December 15, 2016How to Choose the Best Truck Tires
Tips for Choosing the Best Truck Tires
If you think of your tires like the shoes of your truck, then you know that it’s important to have the right tires for the right purpose. You probably wouldn’t want to go for a run in steel-toed work boots, and you wouldn’t want to be out working with heavy equipment on rugged terrain in sneakers.
In just the same way, you wouldn’t want to have the wrong tires on your truck for the way you are using it. When you look at the specifics of where and how you are driving your truck, choosing tires becomes a much simpler process. All you need to know is which tires are best for which purposes and conditions, and then you can make the best decision.
Seasonal tires are changed with the weather and conditions
In many areas of the world, the road conditions vary drastically by the time of year. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your tires are safe for the roads you will be driving on. Generally, the two most extreme seasons that affect the way your truck drives are summer and winter, and so they make summer and winter tires.
Summer Tires: Tires made for the summer can handle both wet and dry pavement, and will stand up to driving on hot concrete as well. They can come in many styles, but most give your truck a sporty look while ensuring that you can handle summer roads and weather with ease.
Winter Tires: Winter often brings snow and ice to the road, which requires a specific kind of tire. You can choose studless tires crafted to provide maximum traction on ice and snow without the need of adding studs, or you can choose the studdable variety for extra security in icy conditions. If ice isn’t much of a problem, standard winter performance tires will move quite nicely on dry roads or in snow, though they do offer less traction.
All-Season Tires: Some drivers don’t want to be bothered with changing their tires by the season, or don’t have weather severe enough to need specific tires. In this case, all-season tires will do well enough. They are constructed to provide good performance in weather that is wet, dry, hot, or cold, and will not struggle when it comes to light ice and snow. These tires offer predictable, reliable performance for any driver.
If you live in an area that gets a large amount of snow and ice during the winter, it’s probably a good idea to change your tires seasonally. This will give your truck the traction it needs to keep as steady a course as possible, no matter what Mother Nature has to throw at you. However, if you don’t have much of a winter at all, summer tires will be perfectly suitable. For those who like to be prepared for anything, all-season tires are the happy medium.
Off-road tires help if you regularly navigate rugged terrain
Trucks are great vehicles for drivers who want a little size and power on the road, but they are also essential for heavy duty work. If your truck is your every-day driver, then you probably keep it mainly on the pavement, so the tires listed above will fulfill all of your needs. If, however, your truck is used for rugged driving and heavy work, then you will definitely need a little something more. This is exactly the reason that they make off-road tires.
Off-Road All-Terrain Tires: These tires are built to withstand harsher conditions than all-season tires, and even more than many winter tires, too. For drivers who are regularly driving off-road on gravel, sand, soil, or on-road in heavy snow, these are the right tires to choose. They offer increased traction and durability to withstand rough trails. They can drive on pavement as well, but they are intended for rougher purposes.
Off-Road Commercial Traction: Trucks on jobsites often need even heavier tires than trucks driving around on rough terrain, and that’s where commercial traction comes in. They are great for off-road jobsites in rough conditions, but also for the more challenging recreational areas off-road. Drivers who plan to really challenge the capability of their truck to navigate through sharp, uneven, or very slick roads can count on commercial traction off-road tires to see them through. It’s best to keep pavement driving to a minimum on these tires.
Off-Road Maximum Traction: Some drivers take their trucks through some of the worst conditions and trails out there. This can include slick rocks, dangerously deep mud, and loose soil that provides zero grip. If you know that you are going to have your truck out in the very worst that Mother Nature has to offer, you want to have maximum traction off-road tires beneath your vehicle.
Some tires are made to operate both on and off of the road, while others are intended solely for rugged terrain. Make sure that you know which kind you have, so you don’t take your off-road-only tires on the pavement too often. Once you know what kind of tires you are looking for, all you need to do is know the appropriate measurements. There is a type of tire out there to suit virtually any need, but not every type of tire will fit every type of truck.
It’s important to know the measurements and specs that will fit your truck, so you don’t make a very expensive purchase that you can’t use. If a certain type of tire isn’t made for your truck, this could be an indicator that your truck isn’t meant for that kind of use. Shopping for tires may help you realize that you need a different kind of truck entirely.
