2006 MOAB
Moab Rated Tires for Extreme TerrainPro Comp brought its first off-road tire to Moab, Utah in 2000 when it donated 100 M/T tires to the Red Rock 4WD Club for use and abuse. If you've never been there, the trails in Moab vary from a hard rock surface, often referred to as slickrock, to red dirt and sandy areas. If a tire can find traction in this diverse terrain and still handle highway speeds, then Pro Comp feels they can satisfy the requirements of most off-roading customers. Of course, an off- road tire must also look rugged. Since that first excursion to Moab, Pro Comp has returned every year to test other tread designs, materials and unique sizes. 2006 was no different.
ProComp executives, staff and friends gathered at the Behind the Rocks Trail during the 2006 Moab Easter Jeep Safari. Usually 4-wheelers don't need an excuse to run a trail, but this time the rumors of a new "sticking" compound and the launch of a new tire design attracted nearly 60 rigs. The steak lunch may have contributed to the success of the trail ride, but there was little doubt that everyone was there to determine if there is any truth to the rumors.
pAfter sliding down Nose Dive Hill, the vehicles climbed out of the wash on the obstacle called Upchuck. The fun just never ends.
Picture Frame Arch provided the perfect lunch spot and time to talk about the new tire design. Steaks were prepared on the spot by a local Moab catering service.
These days trail rides start a little different than they did even 10 years ago. About a third of the vehicles were not street legal or could not be driven safely at highway speeds. So they were trailered to the Behind The Rocks trailhead about 10 miles south of town on Highway 191. This trail carries a 4+ rating but it is no match for most of the tricked-out vehicles that showed up for the run.
The first obstacle to provide a photo opportunity came as the vehicles climbed to the ridge overlooking Highway 191. One by one each of the vehicles equipped with ProComp tires clawed their way to the top of a steep rock face. All four tread designs were represented: Pro Comp All Terrain, Pro Comp All Terrain A/T, Pro Comp Mud Terrain and the Pro Comp Xterrain, and now rock crawling competitors can order the Xterrain tires with a new sticky compound. Because this extremely sticky rubber compound creates a labor-intensive manufacturing environment for a tire in a very narrow market, the sticky Xterrains will be manufactured on a limited production basis. Scott Ward, president of ProComp told the group; "The sticky compound Xterrain tire is a Competition Only tire and will only be offered in two sizes: 40x13.50R20 and 37x13.50R17."
During the Easter Jeep Safari the town of Moab welcomes off-roaders into town. Law enforcement on the other hand looks at the guests with mixed emotions. Over the past few years they have become less tolerant of larger tires without mud flaps, vehicles without windshields and exceeding the speed limit (2 mph over is too much).
The first obstacle is a steep climb up onto a ridge near the start of the trail. Scott Ward, president of Pro Comp piloted his personal Scrambler across the trail on a set of Pro Comp Xterrains.
Continuing down the trail...
After three miles of negotiating narrow dirt roads with an occassional rough spot, the group reached a couple of more serious obstacles known as High Dive and Upchuck. High Dive is a steep, ledgy section that leads down into a wash and Upchuck is the name given to the steep climb out the other side. By the time all the vehicles reached the top of Upchuck most of the group was thinking about lunch. So rather than turning around and running back through High Dive and Upchuck, the group moved on to the lunch spot at Picture Frame Rock near the county road.
At the lunch stop, Mr. Ward provided the group with a sneak preview of an all-new tire by passing around a sample of the tread. The new ProComp Xtreme M/T is for those off roaders who want more performance from their mud tires. The new Xtreme M/T is manufactured with Xtreme Traction Compound (XTC) and has a 3-ply sidewall on all sizes. The "Tri-Ply" sidewall construction, combined with two layers of opposed-angle steel belting and a seamless layer of nylon that spans the tread surface, gives the Xtreme M/T up to a 10-ply rating. The new tire will give your vehicle maximum traction in the mud and snow and perform well in the sand. On the street it produces low-noise levels and provides long tread life.
Klaus Hubrich from Pro Comp slides down White Knuckle Hill near the end of the trail. Of course several folks in our group couldn’t leave the area until they climbed or at least made attempts at climbing back up White Knuckle Hill.
Pictured is Nose Dive Hill, an easy obstacle in a buggy. However, climbing back up Nose Dive Hill is definitely more challenging and several in our group took that challenge.
Pro Comp is planning to debut three sizes of the new Xtreme M/T tires at the 2006 SEMA Show: LT305/70R18 (35x12.50R18), 37x12.50R17 and 38.50x14.50x18. Other sizes will follow in a wide range of wheel sizes. The original 37x12.50x17 and 35x12.50x18 Mud Terrains will also get a new shoulder and side-biter. With the new Xterrain M/T, Pro Comp will have five distinctive tread designs to choose from.
Finishing up the trail...
After lunch the group headed over to the drop-off appropriately named "White Knuckle Hill." This ten-foot drop will stand a 4x4 on its nose, causing the drivers' hands to put a death grip on the steering wheel, hence the name. After all the vehicles reached the bottom of the hill some drivers worked at climbing back up. The spinning tires, racing motors and bouncing vehicles provided an even better photo opportunity.
Pro Comp has designed and tested four tread designs for the off highway market: ProComp All Terrrain, Pro Comp All A/T, Pro Comp Mud Terrain and Pro Comp Xterrain.
Here’s the new tread design. The new Xtreme M/T is for those off-roaders who want a little more from their tire. The new tire is manufactured with the XTC compound and has a 3-ply sidewall.
As the day came to a close, the group scattered out along the county road. The county road connects with Highway 191 a short distance south of the trailhead. For those who trailered their vehicles, it was a quick drive on the highway back to the staging area.
All the tough trails in Moab have been run with Pro Comp Tires. Xtreme tires for Extreme Trails.
About the author:
Rick Russell produces off-road maps, a trail ride videos series and an Off-Road Event Calendar. Sidekick Off- Road products can be found in 4-Wheel Parts Stores including #4 Moab, #16 Moab Extreme, the Sidekick Off- Road Map of Moab Trails and a Moab Bandana Map. For more information visit: www.sidekickoffroad.com or call 877-628-7227.