I think its only fair we review the stock BFG Mud Terrains that come on a Wrangler Rubicon. Many, honestly the majority of Jeep owners don't purchase a rubicon because of their limited off road use and buy a Wrangler sport with all terrain tires. Like any jeep owner, they're probably soon considering a tire upgrade for appearance and performance.
Bottom line up front - I've been pretty satisfied with the stock 32 inch BFG Mud terrains and would highly recommend them as an upgrade to Jeep's all terrain options. They can be had on Craigslist for a fair price if you watch closely, and often with OEM Jeep Aluminum wheels and TPMS. It can be cheaper to do a driveway swap to mud terrains than to get new all terrains installed.
Mud - These tires do surprisingly well in the mud. They have pretty large voids and really impressed me with their off road abilities. I've aired them down as low as 12psi, but 15 i feel is safer. They offer really decent grip on dry rocks, and dirt, and the voids stay pretty clean in the mud. Definitely a true mud terrain.
Snow - Not so great. They do OK in the snow..but nothing to write home to mom about. They clear themselves out of packed in snow pretty quickly. I never aired dwon for snow but I would imagine it would offer better performance.
Rain - No me gusta. If you drive your jeep like a sports car, then all terrains are probably for you. These do inspire a bit of pucker factor when cornering or going through standing water in the rain. At reasonable speeds they are fine, but I'd be scared to be on a highway at 75 with these in a heavy downpour. Slow down to 60 and you're fine..but not 100% trustworthy in the rain.
Sound - Surprisingly quiet for a mud terrain. Minor drone at speed, but thats being pretty picky considering you can cruise on them at 75 without issues.
Ride - They ride fine, and corner well. I rotated mine every 5000 miles and after 20,000 miles, I still have 15/32nds worth of tread. That means I could probably get a total of about 40k miles on them before they needed to be replaced. That is great for a mud terrain. I think "wear" should be a factor in these reviews. Softer mud terrains used on road = buying new tires regularly.
Braking - A bit of wandering steering under hard braking but it is manageable.
Would you recommend or buy again? - I would recommend any Jeep owner wanting to upgrade to 32s from stock and get some pretty serious off road performance, consider buying a set of of used/new stock Jeep wheels/tires. I don't think you can do better for an initial upgrade. If anything, use them for a while and you'll have a great basis for comparison for your next purchase.
pros - can be had cheaply, great tire wear, solid off road capability
cons - rain performance isn't great, only 32"
Brand new spare:
After 20k miles:
In use @ 15PSI:
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Originally Posted by Snarf77
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