Interco Tire Comments

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Interco Tires - Super Swampers

A Note From Chuck: There have been varied results running certain model tires on Hummers. It's imperative that you only run tires that have the proper load rating for the truck. Running under-rated tires will lead to blowouts.

I got notification from Interco tires about the new TrXus Mud Terrain Rock Crawling competition tire. It's a very sticky compound tire.

It's 37x12.5Rx17. You can buy them direct from Interco for $320 a tire.

Be aware that you need to follow these rules:

1) EMail mailto:mhracemaster@intercotire.com
2) Let them know that you want to buy part number "MT-RC".
3) You pay for it by credit card cashiers check, or money order only
4) No returns.
5) It's Non-DOT rated. This is a true off road tire only for rigs that get towed.

Here are the specs:
10 Ply Radial
21/32nd tread depth
9.25 inch tread width
37.2 inch outer diameter
65PSI max inflation
3640lbs max load.

My 38's (tsl sx) come apart at highway speeds!

Mine are 38x12.x16.5 tls sx bias, i have had 3 come apart but not blow out.

After having Interco tires fall apart, I will never buy them again. Worst constructed tires you can buy. Not worth the trouble IMHO. I stick to major brand tires now and have had good luck with them. Running the Good Year Mt's now.

TSL SX: Make sure you get the 10 ply's as I had a few of the 6 ply's blow out on the highway

On the subject of Interco tires failing, It seems to me that there are several factors.

1. Bias ply tires are known to heat up more during high speed highway driving than radials.
2. Most failures reported are from 6 ply super swampers or SX's.
3. Heavy trucks like F-350 diesels and Hummers should run 10 ply swampers.

I have never witnessed a swamper fail off road, they are an extremely tough tire, I have gouged sidewalls, ran over nails and generally done things that should destroy a tire, but did not. After using swampers and boggers for more than 6 years on a jeep that saw a lot of off roading and much abuse, I cannot think of a tougher off road tire.

As for number 3 above, A buddy of mine is a manager at 4 wheel parts in Atlanta and they will not install 6 ply swampers on heavy trucks for this very reason, they know that Heavy truck + 6 ply swamper + long high speed trips = tire failure.

I would not say they are a crappy or poor tire at all. they are the best off road, and thus they sacrifice some abilities on road, high speeds are one of those things. The failures are not due to poor construction, if that were the case you would hear of them failing off road, not on road. the failures on road are directly related to the carcass of the tire coming apart due to heat generated by high speeds and heavy loads combined over time.

I recently switched from the Interco TrXus STS All Terrain tires to the Interco Super Swamper SSR. Here's a little field test report that involved both road and off road testing.

On Road: Let's just say that cornering on asphalt isn't the SSR's strong suit! :) The tire is very "floaty" on corners, compared to the TrXus STS. It was very unnerving rounding a curve and you're feeling a slight drift while your steering wheel is staying put.

Surprisingly, the tire is quiet. Ironically, it's far quieter than the TrXus STS. Susan and I can hold conversations at a normal voice, and I can hear my son in his rocket seat in the back without too much issue. Highway speeds gave me the most noise (of course!), and low speeds (under 25) give
you a bit of a "crick, crick, crick" noise as the lugs hit the pavement.

Stopping power of the tire is good. I had to do a panic stop while at a workplace multi-story garage (someone popped out in front of me while backing up). Very solid traction while stopping on dry concrete. Off Road: Two words: Oh, Mama!

Taking a known trail (that I've done many, many times), the tires went through the trail without a hitch. No wheel spin, no issues, nada. The tire didn't even have chunks out of it after the run! Combined with the locker - oh, my. I've forgotten how nice it is to off road with a good trail tire. This is one of them.

Tire pressures: I'm having some serious vibration issues at lower PSI's. Increase the PSI, and I'm fine. I'm likely going to increase from 25 (cold)/35(hot) to 35 (cold)/45 (hot) and see where things go from there.
The SSR is a great all around (on and off road) tire to get better cornering I would bring the inflation up to 35 lbs min (for on road use ) or try 35 front 40 rear

Mounted 4 Interco Super Swamper SSR Radials in 38x15.5Rx16.5. Had to disassemble the rims, insert new O-Rings, clean the inside of the rims, put in RV Antifreeze as a dynamic balancing agent, and reassembled the 4 tires/rims. On a side note: The SSR's are quiet. As quiet as the Interco TrXus STS tires that I used to run. The tires run very smooth (well, after putting in a liter of RV antifreeze per tire - it should!), and I only hear the tires when going very slow (where I hear the tire do a slight "crick, crick, crick), or over 55, where it hums just a bit louder than the engine.

And, I ended up with a bit more ground clearance - 5/32nds more clearance than the TrXus gave me. Not that it's a lot, but heck, I'll take it! A tire review will likely occur.

