Depending on how large and remote your farm is, you never know when you might find the usual trails covered in deep mud from days of heavy rain. In most cases, the average stock tire on your truck probably isn’t versatile enough to deal with different types of off-road terrain or issues with mud and snow. To avoid getting stuck, you need tires to match the capability of your truck.
Two Important Tire Types To Know
All tires are designed with a specific purpose in mind. Passenger and Light Truck are two types of tires to remember. A P rating indicates the former and these tires are typically smooth and grippy on the pavement, but they won’t have the traction capability you need for a truck driving off-road. On the other hand, LT tires provide increased sidewall stiffness to handle more weight and roughness associated with driving off-road.
Tire Tread Is Key
Aside from size and type, the tire’s tread pattern is one of the most important and noticeable features. Tire tread isn’t just for looks though, different types of tread are better for certain types of driving. For example, tread patterns on tires meant for a sports car will have huge contact patches with very few gaps. This provides a strong grip on dry pavement.
On the other hand, a truck with mud tires will have a tread pattern with huge blocks of tread separated by equally large gaps. The gaps allow the tires to grip loose surfaces to get traction. These tires are likely to be loud and unruly on the road. Your goal for a farm truck is to find a tread pattern between these two extremes.
What Makes a Good Aftermarket Off-Road Tire?
In general, what you want for a farm truck is an all-terrain tire. These are the most practical for driving on-road and also handling off-road duties. Depending on where you live, you might want to focus on tires that are good for wet roads or tires that can handle snow. If you live in a place that gets a lot of snow, you’ll need to look for the Three Peak designation which means the tire is tested and approved for winter weather and temperatures.
Top Five Truck Tires For General Off-Road Use
1. BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires are considered the best all-weather truck tire. It has been one of the most popular AT tires since the 1970s. It’s common on modern trucks and SUVs to find these already installed at the car dealer.
2. Falken Wildpeak tires are considered the best light truck tires. It tends to be one of the most expensive aftermarket tires out there, but it’s uniquely designed to handle winter conditions and wet roads, plus provide superior tread life.
3. Kenda Klever R/T tires are considered the best off-road truck tires. This is more of a mud tire compared to the rest, but it’s still usable on-road. It’s great for muddy or rocky trails, but it’s less capable for snowy and rainy conditions.
4. Nitto Terra Grappler G2 tires are considered the best all-around truck tires for reliable grip on any terrain. Despite its aggressive tread with strong off-road capability, the Nitto tires are surprisingly quiet on the road.
5. Toyo Open Country A/T tires are considered the best dual-purpose truck tires. It works equally well off-road and on the pavement. This is arguably the most ideal tire for those who need off-road ability but whose trucks spend most of the time on the pavement.
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Stacy Wilson