Budget and demands are the determining factors in choosing the best all-terrain tyres. Paved roads are not required for owners of pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, or many four-wheel drive vehicles. Your vehicle’s tyres are its most critical component in terms of capacity when traveling off the beaten path and through less friendly terrain.
Wheel diameters for most all-terrain vehicles will range from 15 inches to 20 inches. Vehicles with significant off-road ability will often have 15- or 17-inch wheels, whilst those with a less significant on- and off-road combination may have 19- or 20-inch wheels. We’ll concentrate on 15/17 and 19/20 as two distinct demands for our purposes. Here is our list of the top choices for you.
Best All-Terrain Tires (15- or 17-inch):
- Yokohama Geolander H/T G056: These tyres provide a lot of value for the money for purchasers on a tight budget.
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02: These tyres are so fantastic that they come standard on the Jeep Wrangler as a mid-priced option.
- Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac: These tyres are a better option since they provide a strong snow grip in addition to outstanding on/off-road capability.
Best All-Terrain Tires (18- to 20-inch):
- Kumho Road Venture AT51: For consumers on a tight budget, these tyres provide a decent balance of performance and cost with positive customer reviews.
- Continental TerrainContact A/T: These tyres provide a lot of capability and longevity for mid-range buyers.
- Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac: These tyres are a premium option that comes highly recommended and with a solid reputation.
Original Equipment All-Terrain Tires
The majority of all-terrain capable cars have excellent mid-priced options for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tyres. Naturally, whatever ones you choose will depend on your vehicle, but you may find standard options from well-known tyre manufacturers like Goodyear, Yokohama, BFGoodrich, and others. However, most manufacturers don’t select A/T tyres for their cars based solely on performance or durability. Relationships with the tyre manufacturer, stock levels, and the potential for major purchases all play significant factors in determining which tyres are selected as OEM alternatives for any given on- or off-road vehicle.
The OEM option is hardly ever taken into account when all-terrain tyres are the main focus in the aftermarket for tyres, when customers are searching for the finest options for their vehicles.
Top Replacement Tire Brands for All-Terrain Trucks and SUVs
The best all-terrain tyre brand for your vehicle depends depend on what you have and how you use it. There are several top tyre companies in this category. The majority of off-road and on-road capable trucks and sport utility vehicles have 15- or 17-inch wheels. Some vehicles will have 18-, 19-, or 20-inch wheels, particularly if they are primarily intended for on-road use. Brands of all-terrain tyres often fall into one of these two categories: below or over 17-inch wheels.
Here, we provide high-quality alternatives for tyres that fit wheels in those two categories. Because we rate according to budget, both those on a tighter budget and those with nearly limitless resources can get the best they can afford. Consumer polls indicate that each of these tyres is highly regarded, and they will all be available by 2022.
15- and 17-inch All-Terrain Tires
- Budget: Yokohama Geolander H/T G056 – For all-terrain fans, tyres pair a strong reputation with a low price point.
- Price
- Wet performance
- The dealer network is limited
- Moderately Priced: BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 – increases off-road capability and tread life a little bit.
- Off-road performance
- Widely available
- More expensive unless you find a deal
- Cost-No-Object: Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac – Currently, is regarded as the gold standard for A/T tyres.
- On- and off-road performance
- Widely available
- More expensive unless you find a deal
18-, 19, and 20-inch A/T Tires
- Budget: Kumho Road Venture AT51 – has a decent price point and has strong consumer evaluations.
- Price
- Consumer ratings
- Limited dealer network
- Moderately Priced: Continental TerrainContact A/T – has an excellent reputation among consumers and is a good mid-range option.
- On-read performance
- Off-road performance
- Cost-No-Object: Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac is a mainstay of off-road for serious aficionados who nevertheless wish to travel to their off-road experiences via regular roads.
When Should You Replace Tires?
Most individuals are aware that tyres need to be replaced. Tires start to lose tread over months and miles of driving on the pavement (and off of it). This reduces traction. All-terrain tyres, which frequently have softer rubber compounds for increased off-road grip, are a good example of this. In comparison to all-season or touring tyres, those compounds don’t hold up as well on pavement. Thus, all-terrain tyres need to be replaced more frequently than more on-road-specific tyres.
