4x4 Clubhouse - Interco TSL Bogger

At 28 psi, the 37" TSL/Boggers are at 96% of their total dimensional size, which is advertised by Interco. The TSL/Bogger is a bias tire, which generally gives very good off-road performance but diminishes street performance. I chose this air pressure to give good street performance during our ventures to and from trails. See the table below for dimensional data.

* Measurements taken with tires on vehicle at pressures specified.

I have been experimenting with tire pressures in various terrains. I have made many assumptions on the correct tire pressure for a typical terrain, only to be fooled by the true ability of this tire. This tire was designed primarily for mud and soft terrain, but I have found that with the correct tire pressure, there are typically no limits to this tire’s ability to work. A number of times I was able to climb some very difficult rock ledges with loose gravel and dirt coverings, with 25 psi in the tires! I discovered however, your tires will perform better with less pressure in these situations. I aired down to 8 psi and climbed the same rock ledge and found it to be effortless. In fact, I could not believe it made such a difference! Many of the tests ran with these tires, I found that 8-10 psi is my typical tire pressure of choice. The sidewalls on the New 37" Super Swamper TSL/Bogger are 4 ply which resist punctures at low pressures. I found the sidewalls are stiff enough to give you sufficient clearance under your differentials, as well as pliable enough to conform to rocks and terrain. The stiffness of the sidewalls has its advantages. You can climb over stumps, rocks, and soft dirt with little worry about popping the tire off the bead. To test this theory, I pointed my Blazer down hill and turned the wheels full crank with only 8 psi in the tires. I chose a dirt hill for this test so it would offer the best traction to try to pop the tire off the bead. At 8psi, the bead held its grip on the rim without problems. I could have experimented with less pressure, but I feel 8 psi is my lowest tire pressure requirement. I suggest experimenting with tire pressures on and off the street for the best performance. On road, I typically run around 28 psi for highway trips and in-town driving. I have driven these tires well over 2500 miles without problems or improper wear. On the street, make sure to check your pressure often. Incorrect tire pressure is one cause of improper wear.

 

Mud

Look up the word "Mud" in the dictionary and I am positive you should find a picture of the Super Swamper TSL/Bogger tire. The New 37" TSL/Bogger is the answer to anyone’s prayers if you live in muddy terrain. If you are in the market for a mud tire, look no further. The TSL/Bogger is the best mud tire on the market - bar none. Don’t believe me? Check the magazines, local mud races and Jamborees. These tires are primarily designed for mud and goo. In mud, the tire is self-cleaning with each revolution. Even when the tire is spun slowly, it does not retain mud in the voids between the treads. The new 37" tire size hepled me through even the deepest of ruts. It seems even when you feel you should be stuck, your truck keeps moving with the help of these tires. As stated before, each lug is a cupped design. The cupped design lets go of mud easily on each revolution of the tire, therefore offering much more traction than Brand X tires, which tend to trap mud. I have witnessed this many times, other tires just do not offer the traction I need in mud. Where other tires are requiring major wheelspin, the TSL/Bogger requires very little. I also found the TSL/Bogger has great reverse traction in mud - almost the same as the forward traction. If you are into muddy terrain, the TSL/Bogger is for you.

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Traction was not a problem in water covered trails.	Our version of the Tank Trap was no problem.

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The 37" TSL/Bogger feels right at home in the mud.	The cupped treads are self-cleaning, even when spun slowly.

 

Rocks

The 37" Super Swamper TSL/Bogger is not only exceptional in the mud, but it fairs well in the rocks. I have pointed my Blazer up many rock ledges and found the tires do their job of finding traction. I have found that tire pressure is critical when rock crawling with the TSL/Boggers. After I found the correct tire pressure in previous tests, I am confident the tires will find the traction I need even in rock covered with dirt and gravel. The rubber compound is soft enough to adhere to rocks and boulders found in most rock crawling trails. With the tires aired down to 8 psi, I crawled through a quarry with sharp, jagged rocks without any sidewall punctures. The tire conforms to many rock surfaces, finding traction - like having "fingers" to grab the rocks. In some occasions where others required bouncing and wheel spin, the TSL/Bogger did not. They prefer slow crawling. I did manage to spin on some rocks with the tire pressure too high and found it tends to rip pieces of the lugs off the carcass. This is easily solved by taking the proper approach and having the correct tire pressure. I found side traction in rocks worked well in dry climates. If the rocks are covered with slick mud or water, the side traction diminishes. The straight through tread is designed for maximum cleaning; therefore the side traction is somewhat low in wet terrain. These tires are able to hold you firmly on the side of a hill in most cases, just be careful and experiment with tire pressures. I have never had these tires fail me in the rocks. I have seen many blown sidewalls on Brand X tires. Don’t leave yourself stranded on the rocks; get a set of Super Swamper TSL/Boggers.

