I got my MTZ's mounted yesterday and the weather cleared up today for me to take some pics and get em all cleaned up.
My first impression, un-freaking-believable. These tires, IMO, blow the BFG's out of the stinkin' water. I have had two consecutive sets of BFG M/T's (one on my '95 and this past set on my '99) and I have to say, these have ALREADY outperformed the BFG's.
The first thing I noticed was the obvious change in appearance. These tires are much more aggressive and tough looking than the BFG's ever had a prayer of looking. The sidewalls are beefy and the tread itself looks so tough. The angled and siped lugs are bigger than the BFG's lugs and with them being siped, I can only imagine that the wet/ice/snow traction will be much better.
The second thing I noticed the minute I hit the asphalt outside the shop's garage was the ride quality. With both sets of my BFG's I had fairly bad vibrations when rolling at a slow speed. Anywhere from 1mph to about 15mph I had a bad shake in the rig. Due to this vibration I was getting an extremely loud sound coming from the rear of my Runner, I had tried to diagnose it for months. It was a metal on metal buzzing/clanking. Once I got my MTZ's...the vibration is gone, thus, the dreaded sound that had PLAGUED me for months is now gone as well. It literally feels as if I am riding in a completely different 4Runner. I could not be happier with the initial ride quality.
The thrid thing I noticed was the decrease in road noise. What I should say is, DRASTIC decrease in road noise. With my BFG's I could hear the roar of the M/T anytime I was moving...be it city, highway, parking lots, drive-thru's, etc... With my MTZ's, the only time I ever hear them is on the highway with my windows down. The only sound I hear in the cab now is the sound of my Vortex.
The fourth thing I noticed was a difference in ride quality when moving faster and hitting moderately sized bumps. With the BFG's I felt every bump in the road, granted I didn't feel them violently but every bump I felt, regardless. With the MTZ's, smaller, more "washboardy" bumps I hardly feel anymore. Bigger, more moderately sized bumps I still feel but they are much more smooth. The MTZ's overall feel "softer" than the BFG's.
Overall, I am more than pleased with these tires. I cannot see myself ever going back to the BFG's. This is coming from a diehard BFG fan since day one. As long as these stay this way I will forever look to these as my choice for an M/T tire.
Just for a reference I had both my BFG's and the MTZ's filled to the same pressure when doing the tests. I orginally had my BFG's aired up to 35psi but during my testing I aired them down to 30psi. I now have my MTZ's aired up to 30psi as well to ensure I get a good comparison.
Now for the good stuff:
Note the aggressive tread pattern
Close-up
Check out that tread!
What a stance...
Classic pose
Best pic IMO
Thanks for lookin' guys!
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Originally Posted by ADH8796
