Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ vs Nitto Terra Grappler: The Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ is a Mud-Terrain (M/T) tire vigorously built to provide extraordinary off-road traction but with a compromised on road comfort. While Terra Grappler come in the All terrain tires category and provides the best of both worlds.
The AT tire has a construction that enables it to render a balanced on and off-road traction. While a MT is purely made for off roading.
Examine the treads on these tires closely. They hold the key to knowing which to choose. In fact if you visit my "tread design" page, picking the right tire would never bother you.
Both of these tires contain unique features that make them one of the best tires of their domains. And thats all because of their different designs.
Side Note: Make sure you are picking the right Terra Grappler.
The G2 is the latest version of this tire and we wold be reviewing it here. It was a upgraded version with better design and performance values.
Table of Contents
Looking at their Design:
Mickey Baja Boss MTZ
Nitto Terra Grappler
The Thompson Baja MTZ features an aggressive symmetrical tread pattern with a high void ratio. Due to this, it has less grip on road.
Conversely, this high void ratio works wonders to avoid hydroplaning in severe weather conditions.
Moreover, its wide and deep grooves possess an amazing self-cleaning ability, allowing it to perform an extraordinary job on soft terrains.
Its compound material is tough and durable which enables it to face off any kind of impediment and hindrance.
From all these features, it’s quite clear that this tire is orientated towards extreme off-road adventures and ready to encounter harsh conditions.
On the other hand, Nitto Terra Grappler has a symmetrical tread pattern with a balanced void ratio. This gives it a substantial surface area to uphold a solid grip on-road (much better than the Baja MTZ).
It contains 4 deep circumferential grooves and adequate siping on its treads which allows the tire to maintain a firm grip on wet surfaces by preventing hydroplaning.
Owning to its tough rubber compound, Terra Grappler has the ability to resist cuts and punctures on rugged terrains but not as good as Baja’s MTZ.
On-Road Traction Comparison
The Baja MTZ has an open tread design with enormous gaps between its treads which significantly decrease its surface area and results in reduced grip on-road.
Therefore, its performance on dry surfaces isn’t that great.
However, when it courses through water, it can handle it pretty well as those massive groove provide great resistance to hydroplaning.
But overall, wet traction suffers for this tire as it contains only one sipe in each tread block.
In contrast, Terra Grappler comprises of moderately spaced tread block with a balanced void ratio in its tread design.
Therefore, it embodies a considerably larger surface area. This gives it an increased traction on-road.
At the same time, with smaller grooves but a greater number of sipes the tire also performs better on wet roads.
Mud Traction Comparison
Out of the two tires, Baja MTZ has finer traction on mud terrains.
It has deep and wide grooves placed in a zig-zag pattern throughout the tire.
These grooves have the ability to shovel the mud in its path and execute an amazing self-cleaning ability to clear the mud in its way.
The angled-shaped scallops further aid to provide a greater biting force on the mud.
In addition to that, it also possesses the power to beat deep muddy tracks, where many tires fail, due to the high void ratio in its grooves.
On the other hand, the Terra Grappler would simply get packed with mud. This is because the mud gets clogged up on the treads due it its insufficient self-cleaning capacity (But this tire can still handle little bit of mud).
Traction on Rocks and Gravel
A robust and sturdy tire is required to travel on rugged terrains. Baja MTZ is made of a chip and cut-resistant silica compound, making it indestructible in rough conditions.
The addition of a 3-ply sidewall in its structure acts as a shield to protect the tire from cuts, punctures, and abrasions.
Specially designed decoupling grooves enhance the flexibility of the tire to improve its grip on irregular surfaces.
Conversely, Terra Grappler is made of a robust rubber compound. This gives it enough endurance to withstand tough conditions of rugged terrains.
Its staggered shoulder logs prevent damage from curbs and cuts. In conclusion, Baja MTZ is much more ruggedly built than Terra Grappler to confront rugged terrains.
Comparison of Tread-wear and Durability
The Baja MTZ has an open tread design with scarcely placed tread blocks which reduces its contact zone with the ground and therefore decreases its rolling resistance.
As a consequence, it rolls efficiently on the road and executes remarkable wear and tear characteristics.
Furthermore, it is fabricated with a chip and cut-resistant silica compound with the addition of a 3-ply sidewall, and aggressive 4 pitch side biters that protects the tire from abrasions and punctures.
All of these features make the tire durable and tough.
On the other side, Terra Grappler has a more compact tread design with closely placed tread blocks.
It has a bigger footprint and therefore a higher rolling resistance.
Moreover, the tire is constructed from a robust rubber compound along with staggered sidewall lugs. These features combine forces to make the tire agile and durable.
Subsequently, Baja MTZ has an economical tread-wear and greater endurance than the other.
Are both of these comfortable to drive on?
With minimal siping and bigger blocks, the mud tire would provide better off road comfort.
But these tires would be loud on road.
The Baja MTZ entraps a lot of air between its treads that ultimately hits the surface of the tire, generating vibrations and noise. This makes this tire pretty unpleasant on road.
In comparison, Terra Grappler has a denser tread design with relatively smaller grooves and considerable siping.
Henceforth, it collects less air in its grooves and absorbs the noise with its sipes. This results in reduced vibrations and noise.
So, it ensures a more comfortable and smoother ride in comparison.
Compare Nitto Terra With Other Tires:
