Pizza Cutters: Skinny All-Terrain Tires (Best for Daily Driving and Off-Roading?)
Updated: Aug 19
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TL;DR / Quick Summary
The Upgrade: Swapped out loud, heavy Nitto Trail Grapplers (72.6 lbs, C-rated) on the Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel for true "pizza cutter" Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/Ts (64 lbs, E-rated, 35x10x17 / 255/85R17).
Better Road Manners: The new skinny A/Ts eliminate highway noise while delivering a significantly smoother daily ride without sacrificing rugged capability.
Off-Road Advantages: The tall, narrow profile fits stock 7.5-inch rims with zero modifications, cuts down through mud and snow to find solid ground, and creates a long, high-traction contact patch when aired down.
Improved Efficiency: Reduced rotational mass, less rolling resistance, and improved aerodynamics help boost overall fuel economy.
What You Will Learn In This Post
Finding the right tire balance between a comfortable daily commute and dependable trail capability is one of the toughest decisions for any rig owner. In this breakdown, you will see why replacing worn, loud wide-profile rubber with true pizza cutter all-terrain tires transformed the driving dynamics of our Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel both on and off the pavement.
We take a detailed, side-by-side look at the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T (35x10x17) versus traditional wide all-terrain tires. You will discover how shedding rotational weight with an E-rated PowerPly XD carcass delivers quieter highway cruising, predictable cornering stability, and trail-ready sidewall puncture resistance without requiring wheel spacers or aftermarket offsets.
Finally, we break down the core mechanical benefits of running tall, skinny tires on the trail. You will learn how narrow tread profiles dig through mud and snow to find hard-packed traction, how airing down elongates your footprint for maximum grip, and why lower rolling resistance pays dividends at the fuel pump during long-distance overlanding trips.
New Tire Day! I'm Stoked To Get Skinny All-Terrain Tires Mounted On The Gladiator EcoDiesel!
I love the smell of new off-road tires in the morning—it smells like adventure! And this morning, my trusty Jeep Gladiator was getting a fresh set of rubber. After many miles, it was time to say goodbye to the old Nittos and welcome a new era of all-terrain performance.
Very Few Choices If You Want Pizza-Cutter Size Tires On Your Rig
I decided to take the Nitto Trail Grapplers Off our Gladiator Ecodiesel and have Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T Pizza Cutter size tires installed. Way better road manners, great off-road performance. As far as I know the only other tires that qualify as Pizza Cutters are Kenda Klevers. I recently put them on my Wrangler Ecodiesel. Check those tires out here: Hidden Jeep Transformation: 35s, Wheels & Secret Setup
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss: Great Road & Trail - Difficult Balance
Baja Boss are some of the best tires out there. In fact they are legendary. Great road manners, awesome traction on the trail, and great road manners. The only negative (we have had them a year now) is they can be difficult to balance. Where I bought mine the do standar balancing. After the first rotation we ended up with a Death Wobble. One tire out of balance can do that. I solvedy my Death Wobble problem by taking the Nuclear Option. See my Death Wobble Fix: Critical Parts Installs Series.
My recommendation if you put these on your rig, have them Road Force Balanced.
Out with the Old, In with the New
The Gladiator's last set of tires, the Nitto Trail Grapplers, were beasts off-road. They were all-terrain tires but definitely not skinny. They handled being aired down incredibly well, and their off-road traction was excellent. But as they wore down, their highway manners left something to be desired. They sounded like a freight train had taken up residence in my wheel wells, and with a useful lifespan of only about 32,000 miles, it was time for a change.
My wife uses the Gladiator as her daily driver, so I needed a tire that could balance daily highway use with the demands of overlanding and off-road adventures.
Took My Lumps In The Comments: Not Pizza Cutters?
To me, they looked tall and narrow, like a supermodel on a diet, but the tire experts who watched my original "Pizza Cutter" video had other ideas—and boy, did they let me know! Apparently, a Toyo Open Country M/T 225/75/17 is not a "true" Pizza Cutter. Who knew tires had such high standards? Guys who probably know tire sizes better than I know my own shoe size from all over the globe chimed in. I mean, come on, if I can't slice a pizza with it, what’s the point? Maybe I should just start calling them "Pizza Pretenders"!
Watch that video for yourself and make up your own mind, leave a comment: Pizza Cutters | Why narrow tires are better for Overlanding.
Introducing the True "Pizza Cutters"
Nobody will be able to call me out on this new set! I'm talking about the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T in a 35x10x17 size, or in metric, a 255/85/R17.
They are tall and skinny, with an asymmetrical tread design that gives them a Jekyll and Hyde factor, looking like half all-terrain and half mud-terrain. They're definitely aggressive for an A/T tire. And just like my previous Toyos and Nittos, these are made right here in the good old USA.
A Closer Look at the Baja Boss A/T Compared To The Nitto Trail Grapplers
The Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T has a few key features that make it stand out:
Weight & Construction: Listed at 64 lbs in this size, they’re significantly lighter than the 72.6 lbs of the old Nittos. The PowerPly XD construction gives them an E rating, providing a more durable and puncture-resistant sidewall. Nittos were a "C" rated tire. Added stiffness should bring stability a wider tire would give when cornering.
Performance: I've already put about 120 highway miles on them, and a fresh alignment has them dialed in perfectly and they are quiet. The Nittos got so loud I couldn't turn the radio up enough to drowned them out. The Baja Boss also handle washboard roads really well, even without being aired down.
We’ll really put these tires to the test this September when we join the Jeep Jamboree in Ouray, Colorado. I'll be sure to do a follow-up review after they've had a chance to get their boots really dusty!
Why Go with a Skinny All-Terrain Tire?
Pizza Cutters might not be the typical look for an off-road rig, but when it comes to function, tall skinny tires get the job done. Here’s why I went with this size:
Fitment: The 35x10x17 size fits perfectly on the Jeep's stock 7.5-inch rim, eliminating the need for spacers, weird mods, or changes to the wheel offset.
Performance on the Trail: Narrow tires are more likely to cut through mud and snow to find solid ground, while wider tires tend to float on top.
Traction: When you air down a skinny tire, the contact patch lengthens, which gives you more grip and prevents wheel spin.
Fuel Economy: Less rolling and wind resistance, along with a lighter weight, should lead to fuel mileage gains over a wider, heavier tire.
The End of an Era, and the Start of a New One
Choosing the right tire is a huge commitment. We ask so much of our tires—driving at high speeds on hot pavement, airing them down for rough terrain, and carrying our heavy vehicles and gear. And they do it all without complaint. Researching your choices is the best way to grow your tire IQ and ensure you make a choice that works for you. I'm excited about this new era for the Gladiator, with the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T as the perfect tire to lead the way.
The days of worrying about a tire's highway manners are gone. The days of epic overlanding adventures are here to stay. And with these pizza cutters, the best is yet to come.
Fun Fact About Used Tires - They Used To Be Dumped, Catch On Fire And Burn In The Ground For Years
Conclusion: Baja Boss A/Ts Are The Best Of Both Worlds
These tires tear up the trail. The Gladiator has been rocking them for a year and tore up the trails around Ouray when we attended the Jeep Jamboree there. Good fuel mileage is another benefit but that may be due to my decision to have 35X10X17 Pizza Cutters installed. All in all a great overall tire that also seems to be wearing well. No regrets with these tires!
Muddy Ruttzz is a digital creator, overlander, and DIY builder documenting rugged vehicle builds and outdoor adventures. Backed by a career in industrial sheet metal fabrication, heavy infrastructure construction, and mechanical maintenance, he provides practical, trade-tested technical guides for real-world off-road performance.
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