Initially we weren't too impressed with the Thornbird Radial.  Interco Tire Corporation seems to have made some improvements to the bias version of the Thornbird TSL, although its still not up to the Super Swamper standards as far as offroad abilities go.  We would like to point out what we thought they improved upon over the original Thornbird TSL Radial.  First and probably foremost is the wider voids in between the massive lugs and a slightly different tread pattern.  With the original Thornbird, the lugs were so close together that they very quickly clogged with mud and had little self-cleaning abilities.  With the wider voids in the Bias Ply, mud is channeled out and away better than the radial version.  The Three stage lug design is still there doing its job.  The Thornbird Bias TSL also has sipes in the large lugs to aid in rock crawling.  It still has an aggressive profile that we like. Size availability, we believe, is the same as the radial version.  As far as streetability a drawback to the bias ply mud tire over the radial is the fact that it is a bias ply tire and does not handle as well as a radial on the road.  

What we thought of the Thornbird TSL Radial Mud Tire:
Now, we want to start off by saying, we really like Interco Tire Corporation and their true Mud Terrain tires.  Interco has established themselves as the king of hill when it comes to street legal mud tires for common 4x4s at a reasonable price.  We use Interco tires ourselves.  With that being said, we really wonder what they were thinking when they designed the Thornbird TSL.  Really.  At first glance the Thornbird looks extremely aggressive.  It has one hell of a profile with the knarly 3 stage lugs jutting out of the sidewall like medieval spikes on a chariot wheel.  But to call it a true mud tire would be misleading.  Within our definition of a true mud tire, the primary tread that makes contact with the mud is the same tread that makes contact with the street surface.  With the Thornbird TSL, this tread is more specifically designed as a street tire with very narrow voids between the large, siped lugs.  These voids seem more designed to channel water rather than mud.  Which may be fine for some people who really want a street tire that looks like a mud tire.  But for the offroader who is really looking for a good mud tire as the primary reason behind the purchase of the tire, we suggest you steer clear of the Thornbird TSL and look rather at Interco's other mud tires such as the Super Swamper SSR.  That being said we can point out a few good qualities of the Thornbird.  First the Thornbird isn't too bad on the street.  A couple of people we know have had this tire and as long as the tires or rotated regularly and the front end kept aligned, this tire is relatively quite on the street.  The tire looks impressive.  We like the sidewall profile with its ugly lug patterns and raised white lettering.  But it starts going downhill from there.  Traction is about average for a larger mud tire however wet surfaces still requires awareness to the fact that you don't have as much traction as a tire designed for wet road driving.  Even with some siping in the lugs they do not grip too well on wet road.  Even less so in the snow due in part to the narrow voids between the lugs which do not self clean very well, which helps to explain why this tire can hardly be called a true mud tire.  But enough of our ranting.  The Thornbird is not all that bad and may actually be what some people are looking for.  Size availability ranges from 29x10.50 to 38.5x14.50 in 15, 16 16.5LT with 6 or 8 ply rating model dependant.
  

The inset shows why the Interco TSL/THORNBIRD is such a Versatile tire. The highway contact area in the illustration shows the tread on hard surfaces. The Three Stage Lugs on the sidewalls do not touch highway surfaces but as soon as the tire gets into mud or snow the sidewall lugs provide decisive traction in forward or reverse. Fiberglass belts under the tread and polyester body plies contribute to a really smooth comfortable ride. The design comes close to being two tires in one... a revolutionary design that has earned its place in the legendary ranks of Super Performance.

Manufacturer Info:

Interco Tire Corporation
	2412 Abbeville Hwy Rayne, LA 70578 Phone:  (800) 299-8000
	www.intercotire.com

Interco Tire Corporation, is a Louisiana company that has evolved through three generations into a leader in the development of high performance tires for use on four wheel drive light trucks and all terrain vehicles. In 1968 Interco developed the first 78 series light truck tires which began the evolution in light truck tires we see today.

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