Mamoth AZ to Turkey Creek Overnight 09-25-2610
Pit Bull Growler Tire test.
I had the opportunity to test the American Made Growler Pit Bull XOR 8 ply rated tires on one of the roughest trails in the Beautiful Sonoran southwest deserts of southern Arizona for a weekend outing. For the test we used a 2010 Kawasaki Teryx 750 side by side. The first time I looked at the Pit Bull tires I was very impressed. The lugs are huge. They are flexible but firm. These things look like they could climb up a wall. The sidewall is very unique as well with wording such as Honor Guts & Glory plus Extreme Off Road Radial. These tires look like monsters. One thing to keep in mind they are taller than stock tires as the come in ½ inch taller sizes. On our test unit we had 25.5x8x12 on the front and 25.5x10x12 for the rear.
We had decided on an overnight camp trip from Mammoth AZ to Turkey Creek and back. Since I had the only side by side I was elected to carry the most gear. I was fine with that as we kept piling it high in the bed of the Teryx. I had my flat pack of gas along with gas for the Joyner, so a total of 10 gallons of gas, an ice chest full of food and drinks, a grill, a couple of tents, a few sleeping bags, my tool bag, a few backpacks and misc stuff. Needless to say I was loaded. I could not look over my shoulder and see what was behind me. This trail is famous for a hill climb called carpet hill. It is about ¾ of a mile long, very steep at times with extremely loose rocks with large boulders. This hill is no joke. You need to be on your A game as it can throw you if you are not paying attention.
The hill got its name in the early 1930’s when a man built a cabin back in the mountains. I met his grandson on a one of my trips there and he said his Grandfather used to drive his car up this hill. At times it would get snow on it and the only way he would get traction was to put carpet in some areas of the hill. You can still see remnants of the carpet on the hill today.
We had 2 other 4x4 quads a modified Joyner Sand Viper with a Polaris 500 motor and a modified desert race ready sport quad. Traveling along the main roads the Pit Bull tires were smooth and straight. As we approached carpet hill the trail was becoming rockier. We stopped at the top to make sure everyone got a look at what was coming up. This was where the fun began. The first part of the hill is quite steep with a large rut in the middle of the trail plus you had to make a 90 degree turn after about 50 yards to start into the loose rocky section. The Teryx with the Pit Bull Growlers on crawled down the side of the hill like it was a Sunday drive. There we no slipping what so ever as we rolled down the hill. This was where Bill on his sport quad started to get a worried look on his face as he realized he would have to come back up this hill. I had sent him photos of a prior trip so he knew what he was getting into. Going downhill is not usually a problem for most tires; the real test is going up when you need traction. (Little did we know we were about to find this out soon) We all made it down the hill with no issues but as soon as we started to climb up the next loose hill, Bill on his sport quad lost his master link on his chain. This is not a good sign. After looking for the link for awhile and trying a trail fix, we decided the only way to get him out was for me to pull him up carpet hill with the Teryx I was skeptical to say the least. Especially with it fully loaded. We decided to give it a go with Jeff as my wingman in the Side by side with me. (Jeff is an extremely experienced rock crawler quad-side by side rider) We turned around got Bill hooked up with the tow rope and headed up the hill. I stopped after the first 100 yards to check on Bill. He said he could not believe how the Pit Bull tires had not even slipped at all. I told him to not get too excited as we were still on the hard pack. These tires have excellent grip on hard pack. As we took off again we hit the very loose, steep, boulder strewn hill. The Pit Bulls dug in throwing rocks everywhere until I tried to wedge the Teryx between two large boulders. I was stopped in my tracks as I dug 4 large holes. I backed up a couple of times and tried to make it up the loose area but I kept getting hung up on the large boulder on my left. It would spin me 90 degrees to the left and have to stop so I did not roll down the hill. We unhooked and I was able to get buy the boulders easily. Then we hooked up a longer tow strap. I told Bill to hang on as when we got going I was not stopping until we got to the top. I nailed the throttle and off we went. The Pit Bulls were digging and clawing their way up the hill. It was amazing how much dirt and rocks the Teryx was throwing as we kept up the climb. The last hard right turn I thought we were going over as we hit an off camber rut in the middle of the turn along with some miss placed boulders. We were in the air heading for our side but I kept the gas pedal pinned and when the tires hit the ground they dug in pulled us through up the last part of the hill. I whole heartily do not think I could have pulled him up this nasty hill on the stock tires. I just would not have gotten the traction.
When we stopped at the top Bill got off his quad shaking but we made it. I had another friend try to pull another quad up this same hill without any luck. He ended up towing him all the way to Klondike and having to drive his quad back to the staging area then go around with the trailer to pick him up.
