Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T LT295/70R18

Remote, northeast corner of Nevada, near the Idaho and Utah borders, BLM managed public land.

Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T LT295/70R18

During the November 2019 SEMA Show, I received insider information from a Mickey Thompson manager about a new Baja Boss A/T they had in-the-works; it was still more than one year from being announced. I’m a fan of the Benjamin Franklin quote “three may keep a secret if two of them are dead,” and I focus on being the one that is alive. 

The Baja Boss All-Terrain was introduced to automotive journalists at the virtual 2020 SEMA Show, with a press embargo date of April 5, 2021. As soon as possible I requested a set for evaluation, choosing the LT295/70R18 size. One month later I had them.

Long-term Mickey Thompson’s Baja Boss A/T evaluation started April 2021.

As you can see in my photographs this is a fairly high-void, four-rib tread pattern that Mickey Thompson calls a hybrid, AKA a commercial traction design or an aggressive all-terrain. Tires like these have been my preference for decades, offering more potential grip via siping, self-cleaning abilities, and deeper tread than more conservative all-terrains or all-seasons, while offering a quieter driving experience, and better longevity than mudders. 

Continually reducing perceived noise while improving the other attributes of these hybrid designs has been an ongoing challenge for engineers. Historically there’s been no free lunch, because much better sloppy conditions traction requires bigger tread blocks and voids, increasing road noise. Was Mickey Thompson able to achieve the impossible? Read my opinion about this below under the subheading Quiet? 

There’s much to like here.

According To Mickey Thompson

Mickey Thompson says the Baja Boss A/T blends Extreme Sidebiters® for a bold look and serious grip with an all-new silica-reinforced compound providing long-wear, all-weather performance and cut/chip resistance.

Design highlights include:

  • Large surface-area tread elements for a greater contact area
  • Shoulder scallops for an additional biting edge
  • Sound-deadening ribs for stability and a quiet ride
  • Enhanced stone ejectors to reduce debris retention
  • PowerPly XD™ with 50 percent heavier denier cord on the biased-angled third ply for protection, handling and stability
  • Rim flange protector for added wheel protection
  • 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) symbol certifies that all sizes 12.50 (315) and narrower are Severe Snow Service rated
  • 50,000-mile treadwear warranty
  • Increased-load LT-Metric sizing for heavy duty applications
  • Lower-load floatation sizing for half-ton, lighter trucks and SUVs
  • Several sizes approved for 12-inch and 14-inch wide wheels, including three 35X15.50 sizes 
  • A 35-inch tire approved for 17×6.5 “dually” wheels 

To all of the above I say yup, appears to be true! The substantial siping, which helps achieve the severe winter rating and increase overall grip, measures a whopping 17/32” of the total 18.5/32” tread depth. Calling the shoulder tread Extreme Sidebiters® is not public relations department hyperbole, as they are 14/32” at their deepest!

Sipes measured 17/32” deep!
Extreme Sidebiters® “for a bold look and serious grip”. Truth!
Up to a whopping 14/32” of Extreme Sidebiter® on sidewalls.

Sizes are offered for wheels from 15-24”. A standout worth noting for the DRW folks or old-schoolers like me that prefer taller, narrower rubber that fits and clears more easily, offering less rolling resistance, potentially better fuel economy, etc., is the LT255/85R17. Also know-as a 35×10.00R17, this load-index 121 size supports 3,195-pounds at 80-psi in SRW applications, and would be great under my everyday crew cab. However, the 129 load-index and 18” wheel of the LT295/70R18 was a better choice for my flatbed Hallmark Camper outfit because the shorter sidewalls are firmer and more stable for maximum loads. 

2017 Ram with Hallmark flatbed camper always works much harder than my 2014 crew cab daily driver.

Mount & Balance 

Unless a specific tire and wheel combination requires a different solution, my standard practice is to use a single plane, so-called static spin balance, as this method requires less weight and is generally sufficient. Wider tires and wheels, super aggressive treads, or just a carcass with more lateral imbalance may require dynamic balancing, which involves putting weight on both the inside and outside of the wheel. 