The average all-terrain tyre has a 20,000-mile rating. For the more capable A/T options on the tyre rack, that is about average. Tires with longer road wear ratings can be obtained by the weekend and infrequent off-roaders by giving up some of their off-pavement performance. And other people retain both on- and off-road tyres for their vehicles, switching them out while they are on the road and the trail.
The majority of people are unaware that tyres have a useful shelf life. After their “use by” date, they may “go bad.” According to Department of Transportation regulations, that time period is five years after the week of manufacturing. Look for the raised DOT numbers on the sidewall to determine whether your tyres need to be replaced. These have three sets of four numerals each and are mandated by law. Compounds and other information are indicated in the first two sets. The manufacture date is the third set. The tire’s production week and year are indicated by the first two numerals, respectively. For instance, a date code of 3217 indicates that the tyre was produced during the 37th week of 2017. (between September 11 and 17th).
Other elements on the sidewall and sales information can provide you with more details about your tyres. Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) grades are printed on tyres. These are voluntary standards developed by tyre manufacturers to provide instant feedback on how the tyre should be utilized. The three-digit UTQG code is often shown after the name of the tyre. This code typically appears as “300 A B” or something like that. The first letter is the traction rating for wet pavement, the third letter represents the tire’s high-temperature resistance rating, and the number is a durability rating.
Using our example:
- 300 – The tire’s durability rating, including a 100-year tread life for the control tyre. 11,520 kilometers of tyres are run across a 640-kilometer track. Every 1,280 km, the depth of the tread on the tyres is measured. The number is then converted into the anticipated tread life for the entire course. A 100 tyre is one that has traveled 11,520 miles to the point of exhaustion. The tread life will last longer with a higher durability value. A tyre with a rating of 100 is therefore good for 7,158 miles. A tyre with a 300 rating has a 21,000-mile rating.
- A – This is a tire’s traction rating for stopping on the pavement when it’s raining. It serves as a gauge of the tire’s safety. Following AA as the highest letter grade are A, B, and C.
- A – The high-temperature indicator is the second letter rating in the UTQG. This is the tire’s tolerance to high temperatures, such as those found in desert regions and during high-speed driving (more on speed ratings later). The highest ranking is A, followed by B and C.
The first thing to keep in mind concerning all-terrain tyres is that their date code is frequently more significant than mileage totals. The compounds within tyres start to deteriorate after five years. Particularly those that shield the tyre from ultraviolet rays and other environmental factors that can damage the rubber. This has the potential to harm A/T tyres far more than tread wear. Furthermore, many all-terrain tyres lack any UTQG rating at all because they frequently have short expected lives or aren’t put through wet pavement testing. Considering that all-terrain tyres are more likely to be punctured due to hard use than street tyres are, many manufacturers also do not issue road hazard guarantees with them.
Why Not Replace with Original Equipment Tires?
Your car’s original equipment (OEM) tyres are most likely in excellent condition. However, what you require could not coincide with what the manufacturer provided. You may go off-road more often, less frequently, in a different way, etc. Manufacturers frequently choose rubber that is more generic in nature over more specialized rubber as a midway ground in terms of capacity. The OEM shoes chosen for a vehicle’s wheels may also be heavily influenced by the relationship between the vehicle manufacturer and a certain tyre manufacturer.
Using the OEM tyres for your car is a simpler option because it eliminates a lot of the research and decision-making. For many people, doing things that way just makes more sense since the knowns are more predictable than the unknowns. Nothing incorrect about that.
Depending on driving habits, most all-terrain vehicle owners replace their tyres every three years. Those tyres are the most crucial piece of safety and capability gear you have, making them a crucial component of your rig. The most important factor for both on- and off-road driving safety is where the rubber meets the road (capability).
The OEM tread that came with their vehicle may not meet the criteria for those needs, therefore for many purchasers, shopping around to locate the finest tyre for their needs is crucial.
Changing Tire and Wheel Sizes
Trucks and SUVs that are all-terrain typically have 15-, 16-, or 17-inch wheels. Instead, some have larger 19- or 20-inch wheels. No matter what is done to the tyres and wheels on a rig, the total diameter must remain the same, regardless of the OEM wheel size. The sole exception to this rule is when significant adjustments are being made to the vehicle’s other parts (such as sensors, axles, etc.). Any given vehicle’s engineering will be fine-tuned to a certain diameter of wheel and tyre, whether it be a street car or an extreme off-road Jeep Wrangler.