At this point Don (Bill’s friend) said he would tow his friend back to the truck as they rode together and see us on another ride. We were back to the easy roads about 5 miles from the truck.
Jeff drove the Teryx back down the hill and was amazed how well the Teryx carved through the corners on the way down the hill.
We met back up with Dion and my Grandson Tyler that were waiting in the shade.
We headed off over one mountain after another through loose, rough rocky terrain. The last part of the trail has lots of rock ledge drop offs. There are going to be fun going back up.
We made it t our camp site on Turkey Creek. This area is heavily wooded and it is cool with water in the creek. We camped within walking distance of old cliff dwelling. Tyler and I walked over to it after setting up the tents. There is a sign placed near the dwelling that says it was built by Indian farmers in 1350 AD. It is in completely intact.
The next morning after an awesome breakfast made by Jeff we loaded up to head out. I thought I would have less, but it seemed like the load grew. Oh well it is loaded and we are ready to roll.
The first part of the trail is beautiful with the full canopy of trees and the creek, but it is short lived as we start to climb out the trail having to claw up and over one rock ledge after another. Some of the ledges reminded me of Moab Utah where you need to do the Moab bump. The Pit Bull tires were Outstanding on the rocks. At times you could hear the lugs start to slip and grab hold of the rocks. There was one spot that had jagged rocks that we had to climb over. I put the Teryx in low and locked in the front diff. The tires clawed their way to the top without spinning at all. Incredible.
After going up one mountain after another we were back to carpet hill. A short break later we were off up the hill.
Wow, what a difference climbing out of this nasty steep, loose hill without having to pull a quad up behind me. With the Pit Bull Growlers digging in I had zero trouble going up the mountain. I was able to crawl over boulders and power up the loose rocky terrain with ease. What an amazing difference going up without towing a quad.
The last part of the road back is an easy road where you could pick up the speed a bit. The Pit Bulls tracked around the hairpin turns easily. These have to be the best all around tires I have driven on in super tough terrain. As an added benefit they are American Made.
There are 3 different types of Pit Bull Tires for your Quad or UTV”
Pit Bull - Growler XOR 6 ply rated
Pit Bull - Growler UBER XOR 8 Ply rated
Rocker UBER XOR 8 Ply rated
They come in 12 inch and 14 inch sizes.
For all the different sizes check out http://www.pitbulltires.com
Read MoreI had the opportunity to test the American Made Growler Pit Bull XOR 8 ply rated tires on one of the roughest trails in the Beautiful Sonoran southwest deserts of southern Arizona for a weekend outing. For the test we used a 2010 Kawasaki Teryx 750 side by side. The first time I looked at the Pit Bull tires I was very impressed. The lugs are huge. They are flexible but firm. These things look like they could climb up a wall. The sidewall is very unique as well with wording such as Honor Guts & Glory plus Extreme Off Road Radial. These tires look like monsters. One thing to keep in mind they are taller than stock tires as the come in ½ inch taller sizes. On our test unit we had 25.5x8x12 on the front and 25.5x10x12 for the rear.
We had decided on an overnight camp trip from Mammoth AZ to Turkey Creek and back. Since I had the only side by side I was elected to carry the most gear. I was fine with that as we kept piling it high in the bed of the Teryx. I had my flat pack of gas along with gas for the Joyner, so a total of 10 gallons of gas, an ice chest full of food and drinks, a grill, a couple of tents, a few sleeping bags, my tool bag, a few backpacks and misc stuff. Needless to say I was loaded. I could not look over my shoulder and see what was behind me. This trail is famous for a hill climb called carpet hill. It is about ¾ of a mile long, very steep at times with extremely loose rocks with large boulders. This hill is no joke. You need to be on your A game as it can throw you if you are not paying attention.
The hill got its name in the early 1930’s when a man built a cabin back in the mountains. I met his grandson on a one of my trips there and he said his Grandfather used to drive his car up this hill. At times it would get snow on it and the only way he would get traction was to put carpet in some areas of the hill. You can still see remnants of the carpet on the hill today.