Many do not realize that it is often the wheel that requires the majority of the weight to balance an assembly, as modern tires are generally fantastically true. An easy way for an enthusiast to see this is by noting where wheel weight has been placed for their current and previous sets of tires. Typically the weight is needed in the same general area, pointing to imperfections in the wheel more than the tires.  

According to Mickey Thompson the LT295/70R18 size weighs 67 pounds each, and they were 104-pounds when mounted to an OEM forged aluminum wheel. Maybe you should sit down before you read how little weight was needed to static balance these beautiful meats. 

1) 3.0 ounces, right-rear

2) 3.25 ounces, right-front

3) 2.5 ounces, left-rear

4) 3.25 ounces, left-front 

Instead of putting the rims with the least weight upfront as is common at most shops, I typically put those with the most weight on the front axle. This helps confirm that they’re truly balanced, and avoids potential surprises after the first rotation. In this instance all the wheels needed just a few ounces. I rarely have tires rebalanced, as Centramatic balancers constantly perform that task. These Bosses have been run up to well above any speed limit on numerous occasions, and they have remained insanely smooth after thousands of miles and a few rotations, living on both of my Ram/Cummins trucks. 

Just a few ounces to balance the LT295/70R18E, which is continually maintained by the Centramatic balancers visible behind the wheel spokes.

Quiet!

Manufactures have been increasingly successful making beefier treads quieter, yet I routinely find that even aggressive hybrid treads that start out impressively tame get louder with wear, sometimes much louder, even with optimal rotations. (All bets are off if proper maintenance and rotations are not strictly observed.) This has not been the case with the new Baja Boss A/T, the barely audible hum has yet to increase. To my ear they are still one of the quietest, if not the quietest, tire in this category that I’ve experienced. Impressive! 

Great looking tread that is also impressively quiet for its void.

Tough Enough? Extreme Puncture Resistance?

Rugged designs help prevent punctures and stout carcass construction helps tires run cooler and support big loads, translating into better performance under heavy diesel-powered rigs that do more than run around empty. Commercial tradesman applications, farming and ranching, off-pavement adventures, and RV users can all benefit from the Boss A/T’s stout construction. Are these treads as rugged as they claim? After over 14,000 miles of hard use, my answer is a resounding yes!

Designed to do work, diesel trucks can be hard on tires. Size can a limitation, but my trucks leave the pavement often, mostly in the high-desert of the Intermountain West.

My tire evaluations typically include a photo shoot off-road at low pressures in a nearby National Forest, where I flex and abuse the tread and sidewall on some rocks. It helps gauge ruggedness and flexibility, and makes for some cool photographs. Few other than dedicated a 4WD enthusiast will ever do this, particularly in a big diesel pickup…enter the James-ness! 

Low pressure tire loading and flexing off-road.

Even rugged tire designs can be punctured, as they are essentially rubber balloons. However, I was thoroughly impressed with the flexibility and ruggedness of the Baja Boss All-Terrain’s when I subjected the tread, shoulder, and sidewalls to folding and pinching rarely seen outside of competitive rock crawling. 

After the photo shoot, they were filled with appropriate street pressure, and have continued to perform flawlessly at all speeds and under all conditions. Tire pressure has been dropped many times to improve off-payment traction, ride, and overall performance, and the tires repeatedly work like they should. 

Extreme Sidebiter® folding and pinching on the right-front tire at low pressure under a 2014 Ram/Cummins crew cab.
Some tires can take considerable abuse, obviously this tire did, but there’s always risk of damage or failure.

Application Considerations

My 2017 regular cab with Hallmark flatbed camper is a full time RV, so while it’s under a constant, full-load, it accumulates miles much more slowly than a daily driver. One would think that a heavily loaded RV-application Turbo Diesel (hauling and/or pulling) would result in rapid wear, yet that is not necessarily what happens. Chronicling treadlife on many sets of tires on my diesel pickups, and those of friends and acquaintances has provided valuable perspective. 

Vehicles that see daily driving are typically subjected to repeated hard accelerations, which loads the drive tires, as well as hard stops and turning, which is harder on the fronts. These realities often contribute to reduced life compared to vehicles that see more steady, long-distance travel.

