Thornbirds-A Good Idea?

[big351bronc]

I have found some 33x10.50x15 TSL Thornbirds for $120/tire. I think they look awesome, but are they really worth it? I am lifting this summer, and if I can get them at this price (which I think is pretty good) then I might go ahead and buy them. If anyone has any pros/cons on these tires it would be great. Also, I really want to know if it is a somewhat decent highway ride b/c Im on the hightway for 2hrs bwtween Macon and Statesboro every now and again. And if possible, any guess on the amount of miles I can get out if them?
Thanks

 

[Robb]

I have found some 33x10.50x15 TSL Thornbirds for $120/tire. I think they look awesome, but are they really worth it?

Never owned any, but from 98% of the, maybe, 100 opinions I have read about them, "look"s is all they have going for them. They "look" aggresive, so people buy them. Performance wise, they are apparently junk!

For $120, you should be able to find a tire with a MUCH better performance record.

 

[Blee1099]

I would wait.. If you plan on lifting it, you'll probably want 33s so its better to save the money and just keep the 30s..

 

[jasonb]

i'd get a standard ole mud tire honestly. like robb said, i've never heard anything good about thornbirds. there has to be a reason people refer to them as "THORNTURDS". they look good but that's about it. i've seen them in action once and they were normal. that was on dry dirt and rock though where i've also seen ATs do just as good.
save it for a standard run of the mill mud terrain and you'll get more life and a quieter ride and most likely, better performance. i've heard they are about the worst tire for the road.

btw.. what lift are you going with? i'm not too far up the road if you need help with any of it.

 

[big351bronc]

well thanks for the help. I guess ill go back to BFG M/T's like I had on the Bronco.

Jason, Im doing a tt/aal/shackle lift, and possibly a 2"BL (hoping for 33" but probably will bend up with 32"s). But yeah, Ill definitly need some help. Where abouts is Sewanee? We need to go offroadin sometime. Ill probably have to come up there cause there are very few places in Macon, and all the good ones that I went to in high school are being blocked off. But thanks.

 

[boominXplorer]

My buddy has some on his Ram. They are good in dirt but are not good in mud at all unless there are ruts because they have massive sidewall tread. They just fill up with mud and go nowhere if its soupy stuff. Like everyone else says go for regular mud terrain.

 

[jimbo74]

they look badass... but suck on anything other than street... and they suck there too becuase of mileage longevity- they dont have it....

 

[james t]

I had friends that owned them and after riding/driving/wheeling them ill give my .02-

They look really badass.

On the street they have all the shortcomings of a typical bias Swamper. The dont ride that great, they are loud, they flat spot, and they wear fairly quickly.

Offroad they act like an all-terrain. They are ok in dirt, but absolutely suck in the mud. A typical "whatever brand" radial MT will flat out spank a Thornbird in real mud.

My opinion is this... if you're going to suffer through the pain of daily driving on a rough bias ply tire, then get one that will perform. There is no way i would ride around the streets on a bias swamper only to have them do so-so offroad. The whole part of tolerating a swamper on a daily driver is rewarded with the ultimate in offroad traction. The Thornbird does not live up to the swamper legend offroad.

Invariably im going to piss someone off with this, but so be it

 

[tcndeb]

I have Thornbirds on my truck right now, and they are terrible on the highway. The work OK off road, but I've never had them in deep mud so I can't vouch for that. I'm in the process of getting new tires for my rig so I can junk the Thornbirds.

 

[big351bronc]

thanks yall for the comments. ive changed my ming, and thin i will sove the money for some bfg's or pro comps.

 

[Zurn]

If you want 33x10.50's in a MT look at the TSL Radials. I was told these are great MT tires that is ok on road. You can get them for around $120 a tire as well. Check OK4WD.com. I could only find four tires that came in a 33x10.50, Thornbirds, TSL Radial, BFG AT, and BFG MT. I went with the AT's cause my truck is driven every day on road but I was told I would be happy with the TSL's too, the just wouldn't last as long.

 

[jasonb]

just found a great use for some of them!

 

[big351bronc]

Thats a good picture!