Testing By Thad Josey, Matt Pate And Rick Sosebee
When we started preparing ourselves for this issue, we brainstormed the different tests our readers would find beneficial for their use. One suggestion we all settled on was to test tires, but not your ordinary tires. Since this was going to be our mud special, we wanted to test the largest and most extreme-use mud tires that are currently available. Sure, there are plenty of companies that offer their version of "mud" tires, but only a handful offer a 32-inch tire built specifically to handle the most extreme conditions. With everyone in agreement, we got our hands on High Lifter's Outlaw, SuperATV's Terminator and Gorilla's Silverback, which all meet our criteria.
With the tires selected, I had to work on another important part of this shootout, which was to build a machine that would be capable of turning these gigantic earth-trenching tires. It should be no surprise to people who are familiar with lifted quads that these tires aren't the lightest things in the world and require some serious horsepower to turn them under extreme conditions. This is why I opted to modify our Polaris 850 XP specifically for this test. The 850 XP is one of the most powerful units available by Polaris and is also the preferred machine of many mud racers. To ensure that this machine would meet our needs for this test and that we had plenty of power to turn the rubber, I outfitted it with an HMF Swamp Series XL exhaust complete with snorkel, HMF EFI fuel programmer, Mud Industries full snorkel kit and EPI extreme clutch kit. To guarantee we had the proper clearance for our massive tires, I also outfitted the machine with a Gorilla Axle Stage I lift kit along with spring stiffeners and High Lifter one-inch wheel spacers. Our wheel of choice for this project would be the SuperATV.com 14-inch beadlock, which offers superior clamping of the tire bead and weighs in at 17.2 pounds.
With the machine built and tires ready to be tested, I picked up ATVR Editor Thad Josey and headed out to Southern Ridge ATV Trails in Dozier, Alabama, where we would meet with I-45 Racing's Matt Pate, who would assist with our testing. Southern Ridge ATV Trails offers sandy-bottom bogs, a full-race pit and Mudda Cross track as well as a vast trail system packed with plenty of mudholes. Our goal for the day was to find a tire that not only did well in the pit, but also for the average rider who would use them on the trail and in the deep slop found around the recreation area. Each tire would be measured for weight, height, tire circumference and lug depth at both the center and tallest point of the tire lugs. Now that we had our criteria set, it was time to sink the tires deep.
Another feature of the Outlaw that we fell in love with was its light weight. While 38.8 pounds might sound heavy, it is still 13.6 pounds lighter than the Gorilla Silverback and a whopping 17.2 pounds lighter than the SuperATV.com Terminator. This feature makes for less stress on your drivetrain and quicker acceleration when you stab the throttle. A good portion of this weight savings can be attributed to its small size; since it measures in at 29.875 inches tall it still provides a great amount of performance while only sacrificing ground clearance. The flat tread pattern and cupping of the lugs make the Outlaw a great paddling tire in deep, watery mud. The tallest lug on the shoulder of the tire, 2.25 inches high, isn't as massive as the Silverback but still provides an earth-gripping surface area to propel our machine out of the pit or down the trail. The only area we thought the Outlaw was at a disadvantage was with its self-cleaning capabilities since its tread spacing was tighter than that on the Silverback, but to our surprise it cleaned itself very easily. Anywhere we took the Outlaw in the Southern Ridge ATV trail system, the tire seemed to shine and prove it was a top contender.
Another difference was the lug pattern. The Terminator features a multi-stage pattern that consists of a very large square-edged center lug measuring at 1.5 inches high while the tallest lug on the shoulder of the tread measures in at 2.25 inches high. The tire also features a sweeper lug that extends from the lug pattern down to the tire's bead. While it is a very small feature it added grip to handle the high-sided deep ruts that we encountered while riding in Southern Ridge. We did find that the center lug rides higher than the remainder of the lug pattern preventing a wide contact patch and leaving the majority of pulling to that one area. This design keeps the tire from "sinking" in enough to allow the remaining lugs to assist in grabbing forward traction. Another issue with the Terminator was its inability to clean itself of the earth it chews up. The lugs on this tire are tightly spaced, so the thick red clay from our testing area could only be expelled on a speedy trail ride. We found that the rotation of this large tire couldn't be fast enough to self-clean in most of our mud bog or thick mud testing due to its sheer size and weight along with the fear of tearing up our test machine.
On the positive side, we found the Terminator rode really well on hard-packed surfaces and seemed to have good traction on the trails. The true 32-inch height did push the boundaries of our lift as the CV's tended to click and pop more under power with these tires. We determined that they would probably be more at home in a rocky or loose terrain and provide the best ground clearance of all the tires we tested. At the time of this writing, SuperATV.com has assured us the Terminator is undergoing a revamp to make it a lighter tire.
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Maximum ground clearance with an ATV tire. Very tough with durability that could outlast the ATV it's mounted on! A great rocky-terrain tire. |
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A very heavy tire with lug spacing that keeps the tire from being able to get rid of the mud it claws from the surface of a trail or bog. |
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A true 32-inch tire that still needs some refinement to be a great mud tire. |
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Company: SuperATV.com
Model/Size: Terminator/32x10-14
Retail Price: $187.49
Actual Height: 3115/16 in.
Circumference: 101.5 in.