Occasional aggressive use of the skinny pedal is part of my driving style, although I am extremely soft on the brake pedal and travel slowly through most tight turns. I often obtain superior longevity and slower wear on my daily driver crew cab compared to my friends. Drivers matter. 

Longevity

The Boss All-Terrains were initially mounted on my 2014 crew cab to log miles more quickly. As shared in previous columns, I am highly critical of the brief tire reviews in most magazines that say… the tires performed well, we really like them, blah blah; which is typically the result of nothing more than a few hundred miles of use, not thousands. Occasionally there’s an update later after more miles. Thousands of miles of saddle time and evaluation should be the baseline norm, not the exception. 

The Boss A/Ts arrived at the perfect time, as I had started working away from home; the 2014 crew cab started seeing daily commuting miles, which included a run home during my lunch break for dog care. I’m often pressed for time, and there’s much firm use of the skinny pedal at the hands of the BD Throttle Sensitivity Booster (still LOVE it!). Due to these lifestyle changes the Boss A/Ts received harder use than any others treads in many years. 

Under torque-monster diesel pickups I have repeatedly observed that approximately 1/32” of tread per 2,000 miles is good or average for an aftermarket set of rubber, and substantially more miles, 2,500 or so, is above average. For comparison, a few sets of OE Firestones I’ve measured have melted though 1/32” in a mere 1,500 miles, 25% less than my 2,000 mile baseline! 

After the initial mounting and the first rotation on the 2014 crew cab, I had accumulated 6,500 miles on the Baja Boss A/Ts. Three measured 15.5/32”, and one was 15/32”, which was 2,080 mi. per 1/32” of tread depth. Considering the repeated, aggressive accelerations and fast driving this was above average; it would be just average with less spirited driving. 

The Mickey Thompsons were pulled from the crew cab and slapped onto the 2017 Ram flatbed Hallmark camper rig, where they logged another 4,500 (s)miles before their third rotation. The rears were down to 13/32”, with the front wearing little and still showing 15/32. (This is part of why we must rotate.) As the tread becomes shallower the overall accuracy of measurements increases, and it’s not uncommon for the rate-of-wear to slow after these more accurate measurements. With another 3,500 miles under the Hallmark Camper, 14,500 miles total, all were showing 13/32”. The Baja Boss A/T treads had achieved 2,600 miles per 1/32”, which is well into the above average column for many diesel pickups. 

After hours of slow 4WD, with several narrow and/or technical spots for such a big outfit, it was time to stop treating this rig like a side-by-side and make camp.

Traction Everywhere

Traction and handling has been impressive in all conditions and on all surfaces, which included much dirt, gravel, rock, some sand, rain, but unfortunately very little snow. It would’ve been nice to evaluate the severe winter rating more thoroughly. However, the western states multiyear drought has severely reduced precipitation in Northern Nevada and Northern California. 

It’s difficult to chronicle the exact number of off-pavement miles these Bosses have seen, but a conservative estimated is 1,500 (10% is huge for non-commercial applications). Opinions regarding traction are mostly subjective, variable, and relative to the platform and driver. Nevertheless, for those wanting a hybrid tire I don’t envision people wanting more grip than the Baja Boss A/T can provide. Should the opportunity present itself I’d gladly run another set of the Baja Boss, as they’ve earned a spot on my short list of favorites. 

Tell ‘em you read it on RoadTraveler.net!

James Langan

Resource: 

Mickey Thompson Tires: mickeythompsontires.com 

 

 

 

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Toyo Open Country C/T 10,000 Mile Review

Toyo C/T 10,000 mile report

When the Toyo Open Country C/T was initially introduced it was only available in Canada. A few years ago, when that changed, it moved to the top of my must try list. Commercial traction or hybrid designs are my favorite type of tread, and the C/T might be the best, slowest-wearing design I’ve used on any truck in several years; maybe ever.

The Toyo C/T has the severe snow, mountain snowflake rating.

