Advance knowledge makes for preparedness. Forewarned is forearmed. The Romans had a similar phrase (Praemonitus, praemunitus). In 1530, in Hill's Common Place Book, this phrase is coined, "He that is warned is half armed." BFGoodrich is ready to arm off-roaders with a new weapon for battle - a new Mud-Terrain T/A KM (KM stands for Key feature Mud). The hyped, anxiously awaited new tire from BFGoodrich was a news-breaking item for all of us here in the office. BFGoodrich, already owning a big stake in the off-road tire market, hadn't introduced a new tire in two years. Why should it? The company already has two great tread patterns for off-roading. With that much success, how do you design a better product? Technology, that's how. "When we set out to improve a tire that was considered the industry benchmark, we knew it wouldn't be easy," said Scott Dishman, a marketing manager for BFGoodrich Tires.
Improvements in the performance of the Mud-Terrain T/A KM were achieved by fine-tuning the Mud-Terrain's great performance attributes. BFGoodrich's goal was to improve all aspects of the old Mud-Terrain. This would encompass improved off-road traction for all conditions, including mud, rocks, dirt, and sand, with balanced manners on the pavement.
BFGoodrich attributes the performance gains to the dual-tread radius profile, which helps to create a larger, rectangular-shaped footprint. The bigger contact patch warrants greater traction and performance in rockcrawling. The new design also incorporates larger aggressive blocks in the shoulder area for exceptional power in digging through deep gumbo mud, dirt, and sand, thus being appropriately coined DiggerLugz. BFGoodrich states that these traction-grabbing lugs significantly contribute to the tires' high-grip capabilities. An added feature that improves traction is the self-cleaning lugs.
True to BFGoodrich form, the Mud-Terrain T/A KM is built to withstand off-road hazards with an incorporated rim protector when air pressure is aired down for rockcrawling traction and Trigard construction featuring a three-ply polyester carcass to withstand bruised sidewall and under-tread protection.
The Mud-Terrain T/A KM is available in 25 sizes, including 16-, 17-, and 18-inch wheel sizes, and as big as 37-inch tires. Our preliminary testing has been very favorable, to say the least. Look for our long-term testing of BFGoodrich's Mud-Terrain T/A KM in the future.
First Impression
Editor's note: We had some time to spend on BFGoodrich's new Mud-Terrain T/A KMs out in the high-desert area, southeast of Reno. We tackled all types of off-road terrain - rocky technical rockcrawls, sandy silt hillclimbs, slippery fire roads, and steep accents and descents. We were impressed with the initial testing. On our stock Jeep TJs, we conquered every obstacle with ease and surefootedness - a definite confidence booster for any off-roading situation. We can't wait to get our hands on a set and put them to our long-term test.