The truck is revered by many for being a highly versatile vehicle that allows us to travel anywhere, without worrying too much about the road conditions. An important factor in the way they perform is the tires, which make the difference between getting stuck and clearing rough terrain with ease.
You are driving a packed truck to a beautiful camping site where you are meeting some close friends. It’s a week off you were looking forward to for a long time, as the mountain range you were about to wake up to every day was the perfect way to disconnect from the fast pace life in the city.
Close to the destination you hit a traffic jam and have a decision to make, waste a couple of hours or take the muddy back road to make it there in about half an hour.
Figuring that the truck should be more than capable, you take the back road and after ten minutes of easy crawling it gets stuck because the original equipment (OE) all-season tires are worn and not suited for so much mud.
Photo: FCA N.V.
Tires are an important part of any vehicle and can help or hinder their performance. They are even more important for trucks since they must tackle multiple types of terrain with ease.
If you use your vehicle mainly in urban settings and you rarely go off-road, then all-season tires are what you should have on your truck for a comfortable ride and improved fuel consumption.
But if you find yourself in the above situation, you should look for a set of good off-road tires. There is a wide range available and without due diligence, finding the right one could be confusing.
The easiest way to narrow the search is to understand the type of tires available and to choose the one suitable for your needs.
The most common type for off-road-oriented trucks is all-terrain (AT), which combines the best of both worlds, being able to perform well on the road and tackle rougher terrain.
One of the drawbacks for on-road use can be increased fuel consumption due to the increased weight and the prominent thread blocks, not to mention increased road noise. While manufacturers are making all-terrain tires that are less noisy and aid fuel consumption, don’t expect to get the same levels as you would with on-road oriented tires.
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Those drawbacks are minor compared to the actual benefits you get from them on rougher roads. Due to the tougher sidewall and tread design they can tackle a wide variety of terrains without ruining your camping trip.
Most of the available models are also severe snow rated (a three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall) so they are essential in areas that get a lot of snow.
If you plan on spending most of the time off-road, then you should get a set of mud-terrain tires that are designed for maximum off-road performance in the toughest of conditions.
Photo: BF Goodrich
They are typically oversized and feature aggressive tread lugs that provide maximum traction on loose or muddy surfaces and will keep you moving in challenging off-road environments.
The same drawbacks as the all-terrain tires are amplified here due to the increased weight and aggressive tread pattern that is not usually designed for road use.
In recent years, more manufacturers have released tires that employ new noise-canceling technologies taken from the road and all-terrain tires and combine them with a thread pattern that is more capable than conventional all-terrains, while usually remaining more expensive.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
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