I would not rely on that.
The Mud Lites have different letters after the size. 26" and up have the letters XT (Xtra tread I would say)
I would think the tire is the same size, but bigger treads
I don't know for sure.

 

ive got the rear tires on the front and 26 12 12 on the back mudlites the only thing you have to do is chalk your tires with a line vertical both front and back and check to see if they rotate the same if not put air in or take it out so they roll evenly.

bruce63.

 

Mudlites!

I have a 04 500 with mudlites, i have not been impressed with them compared to the 589's, i have had 2 monster sticks go through my tires, unpatchable! im a bushwacker i like goin through the bush blazin new trails, so going over sticks is somethin you have to do.
My next set of tires will be a stock set perhaps the MTR's that came stock.

 

the lites are great a buddy of myn has lites on his outlander 400 HO and it halls thru the mud like nothin i ever saw. the 589ms are are the 2nd best now if you want the best mud tire get the outlaws from highlifter thay are the top of the line mud tires wen i get my sportsman i am geting some.

 

like i said befor i had gators on my cat and i think thay are a great tire but a little heavy, but if you whant a tire that will last for a lot of miles and take you anywhere then that is the tire your looking for.
i now have 26 inch mud lites on my honda and im very impressed with them thay are a softer tire and i think that there just as good or better in the mud.
the gators are a 6 ply tire and are very tough i road over a 3" nail and all it did was go in the tire a bit then bend around the tread no flats or nothing i dont think the lite could take that.
but thats why thay call them mud lites, thay say that have a six ply rating but thay are only 4 ply and thats why there lighter then the gators.
my mud lites are a good tire and i havent had any troubles with them so far and i do lots of bush and trail riding.
and in the mud thay perform great, and on the trails thay are just as good.
and i dont know anyone that has had any kind of trouble with them.
and i have at least 4 freinds who have them.
no flats punchers or anything and thats why i got them for my honda.
but any tire will take some punishment some just a little more.

 

I put something through my back Mud Lite and had to buy a new one.
My dealer said that they have sold over 1500 Mud Lite tires, and I was the first to put a hole in the treaded part. 2 or 3 put a rock through the side wall, but none in the treaded part(I should have bought lottery tickets that day.)
There are lots of Mud Lites around my area because 2 dealers (100 miles apart) had a price war on Lites and you could buy them for about half price. I don't hear any complaints about them when we are out on the trails.

 

I agree in mud and snow i dont think you could beat a mudlite! but most of my wheelin is in cutblocks and forest where its just me and the GPS. and i have found a stock set of tires like 489's work great in that senario because with low pressures the tire mold around everything you want to crawl over, but i guess i cant have the best of both worlds.. haha i hate bein stuck with stock tires in mud