This means that if your tyre and wheel have a combined diameter of 40 inches (tyre mounted on the wheel), changing either the tyre size or the wheel size must result in the same diameter. In order to make up for a larger wheel, a smaller tyre must be used, and vice versa. It’s crucial to understand the link between tyre height and wheel diameter. The following section will cover tyre sizes in more detail.
What are the reasons for reducing or increasing the size of wheels or tyres?
Wheel downsizing provides benefits.
- Better ride quality – A tire’s wider sidewall provides more comfort throughout rocky terrain.
- Cost reduction – In general, tyres designed for large wheels cost more than those for wheels with smaller diameters. Particularly in off-road and all-terrain tyres.
- Seasonal changes For smaller wheel diameters, there are more winter tyres available.
- Off-road – Compared to bigger wheel diameters, there are many more off-road tyre alternatives in the 18-inch and smaller wheel sizes.
Benefits of increasing wheel size include:
- Better handling – Because thinner walls are typically tighter, a thinner sidewall profile results in superior grip and handling.
- Better looks – – Although this is purely subjective, many people think that bigger wheels look nicer, especially on bigger cars.
- Better braking – – A taller, more forgiving tyre has less stopping power than a shorter, broader wheel.
- On-road – A wider wheel and thinner sidewall might provide superior on-road comfort and feel because many owners of all-terrain vehicles don’t necessarily go off-road frequently.
Reading Tire Sizes
There is just one form and thousands of sizes for tyres. Every tyre has the same round shape as a content baker. Some people have larger waistlines than others, while others are shorter or taller. There are two techniques to measure tyres, with one being more prevalent than the other as the former measurement starts to lose ground to the latter.
The majority of tyres were measured by sidewall height and/or overall diameter together with a wheel size opening measurement before the more universal, metric tyre measurements became popular. We still see tyres that are measured as “33 x 16.5” or something similar, especially in off-road vehicles. The height and width of the tyre are measured in inches. A 15-inch wheel would be indicated by the letters R15 or simply 15 after this number. However, this method of measurement is unique to the United States and is now disregarded in favor of a more commonplace, global choice.
A tire’s width, ratio, and wheel size are typically measured in that order. An LT285/70R17 tyre, which stands for “light truck,” would be written as follows:
- 285 – is the measurement in millimeters of the tire’s width from one sidewall to the other. Its width is 285 mm.
- 70 – shows the sidewall height’s aspect ratio. This is calculated as a % of the width of the tyre. In this instance, it is 70% of the width of the tyre (70% of 285 is 199.5mm).
- R – refers to radial tyres. The most popular kind of car tyre, radials have tread that is reinforced with additional layers of rubber and fabric woven in at various angles.
- 17 – is the size of the wheel that the tyre fits on.
After the wheel size, certain tyres will contain additional information, such as the “121/118R” found on many all-terrain tyres:
- 121 – is the load rating of the tyre, and a standard conversion table is used to convert this value into pounds or kilograms.
- R – Other letters could be included for tyre inflation minimums/maximums, terrain usage, total load range (by weight per tyre), etc. This chart converts the letter to miles per hour or kilometers per hour.
It is feasible to get the overall diameter of the tyre by multiplying the wheel diameter by the tyre size. We now know the 285/70R17 in question has a 24.85-inch overall diameter according to the information presented above. To obtain that, multiply the 17-inch wheel diameter by 7.85 inches, which is the equivalent of the 199.5mm tyre height.
Knowing the entire diameter allows us to determine the appropriate tyre size for either a 15-inch or a 19-inch wheel. The sidewall of the tyre would need to be increased or decreased by two inches for that two-inch wheel. Despite the fact that it sounds like a lot of math, most tyre shops offer charts that can handle it all for you. Many internet resources also provide tools for achieving this without having to dig around in your memory for some long-forgotten mathematics from middle school.
We’ve primarily examined all-terrain (A/T) tyres in this examination of tyres. But there are various tyre varieties, and it’s important to understand the fundamental characteristics of each:
- Touring and all-season tires – offer a comfortable ride, decent winter grip, good wet and dry traction, and longer tread life. Although these tyres can be used for winter driving, they cannot be expected to have the same traction and stopping ability as a specialist winter tyre.
