MRT has expanded its UTV tire lineup with the new Power Slide, a purpose-built 35-inch sand tire combination designed for high-performance side-by-sides.
Rather than simply developing a rear paddle tire, MRT approached the Power Slide as a matched front-and-rear dune setup. The combination pairs a narrow 35x11R15 front tire featuring MRT’s DuneLine center rib with a wider 35x13R15 rear equipped with 12 paddles.
Just as noteworthy is the weight. Despite their 35-inch size, MRT lists the Power Slide front at 34.4 pounds and the rear paddle at 37.8 pounds.
For more information, visit the MRT Power Slide product page.
MRT Power Slide Front
MRT Power Slide Front and Rear Sand Tires
Sand presents a very different set of requirements than hardpack, rocks or desert terrain. Instead of relying on the same aggressive conventional tread pattern at all four corners, a dedicated dune setup typically gives the front and rear tires very different jobs.
The MRT Power Slide Front is a 35x11R15 tire featuring what MRT calls its DuneLine center rib. The relatively narrow profile and directional center rib are designed to provide steering control while allowing the tire to move through loose sand without the drag created by a more aggressive conventional tread.
At the rear, the MRT Power Slide Rear measures 35x13R15 and uses 12 paddles. MRT lists paddle depth at 25.4mm, or approximately one inch. Rather than providing steering control, the rear tire’s primary job is converting engine power into forward drive through the sand.
Together, the two designs create a complete 35-inch dune setup rather than requiring owners to mix front and rear tires from different product families.
MRT Power Slide Rear
Lightweight 35-Inch UTV Sand Tires
One of the more interesting Power Slide specifications is weight.
The 35x11R15 front weighs a claimed 34.4 pounds, while the larger 35x13R15 rear comes in at 37.8 pounds.
Tire weight becomes increasingly important as tire diameter increases. A tire isn’t simply additional vehicle weight; it is also rotating and unsprung mass that the drivetrain has to accelerate and the suspension has to control.
That can be especially important in sand, where maintaining wheel speed and keeping a UTV in its powerband are critical to maintaining momentum.
Tire weight alone doesn’t determine dune performance. Paddle design, tire diameter, gearing, horsepower, vehicle weight, air pressure and sand conditions all play a role. But keeping a 35-inch sand tire relatively light gives MRT an interesting starting point for today’s increasingly powerful sport UTVs.
Kawasaki Teryx H2 With MRT Power Slide Tires
4-Ply Construction Designed Specifically for Sand
The Power Slide also takes a different approach to carcass construction than many modern all-terrain, desert and rock-crawling UTV tires.
Both the front and rear Power Slide are listed as 4-ply tires.
That may initially stand out in a market where 8-ply and even heavier-duty tire constructions have become common, but sand presents a different set of priorities than rocks and desert terrain.
MRT says the Power Slide’s 4-ply construction was developed to provide the flexibility needed in a sand tire while keeping weight down.
A more flexible carcass can also help a tire develop a larger footprint when pressures are reduced for dune use, allowing the tire to float over soft terrain rather than simply digging downward.
This is one application where comparing ply ratings alone doesn’t tell the entire story.
MRT Power Slide Specifications
| Specification | Power Slide Front | Power Slide Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 35x11R15 | 35x13R15 |
| Weight | 34.4 lb. | 37.8 lb. |
| Construction | 4-ply | 4-ply |
| Recommended Wheel | 15×8 / 15×9 | 15×9 / 15×10 / 15×11 |
| Load Rating | 1,100 lb. | 1,170 lb. |
| Speed Rating | 50 mph | 50 mph |
| Tread/Paddle Depth | 12.8 mm | 25.4 mm |
| Durometer | 59 | Not listed |
| Paddle Count | — | 12 |
MRT All Trax Tire
Power Slide vs. MRT All Trax: Two Different Approaches to Sand
The Power Slide isn’t MRT’s first purpose-built tire for soft terrain. The company also offers the MRT All Trax, but the two products approach sand performance very differently.
MRT developed the All Trax as a lightweight sand-and-snow tire built around a patent-pending inverted tread design. Instead of traditional rear paddles, the tread is designed to distribute the vehicle’s weight across the tire and promote flotation over soft sand and powder.
The All Trax is offered in two complementary 15-inch sizes. The narrower 32x10R15 weighs a claimed 27 pounds, while the wider 32x12R15 weighs 33 pounds. MRT lists a durometer of 67 for the All Trax.
The new Power Slide moves MRT toward a much more specialized dune configuration.
