WHO'S THE BOSS?

We test Mickey Thompson’s newest mud-terrain

- Harry Wagner

Years ago, if you wanted a tire larger than 35-inches tall you had to accept some pretty serious compromises in terms of street manners and tire life. Sure, they looked great and would churn through the deepest mud, but they would also turn your rig into a paint shaker going down the interstate. Fortunately, tires have come a long way since the dark ages, and you can now get a 40-inch-tall tire that will tear through mud pits and stick to the rocks while remaining smooth on the pavement with respectable tread life. Mickey Thompsons’s new Baja Boss M/T is just such a tire.

Nowadays, 40s aren’t uncommon on four-door Wranglers that are used for everything from rock crawling to daily driving. Of course, Mickey Thompson offers the Baja Boss in other sizes as well; over 30 as of this writing. Most of the metric-sized tires are Load Range E and the imperial/standard-sized tires are Load Range D. The smallest is 33 inches in diameter so if you have a stock SUV or pickup you might need to add a lift or leveling kit before you can run a set of Baja Bosses. Mickey Thompson offers the Baja Boss for 15–24-inch diameter wheels.