- Performance tires – are concentrated on offering an athletic feel, greater wet and dry traction, and confident handling. Their greater ratings for grip and speed come at the expense of shorter tread life and a worse ride.
- Winter and snow tires – are created with unique rubber materials that keep their pliability and grip in colder temperatures. In order to maximize the vehicle’s ability to start and stop on particularly slick roads, they are also constructed with unique tread patterns.
- All-terrain tires – are created to provide good overall durability while maximizing off-road traction. Although their design results in increased noise and less comfort when driving, they offer adequate winter traction and tread wear.
All-Terrain Tire FAQ
What is the most aggressive-looking all-terrain tire?
It’s not always what it seems. Aesthetics can be one of the many considerations when buying tyres, but they shouldn’t rank among the top five. A highly regarded tyre with robust aesthetics like the BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 is also made to last.
What is an all-terrain tire?
An all-terrain tyre is designed to offer respectable traction in both dry and wet conditions on the road, but it may also be used off-road. They have heavier lugs to discharge snow and muck, as well as sturdier sidewalls to resist punctures. They frequently bear the three-peak/snowflake emblem designating a winter tyre. They strike a decent balance between mud terrain tyres and tyres with good highway performance.
What’s the best all-terrain tire for the money?
For the time being, that appears to be the Kumho Road Venture AT51, which has outstanding customer reviews and is typically offered at a fairly affordable price.
Are all-terrain tires good on the highway?
All-terrain tyres used to grumble on the road and weren’t often suitable for lengthy stretches of interstate in the past. Today, though, a solid all-terrain tyre is a respectable option on the highway and will get you there when the pavement changes to mud and dirt.
What is the best A/T tire pressure?
Whether you’re on or off the road will determine this. There is a white and yellow placard with tyre inflation indications inside the driver’s side door of your car. Observe those figures. The majority of tyres used on roads will have a PSI of 32 or more, but tyres used off roads may have a PSI as low as 15 or 20 for improved traction. Keep in mind that the pressure in the tyre is never the right amount; rather, it is a maximum.
How often should I rotate my all-terrain tires?
Manufacturers’ recommendations for tyre rotations vary, but generally speaking, they serve as a general guideline while the recommendations from the manufacturer of your tyres are likely more specific. The typical rotation intervals range from 5,000 to 7,000 miles, while off-road use may necessitate fewer rotations. Remember that off-road vehicles often have rear-wheel drive as default (when not off-road) and four-wheel drive in all other situations. Wear will therefore vary depending on how much of either you choose to do.
What is the best A/T tire change kit?
Although the majority of vehicles come with a tire-changing kit, you might want to have an extra kit with you nevertheless, along with an updated lug wrench, jumper cables, and emergency markers. When off-roading, it’s a good idea to have a larger vehicle jack and tools for digging out of mud and sand.
Tire Buying FAQ
Where do I shop for the best prices?
While prices may vary by location, most online retailers like Tire Rack provide excellent savings everywhere. Local stores are worth checking out because they frequently offer discounts and other promotions.
How much is shipping?
The cost of shipping will vary depending on where you bought the tyres and where you want them sent. Nowadays, the majority of online retailers include shipping in their rates, and many of them have partnerships with nearby stores that allow for same-day or next-day delivery.
How long does shipping take?
The normal shipping period for an online tyre order is 3 to 5 business days. Depending on alliances with nearby stores or warehouses, this can occasionally vary.
How much does it cost to install a tire?
The cost of installation is typically included in tyre purchases at retailers. Certain retailers may charge more, particularly for specialty tyres with all-terrain tread or larger wheels. Depending on the services necessary, typical installation costs range from $15 per tyre to over $50.
Do I need to change the tire pressure monitoring system with tires?
No, the TPMS should not be harmed during the tyre replacement process unless it has already been harmed by road use or the tyre installation procedure.
Can an online retailer help me with winter tires?
Yes.
If I’m changing tire sizes or buying winter tires, should I buy a wheel and tire package from an online retailer?
That is unquestionably a choice. In order to make tyre replacement quicker and more affordable in the long term, many winter tyre users purchase separate wheels for those tyres.
Do online retailers provide tire rebates the way traditional stores do?
In general, yes. These rebates might even work with nearby retailers.