT		79	C	2,405	35	11.0-13.0	12.0	15.7	12.1	32.9	23/32
5256	36X15.50R15LT		88	C	3,000	35	11.0-13.0	12.0	15.7	12.2	35.9	23/32
5257	38X15.50R15LT		93	C	3,415	35	11.0-13.0	12.0	15.7	12.2	37.9	23/32
5267	LT375/55R16	33X15.50R16LT	80	E	3,750	65	10.0-13.0	12.0	15.4	11.8	32.4	23/32
5268	LT375/65R16	36X15.50R16LT	89	D	3,750	50	10.0-13.0	11.0	15.0	12.2	35.4	23/32
5269	LT395/70R16	38X15.50R16LT	93	C	3,415	35	12.0-13.0	12.0	16.0	12.2	37.9	23/32
5282	LT375/50R18	33X15.50R18LT	81	E	3,525	65	10.0-13.0	12.0	15.4	12.2	33.0	23/32
5281	LT325/60R18	33X13.50R18LT	75	E	3,525	65	9.0-12.0	9.5	13.3	10.5	33.2	20.5/32
5283	LT325/65R18	35X13.50R18LT	78	E	3,860	65	9.0-12.0	9.5	13.5	10.6	34.8	20.5/32
5284	LT375/60R18	36X15.50R18LT	90	D	3,640	50	10.0-13.0	11.0	15.0	12.0	35.9	23/32
5285	37X13.50R18LT		86	D	3,525	50	8.5-11.0	11.0	13.9	10.7	36.8	20.5/32
5286	LT395/65R18	38X15.50R18LT	97	C	3,415	35	11.0-14.0	12.0	15.7	12.2	37.9	23/32
5222	36X15.50R20LT		92	E	3,525	65	11.0-13.0	12.0	15.3	11.9	36.4	21/32
5223	38X15.50R20LT		99	D	3,525	50	11.0-13.0	12.0	15.7	12.2	37.9	23/32

Manufacturer Contact Info:

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires and Wheels
	East Coast 4670 Allen Road Stow, OH, 44224 Ph. 330-928-9092 Fax 330-928-0503 West Coast 1900 Compton Avenue Suite 101 Corona, CA 92881 Ph. 951-817-0101 Fax 951-817-0199
	www.mickeythompsontires.com

For more info on Mickey Thompson Tires visit:

www.mickeythompsontires.com
or call (330) 928-9092.

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, owned by the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of Findlay, Ohio, USA, designs, develops, and markets racing and high performance tires for drag racing cars and motorcycles, modified street cars, off-road race vehicles, modified pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles. The company, founded in 1963 by racing legend Mickey Thompson, is headquartered in Stow, Ohio, USA, and offers a wide range of tires and wheels in unique sizes to enhance the look and performance of these specialty high performance and racing vehicles. For more information, visit: www.mickeythompsontires.com

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is headquartered in Findlay, Ohio and specializes in the manufacture and marketing of automotive products. Products for Cooper Tire include automotive, motorcycle and truck tires, inner tubes, tread rubber and equipment. Cooper-Standard Automotive is an original equipment supplier of sealing, trim, NVH control systems and fluid handling systems for the automotive industry in North America, Europe, Australia and South America. Cooper has more than 20,000 employees and 52 manufacturing facilities in 13 countries. For more information, visit the Company's web site at: www.coopertire.com

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Rating Key - The star rating keys are specific to the terrain being rated in the review. To the Top

	Don't even consider it if this is your main terrain. This tire will not perform well at all in this terrain.

	Its trying but not doing too well. You'd be better off choosing another for this terrain.

	Average. Its doing ok, not great but its holding its own. A decent choice if you're compromising.

	This tire does very well in this terrain but its not the best tire available however still a very good choice.

	This tire performs exceptionally well in this terrain. Among the best suited for this terrain.

	Size Availability - This is a one to three thumbs up snapshot rating where one mean poor selection, two means ok and three means great. Check with suppliers or manufacturers for actual available sizes. While this rating system is vague, we couldn't possibly list all available sizes with size selection changing over time. Please see manufacturer for list of sizes in production.

	Money Bags - This is an average cost scale based on an averaged advertised cost of this tire when compared to other tires. One money bag represents the tire is typically one of the cheapest available while 5 money bags indicates that this tire is one of the most expensive. Averages are based on the tires reviewed.