Coopers Discoverer Rugged Trek tires are an aggressively-styled all-terrain tire rated for exceptional extra load (XL) capabilities with a load index of 2,806 pounds per tire, just in case your rig weighs up to five tons. How often should you replace your tires? Extra Load. For partnership inquiries please reach out to us at Whether you use your truck to work hard or play hard, its tires take a ton of abuse. Bestseller No. Partner Offer A larger tire can improve looks and performance, but can affect the accuracy of a speedometer and odometer if it goes over a certain height. Treadlife: N/ASeason: All SeasonPerformance: Mud Terrain Bestseller No. Be sure to install chains on your drive axle at the bare minimum, as well as your steering axle. Unlike the about standard size that uses metric measurements, flotation tires use inches. Online calculators can help you figure out these exact conversion measurements. A rim lock prevents wheel slip and a built-in rim protector defends your wheels against rocks and debris. Buy on Amazon PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) is a unit of measurement for the pounds of force per square inch. Chains allow your tires to bite into frozen, icy ground where your tires' rubber might not be able to find traction. Partner Offer Virtually all modern vehicles are equipped with radial tires. Do I need to buy the recommended factory replacement tires? The DuraTrac features a tread compound thats resistant to tread block damage, even during heavy towing or loading jobs. The big tread blocks allow for more grip over rough terrain, but increased wear could occur if youre mainly burning up miles on the highway, perpetually wearing them down. If this is your method for tackling the snow, we recommend a second set of tires for your vehicle for the warmer times of the year. If your vehicle was not factory-equipped with XL tires, buying a set with that rating is considered an upgrade, if you dont mind potentially higher fuel consumption and noise levels. However, if youre looking for more off-road adventures or regularly drive off the beaten path, the LE3 probably isnt the right choice. Rogers, who has a decade of experience tire testing for Tire Rack, was our driver for the data runs over the snow-packed road course, while Campbell handled the acceleration and braking tests on a plowed section dedicated just for that purpose. Treadlife: N/ASeason: All SeasonPerformance: Mud Terrain 6 Tires with P and LT designations are the most commonly used tires for trucks, and they stand for Passenger and Light Truck. The P and LT designations usually appear on the sidewall before the tire size. The factory all-season tire options on the 2016 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4x4s we used during this test served as the baseline against which we compared variousmud-terrain, all-terrain, studded snow tire, and non-studded snow tires that Tire Rack provided based on the highest customer satisfaction rating in each category. Partner Offer The surface youre driving on also effects this measurement the surface temperature of asphalt is hotter than concrete when exposed to full sun. Nitto Ridge Grappler all_ Season Radial Tire-LT295/70R18 129E Be aware that when a manufacturer subjects its tires to this third-party validation, it can choose how much (if any) of the results are shared with consumers. Snow performance and off-road capability were commendable on the sharp-looking all-terrain, and we held nothing back when it came to our assessment. A P on a tires sidewall denotes a passenger tire, which are built to serve as a multi-purpose option for cars, SUVs, crossovers and light-duty pickup trucks. BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 RWL (load range C) The contenders: How do I know which truck tire type I need? Most passenger cars will recommend 32 to 35 PSI in the tires while cold. $51.11 Set of 4 (FOUR) Forceum M/T 08 Mud Off-Road Light Truck Radial Tires-LT235/75R15 235/75/15 235/75-15 104/101Q Load Range C LRC 6-Ply BSW Black Side Wall Testing consisted of normal daily driving and adventure scenarios in the Jeeps and took place over three years. three-quarter-ton to 1-ton capacity, and also larger SUVs and full-size vans. Looking at a tire, sipes are the smallest slits in the tread blocks, and they are strategically engineered to control block stiffness, noise, heat buildup, and water evacuation. Our winter-friendly tire test set out to find the best mud-terrain tires for snow, the best all-terrain tires for winter driving, the best all-season tires in snow, and the best good ol' snow tires. Today, this technology is commonly seen in off-road and all-terrain. Treadlife: N/ASeason: All SeasonPerformance: Mud Terrain 8 Can tires last 100,000 miles? Partner Offer Flotation sizes boast three-ply sidewalls and are F load-rated for anyone towing and hauling. (Think: Snow sticks to snow as you roll a snowball.). Treadlife: 50,000 milesSeason: All SeasonPerformance: Extreme Terrain Despite the comparative lack of sipes, we didn't find ourselves sliding sideways any more than expected. Frosthand Adv-ice: Just look past the non-aggressive sidewall treads, and you'll have a tire that's likely to impress from the rock gardens to snow squalls. Treadlife: 50,000 milesSeason: All SeasonPerformance: Extreme Terrain $1,089.93 This means by selecting a dedicated winter tire or a snow tire for your 4x4 or light truck, you are likely sacrificing performance in other scenarios like warm weather driving or treadwear. Nexen's Roadian MTX (that's Mud-Terrain Xtreme) is two-faced. Represented the older technology of the studded winter pickup tire segment. The result is a durable and grippy tire with a long tread life that most reviewers rank as the best off-road rubber theyve used. Bridgestones adaptive NanoPro Tech Multicell compound the Blizzaks to remain flexible in below-freezing conditions, wick off packed snow and water, and provides good grip even on Zamboni-smooth glare ice. Set of 