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Perry Mack and Bryan Irons
Deegan 38 All-Terrain Tires - Review
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Perry Mack and Bryan Irons
Deegan 38 All-Terrain Tires - Review
Large open tread blocks shed mud, snow and dirt while siping grabs wet pavement for improved cornering and braking.
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Perry Mack and Bryan Irons
Deegan 38 All-Terrain Tires - Review
Alternating shoulder tread blocks have a scalloped edge for extra traction in mud and snow.
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Perry Mack and Bryan Irons
Deegan 38 All-Terrain Tires - Review
Up the steep slope in loose dirt like it’s a casual stroll in the park
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Perry Mack and Bryan Irons
Deegan 38 All-Terrain Tires - Review
Slow and steady with no tire spin through the gooey muck
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Perry Mack and Bryan Irons
Deegan 38 All-Terrain Tires - Review
Treads clear the wet sticky snow easily to saunter down the trail
By Perry Mack, photos by Perry Mack and Bryan Irons
Back in 2015, Mickey Thompson (MT) introduced the Deegan 38. I believe the first signature tire offered by a manufacturer. In this case, branded by Brian Deegan – founding member of Metal Mulisha and famed X-Games motocross rider who made the transition to off-road racing,… and Rally cross and Monster trucks. Put the guy on dirt with wheels and he excels.
The original Deegan 38 is a mud terrain tire. You can be forgiven for thinking the 38 is the tire size, it’s not - it is Deegan’s racing number. Two years after the successful intro of the mud tire, Mickey Thompson just released the Deegan 38 All-Terrain, and naturally I had to have a set. The current size range is 29” - 33” OD for wheel sizes of 15”-22”, in standard and LT ratings. We grabbed a set of five LT285/70R17, wrapped them around a set of Mickey Thompson 17x9 Deegan Pro 2 wheels, and started climbing.
Road manners are inspiring and cranking corners hard enough to test our solid Teraflex suspension was secure and confident. If you need to avoid the A-hole turning left from the right hand lane in front of you (really, you couldn’t see a two metre tall bright blue Jeep in your drivers mirror?), you’ll find the cornering and braking excellent.
Wet roads are the norm rather than the exception in springtime, and the special siping and silica reinforced compound did their job of holding onto the pavement in hard braking and cornering.
With the new Rampage Trailview soft top mounted, I expected to hear a lot more noise from the large voids and non-directional tire pattern. Yes, they were slightly noisier than the Blizzak winters that just came off, but much quieter than the 35” MT ATZ P3 from fall. If your rig is also your daily driver, and your significant other is not a wheeler, this is crucial.
At test time, it was the end of April in British Columbia. At this time of year, heavy mists cling to the mountainsides most mornings, and the snow lines and levels change without pattern or warning, and the winter run-off starts to fill the rivers, streams and trails.
We aired the tires down to 10 psi, which provided a nice bulge in the sidewalls and a good footprint against the earth. As we climbed the tires held effortlessly in the loose dirt and rocks. Further up, gathering winter run-off created axle high mud and bumper high water pools, finally changing to sticky wet snow. Naturally you don’t know how far a tire can take you until you get stuck, so I did - when the snow reached the frame. I needed a quick tug to break free and get over the crest (thank-you Rugged Ridge soft shackles, and Marc in your Rubicon).
The tread pattern shed the small rocks, mud and snow cleanly, always providing empty tread ready to eagerly claw up the trail. And what MT dubs the Sidebiter II technology - the pattern of alternating shoulder tread blocks - work like tractor treads to move you through anything they can hook their talons in to.
Sharp rocks and fallen trees are always cause for concern but the silica re-enforced rubber compound proved tougher than the trail, proving MT’s claim that the tires are chip and cut resistant.
MT backs up the tire with an industry leading 60,000-mile (P-metric) and 55,000-mile (light truck Metric sizes) Limited Tread Wear Warranty.
As tire technology continues to improve, off-roaders benefit more than other drivers. If you even think it’s time for a new set of All-Terrain tires for your 4WD, buy these.
Find your tire size at: www.mickeythompsontires.com/off-road/deegan-38-at/