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I was able to climb rocky hills that I had never climbed before.	The TSL/Bogger treads act like "fingers", grabbing traction on rock.

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At 8 psi, the sidewalls are stiff enough to keep the differentials clear of rocks.	Sidewalls are also pliable to adhere to rocks.

 

Sand

My geological location does not offer much in the way of sand. We have the occasional sand bar near creeks and rivers. The sand is typically wet and offers decent traction to many tires. Typically a tall/narrow tire does not work well in sandy conditions. The TSL/Bogger was able to keep me afloat at all speeds. The tire height and width are very proportionate; therefore the tread is wide enough to maintain a good contact patch when properly aired down. One word of caution, if you ever loose momentum while traversing a steep, sandy hill or in extremely dry sand; the TSL/Boggers tend to go south. The cupped tread design does offer good forward traction in sand as long as you can keep the front tires afloat. The tires tend to throw sand just like a paddle tire. Again, with proper pressure these tires can work well in sand.

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In sand, forward traction is good.

 

Loose Dirt

TSL/Boggers work really well in loose dirt; they tend to self-clean, helping to keep traction at its maximum. Again, pressure is important in loose dirt. When I keep around 8 psi in the tires, forward momentum is very good. I observed several occasions where other tires required more tire spin, and the TSL/Bogger needed very little. In fact, I was crawling up steep hills with loose dirt and others were spinning vigorously, fighting for traction all the way.

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Large voids help keep traction at its maximum.	Dirt hills were climbed easily with the TSL/Bogger.

Street

When I ordered my 37" Super Swamper TSL/Boggers, I expected the worst when It came to driveability. There are many tradeoffs when designing a tire for competition as well as street duty. The TSL/Bogger is D.O.T. approved and is quite road worthy. I was shocked after having the tires mounted and balanced, they drove better than the radials I had previously. The tires do howl noticeably, but not overly loud. The TSL/Boggers are a somewhat heavy tire, which require good brakes for your daily driver. This also requires proper gearing for stop and go driving - sufficient power is needed for leaving that stop light in a hurry. The heaviness of this tire also tends to show when you hit potholes or sharp bumps in the pavement. Don’t let this fool you, I have seen many TSL/Bogger equipped rigs which drive to and from trails even hundreds of miles away. I have driven close to 3,000 miles on my TSL/Boggers without a hint of a problem. I check and maintain the tire pressure regularly for proper wear. I have heard stories of only getting 10,000 highway miles from a set of TSL/Boggers but I hardly find it true. With 3,000 miles on my tires, I haven’t noticed much wear at all. Follow Interco’s recommendations on tire pressures and you should have a tire which lasts long for its physical character. The tire is designed with a fairly soft tread compound to get the maximum traction in off-roading situations. The TSL/Bogger did develop a noticeable flat spot when I would allow the truck to sit for a week or so. This flat spot would immediately diminish after a mile or two.

 

Breakage of the Test Vehicle

These tires can make you and break you. I found out on one occasion where the Boggers dig hard enough to break a ring gear in my test vehicle. This happened with little power applied, but when you have a tire that delivers extreme traction, something is bound to give.

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In sand, forward traction is good..The 37" TSL/Bogger proved to be too much for my ½ ton drivetrain.

 

That’s it in a Nutshell

The New Super Swamper TSL/Bogger is a tire that stands true to the Quality of Interco. The 37" tire size shows that Interco can meet the needs of a tough market. Interco never makes any outrageous claims when developing a new tire. They do not need to, because their product gives you many miles of service, regardless of the abuse. I have talked extensively with the Interco staff and I must say, they are very helpful. Interco knows their product very well. I am very pleased with the usefulness of this tire, and I’m confident you will too. So, what are you waiting for? Talk to your local Interco Representative today, and never worry about "going nowhere" again.

Interco Tire Corp. "Tough Tires for Tough Terrain" P.O. Box 6 Rayne, LA 70578-0006 Phone: 337-334-3814 Fax: 337-334-9796 www.intercotire.com