4 (FOUR) Venom Power Terra Hunter X/T XT All-Terrain Mud Radial Tires-275/55R20 275/55/20 275/55-20 117T Load Range XL 4-Ply BSW Black Side Wall partnerships@forbeswheels.com. (9%), Best Tire for Off-Road Traction / Best Mud Tires, -$11.84 The E-rated Ultra Grip WRT utilizes a specialized ice tread compound that provides enhanced traction on ice and snow-covered roads. The R in both size formats stand for radial, which is the design of the tires overall construction. Positioned between the company's all-terrain Fun Country and the mud-terrain Extreme Country is the Trail Country EXP. $449.93 On-road handling in the snow was some of the most predictable we've experienced. Bestseller No. Buy on Amazon It represents the latest in tread compound and design for driving on snow and ice. However, if your truck was factory-equipped with passenger tires, you could upgrade to LT tires to achieve the ruggedness you desire, so long as you keep your trucks overall load limitations in mind. A handful of drivers reported that the tires tend to get flat spots when the vehicle sits for more than a couple of days, but that the flat areas go away with driving. Most of our choices, however, are available for a wide range of SUVs, trucks and vans. All of the tires were delivered to the test track from Tire Rack's warehouse, mounted and balanced on steel wheels, sans tire pressure monitoring sensors (TPMS). In fact, the M+S designation is strictly a visual standard (read: no assessment of performance). Since this tires main focus is longevity and comfort with a high load rating, its performance, particularly in deeper sand, mud and heavy snowfall, is rated lower than other all-terrain tires. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vs GMC Sierra 1500. Compared to the M+S designation, tires with the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) have been tested and are held to a performance standard. SaleBestseller No. The BFG didn't hook up as well as the Fortitude on acceleration but made up for it in braking and cornering against the control tread. When it comes to mud or sand, however, these tires lack the bite needed for optimum off-road performance. For example, a 16-inch tire should only be mounted to a 16-inch wheel. On newer cars, the recommended PSI for average, everyday use is listed on a sticker inside the driver's door. Cooper also offers some personalization with these tires by allowing drivers to choose their look based on which side of the tire is mounted outwardly on the wheel: One side features a knife-edge style with straighter lined shoulder elements, while the other shows off jagged elements resembling rugged mountain peaks. The Discoverers wear evenly and have a longer tread life than many traditional off-road tires. Look for the 3PMSF emblem on dedicated snow tires as well as some all-terrain and rugged-terrain offerings. A. for 60,000 to 75,000 miles, or about four to five years. Since this tires main focus is longevity and comfort with a high load rating, its performance, particularly in deeper sand, mud and heavy snowfall, is rated lower than other all-terrain tires. Why New Vehicles Should Have Apple CarPlay Or Android Auto, How To Prepare Your Vehicle For A Road Trip, Reinforced block foundation reduces tread flex, Stone ejectors protect tire from stone drilling, The staggered shoulder lugs enhance off-road grip. Best-selling Truck Tires on Amazon Buy on Amazon The DM-V2 stopped in half the distance of the mud tire while delivering exceptional traction on every aspect of the test track. Forbes Wheels independently tests and reviews cars and automotive accessories. The test vehicles were Jeeps (a two-door 2017 JK Wrangler and a 2005 LJ). If you plan on doing any heavy hauling, towing or off-roading with your pickup truck, youll need to know about ply or load ratings. If you use need your truck to tow, navigate off-road obstacles or explore rugged terrain, a LT tire is worth the investment. Set of 4 (FOUR) Venom Power Terra Hunter X/T XT All-Terrain Mud Light Truck Radial Tires-33X12.50R20LT 33X12.50X20 33X12.50-20 114R Load Range E LRE 10-Ply BSW Black Side Wall If they were passenger tires, stick with a similar P set. The high-silica all-season compound is grippy enough to handle wet roads and light snow, while the tread pattern features grooves to evacuate water to prevent hydroplaning. And the bigger you go, the more money youll spend. If you are unsure of the size or type of tire, check whats currently on your vehicle or the owners manual. Like many tires, in order for the Blizzaks to provide the best handling and performance, Bridgestone recommends purchasing all four tires for a complete set. Do you need all-season tires to withstand carting tools and supplies on country roads and interstates? Buy on Amazon If you use need your truck to tow, navigate off-road obstacles or explore rugged terrain, a LT tire is worth the investment. Gas mileage is typically better than all-terrain tires, as youd expect from this smoother on-road optimized tire. If your truck was equipped with LT tires from the factory, switching to a passenger tire is not advisable and could be considered a downgrade. If a tires sizing specifications end with LT, the tire is a Floatation tire, typically for light trucks or SUVs capable of carrying heavy cargo. When we turned toward the gnarly ruts littered with rocks and thoroughly coated in fluff, the open treads scooped down to the dirt while the aggressive sidewalls allowed us the confidence to throttle forward. Buy on Amazon The M/T's ability to dig and sling away snow traction was glaringly evident in its poor performance. 2022 Forbes Media LLC. When increasing or decreasing both the wheel and tire size, keep in mind that wheel and tires must always have the same diameter. Built for drivers of pickup trucks, full-size SUVs and crossovers, the Discoverer Rugged Trek tires have an aggressive off-road look while still retaining a smooth, comfortable ride on highways and streets.