Mount, balance, and tracking

Because the Open Country C/T is an on/off-road commercial-grade tire, there are fewer sizes offered than other Toyos like the Toyo A/ T II. However, there are still six 16-inch, seven 17-inch, five 18-inch, and seven 20-inch sizes available.

For this evaluation I mounted 35×12.50R17 on forged aluminum OEM Ram Power Wagon wheels. They required very little weight to balance, typical for Toyos, and ran smoothly down the highway at all speeds.

104-pounds on OEM 17″ forged aluminum Power Wagon wheel, needing only 1.25 ounces for a static balance.

Initially mounted my 2014 crew cab, which has an SPC offset right ball joint to counteract treads that pull to the right, the C/T would drift just slightly to the left after a few seconds with no hands on the steering wheel, depending on the road crown. (To be perfectly clear, this is because of the offset ball joint and caster settings, not a characteristic of the tires, the C/T does not appear to pull right or left, they are neutral.) On the 2017 Ram 2500 regular cab with Hallmark flatbed camper, the C/T track perfectly straight for several seconds on flat roadways. They were a great match for the outfit, and where I decided to keep them for this evaluation.

Almost all the miles logged have been with this 2017 Ram 2500 Hallmark flatbed camper outfit.

General traction and performance

The C/Ts saw a little of most terrains, including snow, packed dirt, gravel, rock and plenty of pavement. Deep off-highway mud, snow, and deep sand were not experienced; a 10,000-pound camper outfit is less happy on these surfaces, so I only drive on them when necessary. However, with the good void-ratio and siping this tread offers, I’m confident the C/T would perform as well or better than similar commercial-traction designs.

Many modern tires perform well in moderate on-highway or off-highway snow, and this was true with the C/T. However, the mountain snowflake severe winter rating provides extra assurance in wet conditions, and I would pick the C/T over many hybrid or all-terrain designs for winter service. Obviously they are unlikely to perform as well as a dedicated winter tire, but those designs are less versatile on heavily-loaded trucks and rarely offered in larger sizes.

Toyo C/T in a few inches of snow, pulling out of my shop.

The Open Country C/T is quiet for the void it offers, and no louder than the Toyo R/T or A/T II Xtreme with which I am familiar in similar sizes. I’ve recommended the C/T to many of my readers, including a professional photographer and adventurer who lives in Jackson, Wyoming. He has been impressed with their snow capabilities. Another guy lives full-time in his heavy truck camper and uses them.

Wear close-ups 

You can see a small amount the feathering on the outer lug sipes. For nearly 6,000 miles without a rotation, this minor visible wear was impressive and not concerning. Appropriate rotations will true-up the tread.

Slow and even wear, 6,000 miles since the last rotation, most of it on highways.

Phenomenal Longevity

As my video assessment and testimonial enthusiastically shares, I am most impressed with the slow rate-of-wear on these Toyo Open Country C/T, better than any other tread in years, maybe ever.

17/32″ of tread depth remaining after 10,000 miles!

The 4,400 miles per 1/32 of depth is exceptional, particularly for such a heavily-loaded, diesel, truck camper outfit. Was the slow treadwear due to a higher than typical percentage of highway miles? Possibly, although my outfit is not a daily driver and routinely sees many more long-distance travel miles than city driving. Double the mileage of most tires I’ve run on diesel trucks, and still 50-percent more than other standouts is nothing short of phenomenal!

Absolutely love these Toyo C/T tires and would like to try them in a 295/65R20 size.

The C/Ts were removed from service only to begin another review, but I’d like to run them again soon, preferably in an 18-inch or 20-inch size with a higher load-index that’s better suited to my heavy camper. The 35×12.50R17 was chosen because I wanted a 35-inch size, and I already had the wheels. At the time I was adamantly against 20-inch tires because the shorter sidewalls offer less flex off-pavement. Though shorter, less flexible sidewalls can be a huge a positive for overall camper stability and handling. My opinion has softened, as long as the tire is tall enough that there’s adequate sidewall.

Tell ‘em you saw it on RoadTraveler.net

James Langan

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved

Resource: Toyo Tires