# need help picking new tires



## bruteforcebill (Aug 2, 2011)

to start this site is great, i found it a few weeks ago .Tons of great info. currently i am running 27" 589s, i got them used from a buddy when i bought my bike.The fronts are still like new but the rears are pretty bad. i ride alot of rocky trails, with some good mud holes, the 589s have been great as far as puncure resistant , but they are not that great in the winter. i was thinking about getting either zillas, or another set of 589s but my brother just put executioners on his brute and they seem pretty nice as well. So i guess my biggest concern is are the zillas strong enough for the rocks.thanks in advance.


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## eagleeye76 (May 7, 2010)

I just bought a set of 27" 589s from a guy that loved them. He wanted bigger and he tried 29.5" Swamplites. He mostly trailrides with some mudding. He loves them. Says they compete very well with the 589s as far as traction and still give a smooth ride.


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## bayou_boy_22 (Mar 13, 2009)

i would have to say zillas but the thing that worries me is that fact that you ride alot of rocky trails. they might not be as tough as the 589's.


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## jctgumby (Apr 23, 2009)

The 589's wear like iron and perform great in rocky situations. If it was me I would stay with the 589's but might go up to a 28". Just my opinion though


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## BrutemanAl (Jul 3, 2009)

I had zillas on my bike and I ride alot of rocky trails and in the matter of 2 months I had 5 punctures in my Zillas , I even had a stick that was less then a 1/4 " thick go through the side wall and back out the side wall . Zillas wear fast , especially if you do any road running on pavement . They were not a bad riding tire , I just didnt trust them to get me home every ride I went on . I dont recommend them to anyone .


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## oft brute (Jul 22, 2011)

swamp lites are great tires, smooth ride, last long and are great looking especially the 29.5's. i have had a set of 26'''s on my 700 prairie for almost 4 years now and only one has a plug in it from a large nail that was my fault. they have held up to every thing, burnouts, doughnuts, hard mountain ride'n and are still in pretty good shape.


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## bruteforcebill (Aug 2, 2011)

thanks for the info guys, i was a little worried about getting the zillas. mainly because of all the rocks. i started looking at the outlaw msts as well, i think that may be a good choice as well.


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## filthyredneck (Feb 10, 2010)

bruteforcebill said:


> thanks for the info guys, i was a little worried about getting the zillas. mainly because of all the rocks. i started looking at the outlaw msts as well, i think that may be a good choice as well.


Friend of mine has some MSTs on his 700 Grizz...I believe he said they were 30s, they were comparable in size to my 31 Laws. I rode it out on the road and they ride great, and look like they are constructed pretty solid. But I dont have any further experience with them. For the rocky riding style that you have I honestly think I'd stay with something more like what you have, and I also think that a tread pattern thats a little more closed up would out perform an open one like the MSTs. I've had the 589s and yes they wear great, and I ride with 4 different people with swamplites and they all like the ride and I've never known any of them to have a problem with punctures...we ride around alot of cypress stumps and roots. My stepdad even has 28 swamplites on his teryx, its ridden on a paved road more than anything and he bought them used about 2 years ago and they still have at least 75% tread on them.


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## bruteforcebill (Aug 2, 2011)

do the sipes on the tires make a big difference in icy conditions? Because when theres icey snow or a little ice on a hill my 589s would just spin. thats the only problem i have with them or i would have gotten another set already cause they are tough. Also they do tend do dig a lot i have been stuck with them a few times pretty good. Thanks


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## Polaris425 (Dec 16, 2004)

They say they do... Apparently that's what they are for lol. 

I heard an add once, the idea was that since snow sticks to snow, the sipes are suppose to fill up with snow & hold it in. Allowing for better traction in the snow.... 

Dunno how correct that is, being that I live in central Alabama... haha... but, It seems logical anyway.

Just looking at tread design, I think MST's would be better in a snowy condition than Zilla's. After all, it does stand for Mud Snow Trail. 

It all depends on what you want traction to do. If you are wanting to dig down through the snow and hook up on the ground, the zilla's might be better b/c they tend to dig down and find hard bottom. The MST's however are gonna "float" more I think, since the tread pattern is more bar like (across) and not as diaganol (pointed frontwards) like the zilla. Which makes them not dig as bad. Also makes them a better trail/general condition tire IMO. Like in loose soil. You dont want diggin in loose soil you want forward momentum.


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## bruteforcebill (Aug 2, 2011)

I think I am sold on the msts thanks guys


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## Polaris425 (Dec 16, 2004)

Sounds good. I hope you enjoy them & are happy with their performance. Especially after all the mouth running I've done about them in this thread lol...

Put it this way...

26x12 MST's.... vs Ditch



















Made it out...

26x12 MST's vs. Nasty Swamp hole...



















^ Ignore the tool










^ You can see how deep it was in the rut as I fell off the seat and took a dip myself... BUT I did make it out... haha... 

Now I know this is all mud but, just to show you how well these A/T style tires perform in muddy situations beyond what you think they would. I was very impressed with how well they did. 










There's another spot we use to play, the MST's hooked up REALLY well when playing in that wet/damp sand around the lake...


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## BlackDawg (Jul 4, 2011)

Dang p425, I think you just sold me on the MST's. I was thinking about getting Zillas, but i think you just sold me otherwise! If they do good on the trails, I'm all about em!


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