For truck owners who like to take the road less traveled, driving with the stock tires will ruin the off-road experience. The trails and paths which you and your truck drive on are not as easy as the concrete and asphalt roads. With the help of a quality set of tires, your truck can find its way through mud, dirt, and other elements you may encounter while off-roading.
Putting all-terrain tires on your truck will get you ready for your next off-road adventure. Here is what you need to know about this type of tire.
Replacing the stock tires
Tires are considered one of the most important parts of any vehicle—not only for trucks but also for cars, vans, motorcycles, or even RVs. Without good tires, your vehicle can experience loss of traction. The tires you put on your vehicle provide contact patches that grip the road. This integral part also harnesses the engine’s power and allows the brakes to do its job.
Replacing old tires is one of the affordable and easy truck upgrades. It costs less compared to other mods you can do to your truck. For off-road beginners, purchasing a set of tires seems like a trial and error due to a wide variety of tire options. It can be tedious at first because you must know the right size, as well as the type that is best suited for your truck, car, or SUV.
If you want a tire that is great for off-road but also nice to use on highways, then all-terrain tires are what you need to get for your vehicle.
Why do I need all-terrain tires?
To ensure that you get the best tires for your vehicle, you must determine what type of driving you will be doing. If you are into light off-roading with a bit of steep grade or hill from time to time, then all-terrain tires can handle that without issue.
However, if you are into extreme off-roading such as crawling over rocks and driving into deep muddy trails, then you will have to consider other designated off-road tire options. All-terrain tires are designed to handle both on-road and off-road conditions, but for extreme off-road activities, this type of tire may not be suitable to use.
What is special about all-terrain tires?
All-terrain tires are also known as A/T tires. These types of tires are designed to provide the vehicle with traction while driving on rugged terrains or smooth roads. These are practical and versatile because it takes away the hassle of having to change the tires for different road conditions.
Different tire manufacturers carefully engineer an optimum combination of grip, ride quality, road feel, noise control, as well as tire wear. Tires for all-terrain bring the best of both worlds because it gives a hybrid experience. It is sort of a hybrid between mud and street tires since it provides a smooth ride on the road and reliable traction in the rock-strewn paths.
The versatility of all-terrain is what makes it special. It is incredibly handy to use when you must drive on back roads and highways. It gives extra traction on off-road trails while still giving a comfortable ride when driving in the city.
Replacing the stock with new tires will completely transform the off-road performance of your truck. With a good set of all-terrain tires, your boost your truck’s performance on- and off-road. A/T tires give a fantastic experience for many drivers while driving on several surfaces. If you drive on different kinds of terrain as well as highway driving, all-terrain tires are recommended to use.
All-terrain tires are commonly used on pickup trucks and SUVs. Both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles can benefit greatly from all-terrain tires because it offers great results on and off the pavement.
Pros of A/T tires
The versatility that all-terrain tires offer is what sets it apart from other truck tires. It provides traction and comfort even if you drive the truck on different road and terrain conditions. The tires are even good to use year-round because it works great in wet, dry, and light snow road conditions.
- Radial tread blocks – The all-terrain tires are constructed with tread blocks that provide a good grip for better control and handling. It has an open tread design which gives improved traction on sand, rocks, and other uneven terrains. The tread blocks of the tires have a great impact on the characteristics and performance of the tires. But take note that the tread patterns may vary on the brands of all-terrain tires.
- Sturdy sidewall – The sidewall of all-terrain tires is taller than a typical street tire. This protects the tire from jagged rocks and stones on the off-road trails.
- Good traction – It provides superb traction on mud, light snow conditions, and dry pavement.
- Comfortable handling – All-terrain tires provide a balance between smooth and rough driving. Unlike mud tires, A/T tires are made to be comfortable when it is used in city or highway driving. It is designed with an aggressive tread and reinforced sidewalls that allow you to handle off-road situations.
- Can carry heavy loads — Made with reinforced sidewalls that provide more capacity to carry heavier loads. The sidewalls act as support for the loads you put in the truck, making it great to use for pickups and camper vehicles.
