In buying a set of off-road tires, you first need to consider what you will be doing with your vehicle. What is your local terrain? Mostly rocks, or mud?

If, like me, your trips are mostly rock crawling then you do not need to fit aggressive tires. A set of good All Terrain tires such as the BF Goodrich A/T will provide plenty of grip and blend good road manners with impressive off road ability. Only in very thick mud have I found them to be a little out of their depth, and this in the main can be countered with skilled driving.

If you deal with large amounts of mud on a regular basis, then you will probably want the Mud Terrain style of tire. These have deeper tread patterns and tend to have larger gaps between the blocks, enabling them to dig down through soft mud to more solid layers underneath. The downside is that they will be noisier and may have poor on road handling, including greater stopping distances and a greater tendency to aquaplane. They can also wear faster than their All Terrain brethren, in the case of the most extreme patterns I have heard of four thousand mile lifespans compared to over forty thousand miles for some All Terrains. One solution I have seen to this problem is to keep a spare set of cheap steel wheels fitted with mud tires that you swap to when preparing for a trip.

Consider also the size of tires you intend to fit. You may well need a suspension lift, body lift, trimmed wheel arches or all three to fit significantly larger tires, to say nothing of needing to adjust your steering lock stops to avoid contact between tires and chassis or suspension parts on full lock. Larger tires will alter your gearing, making your vehicle slower to accelerate and potentially having an adverse effect on fuel economy. If you live in a hilly area then the raised gearing may prove a nuisance as you will find your vehicle slowing on hills rather than storming up them as it used to.

Larger tires will also place more strain on halfshafts and differentials, as they exert greater torque on these components. It is usually possible to buy strengthened replacements for these parts, but it is worth considering whether the problem lies with standard components that are not up to the job or an over-enthusiastic driver. I know of some people who use heavy duty locking differentials but standard half shafts, as this will ensure the inexpensive and (in their case) easily changed half shaft snaps rather than the differential. Through experience they seldom break anything, even on serious competitive events.

Whichever you choose, ask around. Look at an owners forum to find out what tires others recommend. Make sure you pick the right size for your vehicle, and have them professionally fitted. Proper fitting and balancing of your new tires will make your vehicle safer and more pleasant to drive.

Learn more about this author, Matt Gadfield.
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