Tire Product Review:
Two Rock Crawlin' Heroes go Head to Head!
Interco's TSL Super Swamper Radial VS. BF Goodrich's Radial Mud Terrain
Here it is folks, the long awaited tire review. Nothing could be more controversial than
a locker vs. posi write-up. We took two of the most popular tires on the market for rock crawlin' and put them to the test.
Not only that, but the opinions here are not weighted by just one person, but two! Jody Campbell writes about his experience
with both of these beasts and tells it like it is... Rick Webster does the same.
Read on and see who wins.
TSL SUPER SWAMPER RADIAL REVIEW
By Jody Campbell
A few years back, if you would have told someone you were going to buy a set of TSL Super Swampers for your
rock crawler, they would have told you "you’re nuts!." The truth is, these tires are being seen today on almost
every slick rock, rock crawling, trail throughout the United States. TSL Super Swampers were originally designed
by Interco to be a "True Mud-Terrain tire". Super Swampers are designed with a patented "three stage lug",
(hence TSL) and large voids between the lugs to quickly self clean the tread during high speed mud bogging.
The large lugs, and soft rubber compound are also the qualities that are drawing the rock crawling crowd to love
them. The soft rubber compound makes these tires stick to slick rock like glue, and the large lugs act like
"fingers" to grip rocks and ledges and pull vehicles up like a rock climber. Another great feature is the
sidewalls are a one third thicker than B.F. Goodrich Mud-Terrain’s to help resist sidewall punctures. All of
these great features don’t come with out drawbacks. I have been using the TSL radials for about 8 months now
and here are my complaints. The TSL radials wear much more quickly than other mud-terrains, (read BFG) they ride
substantially rougher, and emit quite a howl at speed. I wouldn’t recommend them if your 4X4 is your commuter
vehicle, or if you want a super quiet, smooth ride. If you are looking for the toughest trail tire on the market,
then your search is over!
BFGOODRICH RADIAL MUD TERRAIN REVIEW
By Rick Webster
A few years back, if you would have told someone you were going to buy a set of BFGoodrich radial mud terrains
for your rock crawler, the would have told you "good call!" the same is still true today. The truth is, these
tires have been around for a long, long time and for good reason. They are tried and true, and some of the
toughest tires on the market, especially for the price. Although I’m not really sure why they call them "mud
terrains", they don’t seem to do all that well in the mud as they aren’t self cleaning tires. That is unless
you spin 9 grand on the tach’ in high-range. But for rock crawlin’, that’s a different story. The soft rubber
compound makes the tires stick to rocks like fly paper and the side walls, which are one third thinner and by
far more flexible than the TSL Super Swampers are tough as nails. I’ve seen some seriously brutal punishment on
the sidewalls of BFG’s without more than a blemish. Airing down on the trails requires the loss of much less
air in the BFG’s than that of their TSL brethren. If I air down to 10 or 12 psi, my partner (Jody Campbell) in
his similarly weighing rig must air down to 4 or 5 psi to achieve the same side wall flex. Additionally, they
are pretty quite on the street considering their aggressiveness and they don’t wear out very quickly. I’ve been
running the same set of BFG M/T’s for nearly 2 years and I’m just getting ready to replace them. All of these
great features don’t come without drawbacks. I have been using BFG mud terrains for about 5 years now and here
are my complaints. The BFG mud Terrain isn’t! It should be called the BFG Trail and Rock terrain or something
like that. The outer most carcass of the sidewall (The black outer lining that covers the white stuff underneath)
is a little too thin. You can’t really tell anymore what it says on the side, it looks more like a neo-artistical
rendition of a whitewall tire. If you are looking for a tough trail tire and drive it on the street more than
twice a week, then your search is over… the BFG M/T is a great bet!
Interco TSL Super Swamper Review Table
| NOTE: All ratings on a scale of 1 to 4 with flat tires equal to a half. |
| Description |
Notes |
Rating |
| Ease of Install |
N/A |
N/A |
| Ease of Use |
N/A |
N/A |
| Performance |
Off-road they are unbeatable, a little rough on the street! |
 |
| Durability |
Toughest yet! |
|
| Appearance |
Super aggressive! Love it or Hate it! |
 |
| Drivability |
Trail performance is super, on-road driving is noisy. |
|
| Comfort |
With great trail performance comes rough street performance. |
|
| Price in comparison to related products |
10 to 15 % higher than the competitors, but worth it. |
|
| Was it worth it??? |
Definately! |
|
| Tools Required |
N/A |
| Editors Notes |
I will continue to replace my Swampers with new ones when they wear out! JC |
BFGoodrick Radial Mud Terrain Review
| NOTE: All ratings on a scale of 1 to 4 with flat tires equal to a half. |
| Description |
Notes |
Rating |
| Ease of Install |
N/A |
N/A |
| Ease of Use |
N/A |
N/A |
| Performance |
Awesome. Off and On Road, you can't beat them. |
|
| Durability |
Long lasting tread and darn near puncture-proof sidewalls |
|
| Appearance |
they could use a face lift... They havne't changed the look of the tire since, well, forever. |
|
| Drivability |
Good, a little better than the TSL Super Swamper |
|
| Comfort |
Trail performance is only slightly less than the TSL Super Swamper, on-road driving is much quieter. |
|
| Price in comparison to related products |
Best bang for the buck on the market. |
|
| Was it worth it??? |
Definately! |
|
| Tools Required |
N/A |
| Editors Notes |
I really like the BFGoodrich Mud Terrain. I've owned several different types of off-road tires and will stick with these for a while. RW |
| And the winner is... |
| TSL Super Swamper |
BFGoodrich M/T |
| If your very serious about 4 wheelin' and especially muddin' and rock crawlin', then the answer is
Interco's TSL Super Swamper.
|
If your rig is a daily commuter and you wheel some tough trails, then the answer is the BFGoodrich
Radial Mud Terrain.
|
| Overall, these two tires have their ups and downs, but the TSL Super Swamper is a great all around
tire for heavy duty four wheelin'.
|
|
|