Weight Without Wheel: 56.0 lb
Conclusion
After compiling all of the information, we found that each of these tires performed very well and possessed their own positive characteristics while also having their own slight drawbacks. The SuperATV.com Terminator is a good tire if you're in need of serious ground clearance and want an extremely aggressive look, but its tight lug spacing and poor self-cleaning ability leave much to be desired for those who need the most bite in the bog and can put a strain the machine with its weight. The Gorilla Silverback and High Lifter Outlaw are very close in their mud-trenching and cleaning ability, but the Silverback pulls through the bog with a little more bite. In an overall sense, the Outlaw might be the best option as it takes a step ahead in the ridability department with its flat contact patch and superior handling at all speeds and is by far the most trail-friendly. If you were to spend more time in the ATV swallowing marshes than hitting the trails, then the Silverback could be the tire of your choice since you have that extra ground clearance and earth-carving tread pattern. Either way, we think we have provided you with a solid comparison so you can figure out which tire suits your needs. Just make sure you let us know your thoughts after you make your purchase.
During our testing on the hard-packed surfaces of a trail we were starting to have mixed feelings. At low speeds, the Silverback has a very squishy feel since the carcass of the tire is very pliable even for a six-ply tire. This gives the rider a feeling as if he were on a hovercraft, which isn't bad as long as we kept the speeds under 10 mph. As we increased our speed we also felt the ride height of the tire increase as it expanded, resulting in a narrowing contact patch of the tire to the ground. This would leave the rider with less control and occasionally having to countersteer a rear end trying to pass the front. The self-cleaning ability of the Silverbacks is excellent as the tread spacing is perfect for the thickest clay and muck was easily ejected from the tire at almost any speed.
We feel that the Silverback is pure traction, and the mud racing community has embraced its proven performance. While Gorilla Axle claims this was never meant to be a "race-only" tire, most people agree that these tires mounted on crush-lock wheels is a winning combination.
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Sheer unadulterated traction! Stated as a non-purpose-built tire that provides the best in ground grip to the race community. Tough rubber compound that lasts longer than its competition. |
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A lug that rides down the center of the tire causes a tapered contact patch with the trail. The Silverback performs at its best at lower speeds. |
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The tire of choice for those who spend more time in the muck and not on trails. |
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Company: Gorilla Axle
Model/Size: Silverback/32x10-14
Retail Price: $169.20
Actual Height: 301/2 in.
Circumference: 96.75 in.
Weight Without Wheel: 52.4 lb
High Lifter Outlaw
Our final tire to test, the Outlaw from High Lifter had very high expectations from us since it came from a company that has been in the mud market for over 14 years. Upon first sight, we noticed the Outlaw possessed a unique tread pattern with aggressive lugs. This tire features wide lug spacing of the cupped primary and secondary lugs that wrap up close to the center of the tire but never crossing over. The design leaves a very flat contact patch for maximum rubber on the road, which translates to better hardpack terrain performance and handling. Our riders felt stable at low and high speeds while on our test machine whether they were on hard surfaces or loose dirt-road-type trails. The flat contact patch also made climbing out of mud or up embankments easy since it allowed more use of the entire tire and not just the center tread, like the other two in our test.
Another feature of the Outlaw that we fell in love with was its light weight. While 38.8 pounds might sound heavy, it is still 13.6 pounds lighter than the Gorilla Silverback and a whopping 17.2 pounds lighter than the SuperATV.com Terminator. This feature makes for less stress on your drivetrain and quicker acceleration when you stab the throttle. A good portion of this weight savings can be attributed to its small size; since it measures in at 29.875 inches tall it still provides a great amount of performance while only sacrificing ground clearance. The flat tread pattern and cupping of the lugs make the Outlaw a great paddling tire in deep, watery mud. The tallest lug on the shoulder of the tire, 2.25 inches high, isn't as massive as the Silverback but still provides an earth-gripping surface area to propel our machine out of the pit or down the trail. The only area we thought the Outlaw was at a disadvantage was with its self-cleaning capabilities since its tread spacing was tighter than that on the Silverback, but to our surprise it cleaned itself very easily. Anywhere we took the Outlaw in the Southern Ridge ATV trail system, the tire seemed to shine and prove it was a top contender.
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Maximum traction without sacrifice of ride quality. Lug platform gives better contact patch to trail. |
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The tire compound is softer than most and wears easier. Can also be subject to flexing on hard off-camber trails, which has been known to allow the bead to break off the rim. |
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When you need a tire that is as good on dry land as it is in the bog, the Outlaw is our pick. |
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Company: High Lifter
Model/Size: Outlaw/31x9.5-14
Retail Price: $194.00
Actual Height: 297/8 in.
Circumference: 95.0 in.
Weight Without Wheel: 38.8 lb
Conclusion
After compiling all of the information, we found that each of these tires performed very well and possessed their own positive characteristics while also having their own slight drawbacks. The SuperATV.com Terminator is a good tire if you're in need of serious ground clearance and want an extremely aggressive look, but its tight lug spacing and poor self-cleaning ability leave much to be desired for those who need the most bite in the bog and can put a strain the machine with its weight. The Gorilla Silverback and High Lifter Outlaw are very close in their mud-trenching and cleaning ability, but the Silverback pulls through the bog with a little more bite. In an overall sense, the Outlaw might be the best option as it takes a step ahead in the ridability department with its flat contact patch and superior handling at all speeds and is by far the most trail-friendly. If you were to spend more time in the ATV swallowing marshes than hitting the trails, then the Silverback could be the tire of your choice since you have that extra ground clearance and earth-carving tread pattern. Either way, we think we have provided you with a solid comparison so you can figure out which tire suits your needs. Just make sure you let us know your thoughts after you make your purchase.