In response to the tire pressure on the 38x15.5's, Dave Besse and engineer at Interco recommended 65 psi. He said the tire was developed to be run on lifted F-350 trucks (8000lbs) pulling big gooseneck trailers at "high" sustained highway speeds. I told him we fit the 8000 lb. parameter but the max pressure out of the CTIS is 50 psi and our max recommended speed was 65 mph. He said that 50 psi at or under those conditions would still be in the safe operating range. For any questions or comments you have concerning the SSR's or other Interco products, please feel free to contact Dave at dbesse@intercotire.com .

The fellow H1 owners here in Arizona that run Swampers (and have run the same trails as me), have better looking tires with just as much mileage. The SSR's and TSL Radials also come with 21 or 22/32nds of tread, versus the 16/32nds of tread that the Trxus has. That's 5/32nds to 6/32nds more tread with the same rubber compound that the Trxus uses.

Are SSR's the same as TSL's? I had the super swamper TSL radials, & I'm REALLY glad I run MT/R's now compared to those.The Radial TSL's and the SSR's have similar tread patterns. They both have a Chevron like middle tread pattern with the large side lugs in a long/middle/short/middle/long pattern.

The SSR seems to have a tighter pattern, but the tight patterns don't include the center void. The Center void actually seems wider on the SSR than the TSL. The lugs also don't go down the sidewall like the TSL Radials do. Instead, it's got the Interco firebird pattern on the sidewall.

Both are considered TSL pattern tires due to the side lugs. The SSR also has tighter siping grooves.

So - the SSR is more of a "streetified" Super Swamper. The TSL Radial is more of a "radialized" TSL Bias.

4/12/2005 - I just installed Swampers SX 38.5x14.5x16.5's on my Hummer. Since you have ran a few sets of these now, what pressure gave you the best wear?

It varies with the size of the tire, the load of your vehicle, and the type of rims.

The primary issue running 38x15.5Rx16.5 (or 38x15.5Rx17's for that matter) is the fact that the tire is slightly wider than what is generally recommended for the rims. Most people run 9.5" rims (at a minimum) for a 15.5" width tire. Stock Hummer tire width is 8.25".

While it makes it very easy to mount/dismount 15.5 width tires with two piece rims (the added width makes easier bead contact, which I love!), the tires have a slight tendency to bow outwards a bit more in the middle of the tread at higher pressures.

To ensure a flat contact spot (and great tire wear) for tires that are 15.5" in width, you need to run them at a slightly lower PSI when using stock rims.

I run at 20-25 PSI cold, and get very acceptable wear. I have two tires (of my original 6 when I bought the truck over 2 years and 33000 miles ago) that still have 4/32'nds of tread on them, with the siping still present in the blocks. With the original tread depth at 16/32nds (for the TrXus STS),
having 4/32nds of tread left is excellent.

When I ran the tires at 35-38 PSI, I wore out the center 4 inches of the tire really fast. Got killer gas mileage out of them though!

If you're running 37x12.5Rx16.5 (or 17), you'll be fine running 35 PSI. Your contact patch should be flat still with it at 40 PSI, but the ride may be a bit harsh. Max PSI is 65 per Interco. Max for our rims is 50, IIRC.

I have been running my radials SSR at 25psi cold and that's been giving me even wear on the tires so far plus a smoother ride (daily drive 60 miles).

3/27/2005 - Interco has just added some new Hummer compatible tires to their web site.

The Interco Trxus MT is a Mud Terrain type tire that looks more like a traditional MT tire compared to a Super Swamper. It doesn't have the three stage lug that Interco's best known for. Reviews have shown (in non-Hummer circles) that the Trxus MT is very good off road, with very low road noise
compared to the Super Swamper. Wear is typical, with most trucks getting 30k out of them.

The following product codes and sizes are for the Trxus MT that will be
compatible with the H1:

RXM-32 - 37x12.5Rx16.5, 10 Ply, 21/32 tread depth. 37.2" diameter, 3970lbs
max load@65psi
RXM-33 - 37x12.5Rx17, 10 Ply, 21/32 tread depth. 37.2" diameter, 3640lbs
max load@65psi

The Interco Trxus STS is an All Terrain tire that is good for sand, rocks, and daily driving on road. It does have side lugs, but it's not a mud tire.

The following product codes and sizes are for H1's that run custom rims in 18 and 20 inch sizes:

RXS-22 - 38x15.5Rx18, 10 ply, 20/32 tread depth. 38.10" diameter, 4400lbs max load@65psi
RXS-23 - 38x15.5Rx20, 10 ply, 20/32 tread depth. 38.10" diameter, 4200lbs max load@65psi

What do you think about the 42's Irok or TSL BIAS tires? Will they hold at highway speed?

