PitBull MadDog Tires
I just got a big package sent from the USA. A set of brand new PitBull MadDog 39 inch tires for me to put to the test and share my findings. PitBull tire manufacturer are focusing first and foremost on the off road market and that is a great plus. They are therefore more in touch with the needs of 4 wheelers.
The MadDog tires will be compared with my 38 inch Buckshot Monster Radial Mudders that have set the standard for most off roaders in the demanding Icelandic scene.
The tire measure 39x14.50-15LT and are bias-ply. My hope is that they are bigger than my 38 in inch Mudders and will therefore give better off road performance. Because they are not radial the highway handling might be an issue.
I don't expect the tires to fall off the rim because they are glued in place.
Here are the MadDog tires fitted on 15x15 inch rims and sitting under my Sport Trac. The Monster Mudders are by its side. Kinda looks like they are similar in size.
Measuring the tires height after they are fitted shows that they are almost EXACTLY the same size as the Mudders. 37 actual inches (94 cm). The tread is also a little bit narrower on the MadDog.
This is the biggest drawback I can name. Even though the tires are well made and circular, they behave terribly on the highway. If the road is not perfectly flat the tires will make up their own mind as to where they will stay on the road and their mind seems to change a lot!
This is a common problem with bias-ply (diagonal) tires and takes some time to get used to - like in my case where I have driven radial only from the first time.
Although I have no date to confirm this with these tires, another problem common with bias-ply is its rolling resistance that will most likely reduce fuel efficiency.
Time to take the tires off road. I used the opportunity during a recent 4 wheeling tour. After some initial testing with airing down to about 5 psi - the tires are hardly bulging enough. This can no doubt be contributed to the fact that they have not been properly "broken in" or softened by driving them for a while with low psi.
At this pressure and the difficult wet and loose snow the tires are not digging in even though they are spinning. This is really a positive.
The tires seem to get cleared out easily and this works similarly in mud. The rubber in the tires is harder than the Mudders' and this could mean they are more slippery on ice. I will have to measure that to be sure.
After the off roading part of the tour you can see how the tires look with about 2 psi of air. Like other bias-ply tires they bend a little more sharply than radials.
Tire tested:
Bias Size 39x14.50-15LT Type Bias-ply Load Range C Ply Rate 6 Approved Rim 10-12 Max load/Infl. 3415 @ 30 psi Overall Diameter 39.05 Section Width 14.90 Tread Width 10.25 Meas. Rim 10 Tire Weight 82 lbs (37 kg) Skid Depth 21/32
Real Sidewall Protectors - that help protect the sidewall and rims from impact.
Rim Guards - gotta have'em
All Bite No Bark noise resistant technology
Sidewall Traction designed using Fang Technology - what's Fang Technology? Look at the pictures and see for yourself.
Construction/rubber designed using Tear It Up Technology - what' Tear It Up Technology? You can't tell from looking at our tires. It's our secret on why our tires are so cut resistant, puncture resistant and heat resistant. Which translates into a longer lasting tire providing many hours of hassle-free Off-Road pleasure.
Deep lugs - designed for excellent cleanout.
Sipes - Strategically placed for maximum traction and easy cleanout.
Cool sidewall designs - Different style lettering on either side of the Rocker & Maddog and other Tire Tattoosâ¢
U.S. & Int'l Patented tread designs - We have something that no one else hasâ¦you can see for yourself in the pictures.
" U.S. Patent No. D504,656 & No. D508,457
European Community Registered Design No. 000162383 & No. 000276654
Aust Des Reg No 303247"
If you use your truck a lot for driving on the highway or in the city - I would not recommend you try the MadDog - that is unless you are used to the bias-ply behavior and know what to expect.
If your driving is mostly off road then the MadDog tire might be a good option especially if you plan on going bigger than this tire. The 42 and 44 inch PitBull Rocker would be interesting to try once they are available.
I would like to recommend that PitBull get some of the tires as radials. Now that would be fun to try!