We had 2 other 4x4 quads a modified Joyner Sand Viper with a Polaris 500 motor and a modified desert race ready sport quad. Traveling along the main roads the Pit Bull tires were smooth and straight. As we approached carpet hill the trail was becoming rockier. We stopped at the top to make sure everyone got a look at what was coming up. This was where the fun began. The first part of the hill is quite steep with a large rut in the middle of the trail plus you had to make a 90 degree turn after about 50 yards to start into the loose rocky section. The Teryx with the Pit Bull Growlers on crawled down the side of the hill like it was a Sunday drive. There we no slipping what so ever as we rolled down the hill. This was where Bill on his sport quad started to get a worried look on his face as he realized he would have to come back up this hill. I had sent him photos of a prior trip so he knew what he was getting into. Going downhill is not usually a problem for most tires; the real test is going up when you need traction. (Little did we know we were about to find this out soon) We all made it down the hill with no issues but as soon as we started to climb up the next loose hill, Bill on his sport quad lost his master link on his chain. This is not a good sign. After looking for the link for awhile and trying a trail fix, we decided the only way to get him out was for me to pull him up carpet hill with the Teryx I was skeptical to say the least. Especially with it fully loaded. We decided to give it a go with Jeff as my wingman in the Side by side with me. (Jeff is an extremely experienced rock crawler quad-side by side rider) We turned around got Bill hooked up with the tow rope and headed up the hill. I stopped after the first 100 yards to check on Bill. He said he could not believe how the Pit Bull tires had not even slipped at all. I told him to not get too excited as we were still on the hard pack. These tires have excellent grip on hard pack. As we took off again we hit the very loose, steep, boulder strewn hill. The Pit Bulls dug in throwing rocks everywhere until I tried to wedge the Teryx between two large boulders. I was stopped in my tracks as I dug 4 large holes. I backed up a couple of times and tried to make it up the loose area but I kept getting hung up on the large boulder on my left. It would spin me 90 degrees to the left and have to stop so I did not roll down the hill. We unhooked and I was able to get buy the boulders easily. Then we hooked up a longer tow strap. I told Bill to hang on as when we got going I was not stopping until we got to the top. I nailed the throttle and off we went. The Pit Bulls were digging and clawing their way up the hill. It was amazing how much dirt and rocks the Teryx was throwing as we kept up the climb. The last hard right turn I thought we were going over as we hit an off camber rut in the middle of the turn along with some miss placed boulders. We were in the air heading for our side but I kept the gas pedal pinned and when the tires hit the ground they dug in pulled us through up the last part of the hill. I whole heartily do not think I could have pulled him up this nasty hill on the stock tires. I just would not have gotten the traction.
When we stopped at the top Bill got off his quad shaking but we made it. I had another friend try to pull another quad up this same hill without any luck. He ended up towing him all the way to Klondike and having to drive his quad back to the staging area then go around with the trailer to pick him up.
At this point Don (Bill’s friend) said he would tow his friend back to the truck as they rode together and see us on another ride. We were back to the easy roads about 5 miles from the truck.
Jeff drove the Teryx back down the hill and was amazed how well the Teryx carved through the corners on the way down the hill.
We met back up with Dion and my Grandson Tyler that were waiting in the shade.
We headed off over one mountain after another through loose, rough rocky terrain. The last part of the trail has lots of rock ledge drop offs. There are going to be fun going back up.
We made it t our camp site on Turkey Creek. This area is heavily wooded and it is cool with water in the creek. We camped within walking distance of old cliff dwelling. Tyler and I walked over to it after setting up the tents. There is a sign placed near the dwelling that says it was built by Indian farmers in 1350 AD. It is in completely intact.
The next morning after an awesome breakfast made by Jeff we loaded up to head out. I thought I would have less, but it seemed like the load grew. Oh well it is loaded and we are ready to roll.
The first part of the trail is beautiful with the full canopy of trees and the creek, but it is short lived as we start to climb out the trail having to claw up and over one rock ledge after another. Some of the ledges reminded me of Moab Utah where you need to do the Moab bump. The Pit Bull tires were Outstanding on the rocks. At times you could hear the lugs start to slip and grab hold of the rocks. There was one spot that had jagged rocks that we had to climb over. I put the Teryx in low and locked in the front diff. The tires clawed their way to the top without spinning at all. Incredible.
After going up one mountain after another we were back to carpet hill. A short break later we were off up the hill.
Wow, what a difference climbing out of this nasty steep, loose hill without having to pull a quad up behind me. With the Pit Bull Growlers digging in I had zero trouble going up the mountain. I was able to crawl over boulders and power up the loose rocky terrain with ease. What an amazing difference going up without towing a quad.
The last part of the road back is an easy road where you could pick up the speed a bit. The Pit Bulls tracked around the hairpin turns easily. These have to be the best all around tires I have driven on in super tough terrain. As an added benefit they are American Made.
There are 3 different types of Pit Bull Tires for your Quad or UTV”
Pit Bull - Growler XOR 6 ply rated
Pit Bull - Growler UBER XOR 8 Ply rated
Rocker UBER XOR 8 Ply rated
They come in 12 inch and 14 inch sizes.
For all the different sizes check out http://www.pitbulltires.com
