Aggressive Tire for Adverse Conditions
By: Jason Giacchino

Fact:

Fall time in Western NY is a very, very muddy place. Trails that were a combination of hard pack and loose surface sand are now soupy, sloppy and slippery. Oh and a coating of slick rain soaked leaves isn’t making matters any easier.

Solution:

When we went looking for additional traction for our John Deere Gator UTV, we selected GBC’s 8-ply Dirt Commander tires all the way around.

Price:

We paid 5 each for the rears and 4 each for the fronts. Grand total: 8

Mounting:

No unexpected surprises here. The Dirt Commanders mounted to the stock rims without any drama. At nearly 30 pounds apiece, there is no danger of mistaking these for race tires. In fact, they feel beefy and durable—two traits we’re quite fond of when it comes to traversing miles of slop.

We settled on ten PSI in the rear tires and eleven in the fronts for the slick conditions. We will likely increase that figure by a couple PSI in drier conditions.

The Ride:

The aggressive tread pattern of the Dirt Commanders pays dividends in terms of low-end traction hookup. The stockers we were running often broke loose and spun before finally gaining bite, the DC’s ability to claw forward off idle was immediately noticed.

On the equal but opposite side of the coin, braking in gooey conditions also improved exponentially.

In the rare instances that we encountered hard pack (grassy fields), the straight-line handling was quite smooth considering the aggressive tread. Cornering was a bit more resistant but hook up was always incredible.

Finally slick hill climbs, slippery off-cambers, and even brake-heavy downhills were all greatly improved as a result of the Dirt Commanders’ influence.

While we never encountered any instances of tire puncture or pinch flat, there is a certain degree of mental security that comes with knowing you are running an 8-ply tire. We’ve got over a couple hundred miles on ours and they look no worse for wear.

Conclusion:

Dropping nearly 0 on tires can be a bitter pill to swallow, but there’s no questioning the beneficial effects of increased traction; we noticed immediately. There is a reason tractors have come equipped with a similar tread pattern since their introduction: mud, snow, slush, slop and soup are all on the Dirt Commanders’ menu. Best of all, there seems to be enough space between the treads to allow caked on mud to fling free without effort.

Contact:

For more information on the Dirt Commander tire or any of GBC’s products, head to their official site: http://www.gbctires.com