During all of our snow testing, the
only “stuck” we encountered was
due to ground clearance, not lack
of traction.48 SEPTEMBER 2019 FOUR WHEELER fourwheeler.com
Tire Test Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus
thankful for the tread grooves and their dili-
gent direction of water out from beneath the
tires, preventing hydroplaning even at highway
speeds and during braking.
The Rocks
Although we wouldn’t pick the Pirelli
Scorpion All Terrain Plus for our next dedi-
cated rock buggy, we made darn sure to test
them out on a few ’crawling adventures.
Seeing as street pressure gave these tires as
much sidewall flex as a regulation basketball,
we broke out the deflator and dropped them
down to about 20 psi. Sure enough, the con-
tact patch increased and the sidewalls flowed
around the boulders, giving us the grip we
needed as we expertly picked lines through
rugged rock gardens. The weakest link in the
new Scorpion is the two-ply sidewall, and ex-
tra care is required if you spend more of your
time among jagged rocks.
The Gravel
To keep our off-road desires satisfied on the
journey from Ohio to California, we planned
dirt detours at least once every 24 hours. While
crossing America’s Heartland, that meant a
handful of gravel county roads to break from<|->We hit the thickest mud during the early part of
our test and found it to be the tire’s weak point. How-
ever, with some correct line choice and momentum,
it proved its worth and got us through the trail.SPECIFICATIONS (as tested)
Tire: Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus
Size: 285/70R17
Type: Radial all-terrain
Load range: D
Max load (lb): 3,200 @ 65 psi
Sidewall construction: 2-ply polyester
Tread construction: 2-ply polyester, 2-ply steel, 2-ply nylon
Approved rim width (in): 7.5-9
Tread depth (in): 15 ⁄ 32
Section width (in): 11.5
Overall diameter (in): 32.8
Maximum psi: 65
Weight (lb): 54