Instead of using a treaded tire at both ends, Power Slide separates the jobs of the front and rear tires. Its 35x11R15 front uses the DuneLine center rib for directional control, while the 35x13R15 rear uses 12 paddles to generate forward drive.
There is also a significant difference in diameter. The All Trax is a 32-inch tire, while Power Slide steps up to 35 inches, better matching the larger tire sizes increasingly used on high-performance UTVs and dedicated dune builds.
MRT All Trax vs. Power Slide
| Specification | All Trax 32×10 | All Trax 32×12 | Power Slide Front | Power Slide Rear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 32x10R15 | 32x12R15 | 35x11R15 | 35x13R15 |
| Weight | 27 lb. | 33 lb. | 34.4 lb. | 37.8 lb. |
| Design | Inverted tread | Inverted tread | DuneLine center rib | 12 paddles |
| Construction | Lightweight sand/snow design | Lightweight sand/snow design | 4-ply | 4-ply |
| Tread/Paddle Depth | — | — | 12.8 mm | 25.4 mm |
| Durometer | 67 | 67 | 59 | Not listed |
| Primary Terrain | Sand / Snow | Sand / Snow | Sand | Sand |
The distinction isn’t simply that the Power Slide is a larger All Trax.
The All Trax prioritizes flotation and versatility in soft terrain. Its inverted tread design allows it to work in both sand and snow without relying on a conventional paddle configuration.
The Power Slide is considerably more specialized. MRT has traded the All Trax’s sand-and-snow versatility for a dedicated dune combination with separate steering and drive tires.
For a UTV that encounters different types of soft terrain, including both sand and snow, the All Trax remains the more versatile MRT option. For a UTV being set up specifically for dune riding, the Power Slide is the more purpose-built choice.
Only 4.8 Pounds Heavier Than the 32-Inch All Trax Rear
The comparison with the All Trax also puts the Power Slide’s weight into perspective.
MRT’s 32x12R15 All Trax weighs 33 pounds. The 35x13R15 Power Slide Rear weighs 37.8 pounds.
That means the Power Slide rear adds only 4.8 pounds per tire while increasing both diameter and width and adding a dedicated 12-paddle design.
The Power Slide Front is similarly relatively light for its size at 34.4 pounds, although it is still 7.4 pounds heavier than the smaller 32x10R15 All Trax.
For owners moving from a smaller sand tire to a 35-inch setup, those weight numbers are worth considering alongside the additional ground clearance, footprint and paddle configuration.
Built for Today’s High-Horsepower UTVs
The timing of the Power Slide is interesting because the performance UTV market has changed considerably in the last few years.
Large-displacement and turbocharged machines are producing horsepower numbers that would have seemed extreme not long ago, while 35-inch tires have become increasingly common on high-performance builds.
That creates a different challenge for sand tire manufacturers. A modern paddle tire needs enough bite to put substantial horsepower into the sand without adding unnecessary rotating mass or creating more paddle than the drivetrain can effectively pull.
MRT’s decision to build the Power Slide around a 35-inch diameter puts it squarely into this newer generation of performance UTVs and modified dune machines.
The 15-inch wheel requirement also matches the wheel diameter commonly found on larger sport UTVs and aftermarket performance builds.
As always with paddle tires, matching the tire to the vehicle matters. Horsepower, vehicle weight, clutching, gearing, modifications and dune conditions can all influence how much paddle a particular UTV needs.
MRT Power Slide Rear Sand Tire
12-Paddle Power Slide Rear
The rear Power Slide uses 12 paddles with a listed depth of 25.4mm.
Paddle count is an important part of matching a sand tire to a UTV. More paddle can potentially provide additional bite, but it also increases the amount of load placed on the drivetrain. A setup with too much paddle for the available horsepower and gearing can make it more difficult for the engine to maintain wheel speed.
Conversely, a powerful UTV can overpower a paddle configuration that doesn’t provide enough bite.
That makes MRT’s combination of a 35-inch diameter, 12 paddles and relatively low 37.8-pound rear tire weight one of the more interesting aspects of the Power Slide design. Ultimately, real-world testing will tell us how that combination performs across different UTV platforms and sand conditions.
MRT Power Slide Front Sand Tire
MRT Power Slide Pricing
MRT currently lists the 35x11R15 Power Slide Front at $275 per tire and the 35x13R15 Power Slide Rear at $350 per tire.
That puts a complete set of two front and two rear Power Slide tires at $1,250 before wheels.
MRT also offers Power Slide wheel-and-tire combinations using its Max beadlock wheels for buyers looking for a complete dune setup.
Current pricing and additional information are available directly from the MRT Power Slide product page.
More information: MRT Power Slide 35-Inch UTV Sand Tires