I'm running super swamper radial tsl's 38x15.5x16.5. I really like the tire - a good radial for on road (I put 140 miles a day of highway on them) and very good off road - perhaps not as good as the bias ply off, but much better than the bias on road. I've never had a problem with them at highway speeds that wasn't due to being out of balance. My current set has 23k miles on them, with very little tread wear so far (outside of the one lug that has a chunk missing to to some rock crawling. But I love the swampers - when I get beadlocks, I'll use the swampers on those rims until they fall apart.

Swampers are very good in the mud, but tend to wear fast on road and are noisy. Boggers sound like a small airplane going down the road, but if you get stuck in the mud with these, you are stuck. Pros for boggers - great traction, killer performance on rocks/mud/sand. Cons for boggers - only 6 and 8 ply with 4 ply sidewalls give lower load ratings, bias ply's only. Boggers are awesome off road - only downside vs. TSL/Swamper tread pattern is the lateral grip is worse. Climbing rock and mud is MUCH better than the swampers though... I was really surprised. If you run the 11" wide Boggers on the street at all, you will wear them out very fast... I have 15" wide, and they are wearing much better than I expected on-road. The new Boggers have some factory siping on them; some of them are causing the outside lugs to tear. I think they would be better without the sipes.

You could also consider a Mickey Thompson Baja Claw, it's got a 6 ply sidewall, but it's only C load rated. In tests, the Baja Claw does as good as the Bogger.

If you're looking for 38's, you're going to be pretty much stuck with mostly off-road tires. Interco Super Swamper TSL and SSR Radials, Interco TrXus STS Radials, and PJ Dirt Grips are going to be the norm for 16.5" wheels. Of the 38's, you're stuck with the TrXus STS Radials for an All-Terrain type tire.

For 17" Wheels, you would be able to get Mud Terrain T/A's in 37x12.5Rx17, along with Super Swamper Radial SSR's (37's and 38's) and Bias Ply Boggers.

In regards to wear, the Interco TrXus STS will probably give you your best wear. On my TrXus STS's that I have now, I've only gotten less than a 1/16 inch of wear in 9000 miles, and the molding nipples and fuzz are still on the tire.

I've heard that the newer runs of Super Swampers use a different rubber composition, and they now wear longer. There's a fellow Hummer owner that recently went to Super Swampers that lives nearby, and we will both get to see how well the wear is.

I have 36" tsl SX's on my humvee. They are a very soft compound tire and are totally are awesome in the mud. They are in general wonderful tires and should cost around 200 each. You have to appreciate the tire howling / tread noise on the road.

I just mounted some TSL SX's up about 100 miles ago. For off road and on the mud they are awesome! But for a daily driver, they shake the crap out of my truck for about 4 or 5 miles until they get warmed up and round out. They are very noisy. I have a hard top and they are to loud to drive on extended trips. I can't imagine how loud it would be in an open top.

You should have went with the radial TSL instead of the TSL SX's. I have them and they are nice. No different than driving on my old MT's

I run 38.5"x14.5"x16.5" TSL/SX's, I am on my second set of them. I got a little more than 30k miles out of the first set. I groove and sipe them for additional traction on smooth surfaces, icy roads, wet surfaces, etc . Over all, I am very happy with these as an all around off-road tire. The sidewalls are very tough, traction is very good. They are tolerable on-road, but it depends on your expectations; these tires are not for everyone! They are not a quiet or smooth riding on-road tire, and they do develop flat-spots when they sit cold (overnight, etc) which makes the ride very bumpy for a few minutes before they smooth out again.

My experience with the ride quality on the Thornbirds is crappy, after a little wear they are impossible to balance and are extremely loud and rough. I would put them right behind boggers for ride quality. I have never seen or driven on a set in a hummer my experience has been with jeeps.

I had SSR's (37 x 12.5 x 16.5, 10 ply) on my wagon, I recently replaced them with the Unicure MT's. The SSR's were just driving me crazy. Even when balanced I felt more vibration in the drive line and A LOT MORE NOISE, which decreased my highway speeds to about 60 mph and I experienced some hearing loss as well. :) Although, off-roading with the SSR's is just something else...awesome traction. Absolutely no problems with the tires except for the vibration and noise. They would be great if I lived on farm or near an off-roading area.
Since you're on the road most of the time, I would not recommend them. The Unicure's are really nice, there's no vibration and hardly any noise compared to the SSRs. I still have to test them off-road, I'm sure they'll perform like the Goodyear MT's though.

I am on my second set of SSR'S. First set were on two piece steel wheels. They were hard to balance and wore out fairly quickly on the rough terrain of Colorado and Utah. I switched to Cepek aluminum wheels and a new set of SSR'S and have been very happy. Balance of Swampers is everything. I had MTR's for a while but did not like how hard they rode. The Swamper is a softer tire and will wear quicker but I like the ride and sound of them.