- Durable – The tires are made with a certain class of rubber. It is designed to provide outstanding traction on all types of surfaces, may it be on rough surfaces or paved roads.
- Multipurpose – All-terrain tires are meant to perform well on dirt, mud, and gravel. After having a good time off-road, you can drive back on the highway and have a smooth ride on pavement.
- Year-round operability – Since you can use all-terrain tires in light snow, this is a nice investment for your truck that you can use throughout the year. You also don’t have to change your tires from summer to winter tires.
Cons of A/T tires
There are downsides to using all-terrain tires. Since you can split the driving between rough and smooth road conditions, you may notice the following:
- Noisy – Certain all-terrain tires are noisy, just like some mud-terrain tires. The rubber is made with block treads and deeper grooves. Because the air is trapped in the gaps of the tire tread, it produces weird sounds and can become noisy when you are driving it on the pavement at higher speeds.
- Shorter tread life – To make the all-terrain tires versatile to any terrain, it is made of a particular rubber compound. However, due to its softer compound, the tires are susceptible to cupping and tread wear.
- Uneven tire wear – Since all-terrain tires can be used in various road conditions, there is a possibility that the tires wear unevenly. This can compromise the handling of your vehicle, as well as your safety.
Comparison to other tires
All-terrain tires from different brands vary in tread patterns and designs. However, despite the difference in brands, all-terrain tires can be used for both on-road and off-road applications. There are other types of truck tires designed specifically for your driving routine, so it may be better to use those if you spend more time off-road or street-driving. Let us compare all-terrain tires with the following:
- versus All-Season – The OE tires on the truck when you purchased it from the dealer are usually all-season. All-terrain tires are a greater “option,” but you may experience some delay when cornering as you use it for city driving.
- versus Mud tires – Mud tires have a more aggressive tire tread compared to all-terrain tires. It can be a dependable tire for harsh muddy trails and provides traction when it is driven on really big rocks. Mud tires produce a very loud noise when it is used on smooth roads so it’s not recommended for street driving. All-terrain tires have good handling on dry surfaces like dirt, sand, dirt, and gravel.
- versus Winter tires – This can still outperform all-terrain tires in snow and ice, especially when the temperature is below zero. The soft rubber compound of winter tires can withstand extremely low temperatures. All-terrain tires are only good to use for light snow and icy roads.
Best all-terrain tires for your truck
A lot of truck owners also find all-terrain tires convenient to use than owning different tires depending on the season. Think of it as a practical combination of various tires such as off-road, street, and all-season tires—all rolled into one! You can go on an off-road adventure without having to worry about changing the tires when you have to drive back to the city.
Cooper All-Terrain Tires is one of the popular tires praised by many off-road enthusiasts. Cooper Discoverer AT3 is made with adaptive-traction technology that efficiently grips the surface even under the most severe weather. This is great to use on rocky or smooth road conditions, rain or shine. It provides off-road durability on the rough paths without compromising comfort when it is used on smooth roads.
The Cooper all-terrain tires are called Discoverer AT3. This impressive tire provides maximum grip and handling on wet roads, as well as unpaved surfaces such as dirt, mud, rock, sand, or gravel. It is designed with a 5-rib pattern that gives a greater off-road driving capability.
To provide superior snow traction, it has patented snow groove technology that traps snow in the tread. It also has aqua vac channels in its tire construction which are uniquely shaped, deep center grooves to resist skidding on wet surfaces. The zigzag sipes on this all-terrain tire provide increased vehicle stability and control. This also creates more biting edges for optimal traction and helps in repel stones and other sediments you encounter when off-roading.
A/T tires for your truck
Planning to get some all-terrain tires for your truck today? Remember that you will always get what you pay for, so make sure to buy quality tires. Going for cheap tires is just going to cost you more in the long run since they wear faster. That also means you are going to have to replace them more often. All-terrain tires can transform the way you drive your truck.
Choosing the right tire when you have so many options can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time in purchasing tires. You can find a selection of all-terrain tires at 4Wheelonline. Use the tire configuration option on the website to help you easily find the all-terrain tires that match your vehicle application.
All-terrain tires are great for truck owners who work hard and play hard.
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