Ford F-150/F-250: Mud Tire Reviews

This article applies to the Ford F-150 (2004-2014) and the F-250, F-350 Super Duty (2005-2014).

Mud tires are great for those deep, sloppy, mud holes. The performance of a mud tire in the muck is unapproachable by all-terrains. The performance is gained through the use of large sidewall lugs and large voids in the tread. Typically, F-150 owners looking to get lost in the muck will opt for larger wheel sizes, often requiring a lift kit. Folks with an F-250 or any other Super Duty don't have to worry as much because Super Duties can accept larger tires more easily. Still, if you need more ground clearance and bigger tires, lift kits are available.

(Related Article: Lift and Level Modifications - Ford-Trucks.com)

A word on tire prices. While the brand of a tire model does have an influence on price, you also have to take into account tire size. The larger the rim, the more expensive the tire is. To add to that, the wider the tire is, the more expensive it'll be. In both cases, the opposite also holds true. To make things simple, we used a standard 17-inch wheel with a 70 or 75 aspect ratio. This should give both Super Duty and F-150 owners a solid idea of what these tires will cost regardless of their application.

Mud Tire Chart

	Nitto Mud Grappler	BFG M/T KM2	Interco Super Swamper TSL and Bogger	Goodyear Duratrac	Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ
Price	$327	$315	$360	$228	$332
Weight over OEM	15-25 lbs	10-20 lbs	15-35 lbs	5-10 lbs	10-20 lbs
Performance	Mud Only	Mud, Sand, Snow, Rain	Mud Only	All Terrain	All Terrain
Tread Life	Less than 40,000 miles	45-65,000 miles	Less than 25,000 miles	50-70,000 miles	35-55,000 miles
Warranty	N/A	6-year limited	N/A	50,000 mile	N/A

Nitto Mud Grappler

Weight – 15 to 25 pounds over OEM sizes
Cost – $327 per tire
Warranty – N/A
Tread Life – With more than regular rotation, expect less than 40k miles

They look downright awesome and perform amazing in the mud. The huge side lugs and large tread voids allow them to grip and clean out super easy. Road manners are almost non-existent on them however. They’re extremely loud, wear fast on pavement, heavy, and ride pretty rough. Forget about using them in snow, sand, or heavy rain, they’ll perform on about the same level as your street tires. Recommended if your driving is more than half off-road or you really want that extremely aggressive tire look.

BFG M/T KM2

Weight – 10 to 20 pounds over OEM sizes
Cost – $315 per tire
Warranty – 6 year limited warranty
Tread Life – With regular rotation, expect 45-65k miles

Great look backed up by even better performance. They’re at home in the mud, and will still outperform an all-terrain tire in the sand aired down, snow, and rain. The road manners aren’t bad, noise is about on par with an all-terrain. Don’t wander much and the ride is relatively smooth for a mud-terrain. Recommended if you want an all-around great performer both on and off the road.

Interco Super Swamper TSL & Bogger

Weight – 15 to 35 pounds more than OEM sizes
Cost – $360
Warranty – N/A
Tread Life – With more than regular rotations, expect less than 25k miles

These are two of the legendary mud tires, in most cases the weakest link in the mud with these tires would be the rest of your truck. These are literally pure off-road tires that somehow managed to obtain a DOT approval.What is DOT?Extremely aggressive tread pattern and side lugs make these mud monsters, but also makes them terrible on the road. They’re extremely loud, pretty hard to get balanced properly, and even harder to get them to hold an alignment. Wet performance isn’t too bad, but snow and sand leave something to be desired, and ice performance is non-existent. If you plan to run these on pavement, I suggest saving enough money to replace them pretty often. Recommended if you use your truck in the mud only, or, you really want that aggressive look and have a decent chunk of spare cash.

Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ

Weight –10 to 20 pounds more than OEM sizes
Cost – $332
Warranty – N/A
Tread Life – With regular rotation expect 35-55k miles

These are an all-around great tire for the trail and for the road, right on par with the BFG KM2s, both in looks and performance. While the tread isn’t as aggressive as the KM2, they still perform very well and clean out decently in the mud. The sidewall lugs really help this tire grip. Road manners aren’t bad, they ride smoothly for a mud-terrain, they balance easily, and aren’t excessively loud. In the rain and snow they grip well. In the sand, with the right throttling and airing down, they also perform well. Recommended if you need a wet trail tire that does well on road as well.

Goodyear Duratrac

Weight – 5 to 10 pounds over OEM sizes
Cost – $228
Warranty – Limited 50,000 mile warranty
Tread Life – With regular rotation, expect 50-70k miles

These tires receive glowing reviews all over the internet due to their performance in many different conditions. While they can’t keep up with a dedicated mud tire in some sloppy mud, they’ll perform well for that person who occasionally sees that muddy road or trail yet needs to be able to maintain highway-tire like manners elsewhere. These tires have a noise level of around your average all-terrain, handle similar to your average OEM tire, and wear similar, too. These tires perform decently on the road, in the mud, and in the snow. Again, not as well as a dedicated tire to one of those conditions, but well enough for the average obstacle. Recommended if you need a daily driver with light mud capabilities.