Our D-MAX gets a set of Maxxis RAZR muddies

LET’S be honest, the factory tyres on 4X4 Australia’s D-MAX were never going to stay on for long.

They just aren’t up to the task for what we have been and will continue to put this vehicle through. Not to mention, as you would have seen in the last issue of 4X4 Australia, we’ve since installed a Tough Dog 40mm lift, so the stock tyres were looking a bit undercooked.

So, what did we decide to do? I use the word decide, as Editor Matt and myself spent a considerable amount of time deciding what the best wheel and tyre combination would be.

As this is a showpiece for the magazine, we wanted it to look good. At the same token, it had to be street legal. This is where a compromise was reached, and instead of running the biggest rubber we could squeeze in the guards, we chose some of the most aggressive we could find.

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Compromise is actually too strong of a word, as hands down these mud terrains are the quietest and most mild-mannered mud terrains I’ve ever driven on. Honestly, you wouldn’t know you were driving on muddies as there’s none of that usual hum (or roar) you’d expect from such an aggressive tread pattern.

After a great experience running the Maxxis RAZR MT772 tyres on the 4X4 Australia Ranger, we chose to give them another run.

Maxxis states on its website that these are designed for 15 per cent on-road and 85 per cent off-road use, but I’ve since racked up more than 5000km on these tyres and at no stage have they acted strangely on road. This includes a trip to Melbourne from Sydney and back, two trips to Stockton Beach in the pouring rain, as well as general day-to-day driving.

"These things clear mud quicker than I can clear my bank account on pay day"

Off-road, forget about it. These things clear mud quicker than I can clear my bank account on pay day (damn you Facebook Marketplace). They grip to rocks really well too, thanks to the soft compound and staggered shoulder blocks.

We chose the Maxxis RAZR muddies in a 265x70R17 size. For those playing along at home, these fit the D-MAX without scrubbing at all after installing the 40mm lift kit. A quick look at the Maxxis website shows an impressive selection of sizes available to suit a range of rim sizes, from 15 to 20 inches.

The tyres were fitted at my local Maxxis dealer, Active Automotives in Blaxland, who did a great job fitting and balancing the tyres. For five tyres, fitted and balanced, we were charged $1654, which works out to $329 per tyre. Not bad at all for an aggressive mud-terrain tyre that we’re happy to be used every day of the week.