I like my Interco Super swamper SSR's. Very quiet tire for the aggressive tread. Nice and quiet and smooth. I only have a bout 1500 miles on them and heard if you rotate them on a regular basis they will stay quiet and wear nicely. I'm running 40psi on the street.

Okay - I finally dug up the issue that reviewed four Interco tires: The Trxus STS, the Super Swamper TSL, the Super Swamper Bogger and the Irok. The article also reviewed the MT Baja Claw

The magazine that reviewed the tires (in mud) was the April 2004 (pp 32-34) issue of Four Wheeler magazine. All tires reviewed were larger than 40". The Irok's reviewed were 49 inches.

The consensus (summarized from the article):

MT Baja Claw - Great in mud, cleans well, rides good
Trxus STS - Great All Terrain Tire for trail and street, good for sand, needs wheel spin to clear mud (which is what I've personally found)
Super Swamper TSL - Good all around choice
Super Swamper Bogger - Got mud? Get Boggers. Wears fast, needs heavy HP or torque.
Super Swamper Irok - Right between Swamper TSL and Bogger

The testers all felt that the Baja Claw is the best all around tire in this test.

On page 27 in the same issue, they did a short review of the Irok's newest variant: a nylon bias belted version. They loved it on almost every surface, except ice.

Interco Tires - IROK

I went if the IROKs because they are just 14" wide. TSL's are 15 and just 41.5 inch tall. TSL's are real 42s, also theIROK is good for 2950lbs and TSL just for 2685lbs. The runflats very easy to get into the big tires.

If the IROK's are as low noise as the SSR's, I'd go for them. The IROK reviews have been killer, and many of them say that the mud performance is equal to the MT Baja Claw, about 90% of a Interco Bogger, is good on the street, and the wear has been acceptable - for a sticky rock and mud tire.

If you really want a show tire - look at the Interco IROK.

My buddy has the iroc's in a 39.5x20 and likes them(loud!).

Well, I've eschewed (and even criticized) the Interco Irok before. However, they just introduced two sizes that will fit our trucks with a load rating of E.

Coming in radial sizes, the newest Irok's come in these two flavors:

37x12.5Rx17 (10 ply)
37x12.5Rx16.5 (10 ply)
41x14.50R18

Tread Depth - 21/32nds, which is deeper than the TrXus STS.

IROK's are great for mud, rocks, and crawling. I used to be against them until I saw a test (in Florida of all places) that had the IROK's nearly equal to a Interco Bogger.

If you run 38.5's in Interco's, make sure that they are 10 ply. When you run a 15.5" width, you need to run slightly lower pressure to make sure you have an even contact patch and aren't wearing out the center faster than the rest of the tire. I run 20psi (cold) and get great wear.

The 37" Irok's are great (had 'em on my H2), but I just ran my 39.5" Iroks this past weekend on my H1 - BADA$$!!! I was able to 'glide over' obstacles the Boggers were having trouble on. I have a 2" lift kit on my truck, so they fit nicely - only rubbing slightly when the wheel is completely cranked. As a side note I drove on them the whole way down, back, and this week for work. They're extremely quiet for such an aggressive tread.

Trxus STS All Terrain Radials

Trxus STS Very nice tire. Balances well, even on 1 piece steel wheels, and wears very well.

I've got almost 11000 miles on my current set, about 65% on road, 35% off road. I've only gotten about 4/32 of wear on the tires, and the molding fuzz and stuff is still on the tire. Tread depth is 16/32.

Ride is as noisy as an MTR, and is far less noisy than a Super Swamper TSL. If you use them, keep them inflated no higher than 30psi, or you'll get weird wear patterns from the tire.

I've been very happy with the tire in an off road scenario. It's a 10 ply tire, handles deflating pretty decently, goes through sand and snow great, handles mud as good as a MTR (but not as good as a Super Swamper....nothing beats a Super Swamper in mud), and handles dry rocks with a more than a decent grip.

The only shortcoming is wet, slick rocks. Not that I encounter a lot of that here in Phoenix. I haven't attempted to sipe and groove the tires to improve the performance, but I don't do enough wet performance rock climbing to justify the time.

The biggest issue is that the STS is very new. I've only had them for 9-10 months now, and they were announced in December or so of last year, with distribution starting big in January of this year. I've only seen a handful of 4x4's run the STS (and a lot of Jeep owners running the MT's). Of the 4x4's that use the STS, only 3 of them (including myself) actually run them off road.

I can also recommend the Interco TrXus STS tires as well. Great for all around use, with the lone exception of deep gumbo type mud. I run this as my standard tire. As for mileage - I have 30k on one set of Interco TrXus STS tires and I still have very good tread life left.