Goodyear Wrangler Tires - The Strong Survives - Tech

To test the new Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar Goodyear equipped multiple Jeep Wrangler JK Rubicons with the LT285/70R17 size. We were assigned one for the day to complete a series of trails and obstacles in the Johnson Valley OHV Area, home of the popular Hammer Trail system.

The most apparent change to the Wrangler MT/R is the wide, staggered sidewall shoulder blocks. The blocks are separated by tread guards and are stepped in and out to provide continuous biting edges around the tire's perimeter. The shoulder blocks also aid the tires' self-cleaning ability and traction in mud.

Off-road racing legend and long-time Goodyear ambassador Walker Evans attended the tire launch in his freshly-built rock buggy shod with 42x14.50R17LT MT/Rs with Kevlar. The tires are an asymmetric design, meaning that they can be mounted on a wheel in either direction. The smaller sizes feature white lettering on one sidewall while the larger tire sizes offer the black lettering on both sidewalls.

Aired down to about 12 psi the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar is pliable enough to bend around obstacles but strong enough to withstand punctures and tears. After sustaining repeated abuse beneath the JKs, with both veteran and novice drivers behind the wheels, not one of the 25 or more test vehicles experienced a flat tire.

The new Wrangler MT/R is Goodyear's first tire to incorporate DuPont Kevlar, which is pound-for-pound five times stronger than steel. The Kevlar is used in the sidewalls along with two additional polyester plies with opposing cord angles to create excellent cut and puncture resistance. Sidewalls take the brunt of abuse when tackling trails.

During design stages of the new MT/R special attention was paid to how it self-cleaned in mud to provide continued traction. We had no problems tackling multiple mud holes and advanced on to more obstacles without issue. The MT/Rs with Kevlar maintained traction with ease.

The wrap-around tread and staggered sidewall shoulder blocks create awesome sidewall traction that is especially helpful in rocks. Three-ply sidewalls (two polyester and one Kevlar) with opposing cord angles help create a very durable tire. The tires also feature Durawall rubber in the sidewalls and Silica rubber in the tread. A built-in rim lock helps minimize slip on the wheel.

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon vehicles used to test the new Wrangler MT/Rs with Kevlar were subjected to varied terrain throughout the day. In addition to the off-road testing we also traveled about 80 miles round trip on the pavement. Ride and handling were very acceptable with ride quality that rivaled that of all-terrain type treads.