All terrain tire life-All-terrain tires are used to get traction on any surface, on or off the road. They have an open tread like off-road tires, but they handle well like street tires. It’s important to remember that, since these tires can be used for anything. So, it’s not the best choice for people who only drive on highways or paved roads, or for people who only drive off-road.
Pros and Cons
Both good and bad things can be said about this type of tire.
Pros
- Open-tread design: This design makes it easier for the tires to grip surfaces that are not roads. There are many interlocking tread elements that give good traction on rocks and mud and good handling on paved roads.
- Sidewalls that are stronger: Some models of all-terrain tires have reinforced sidewalls that allow them to carry more weight. Most of the time, these are more aggressive tires made for heavier trucks that go off-road more often. Campers also use reinforced all-terrain tires because these vehicles carry more weight and need rugged terrain tires to do so.
- Workable all year: Since all-terrain tires can be used for many different things, they also work well on snowy and icy roads. If your car’s regular performance is good enough, there’s no need to switch from used summer tires to winter tires. But winter tires still have an advantage over all-terrain tires because of the way they are made and how they grip the road.
Cons
- Noise: Because of how the tread is made, the tires make more noise than regular all-season tires. Mud, off-road, and all-terrain tires make more noise because they have block tread patterns. Most of the time, the grooves in these tires are pretty even, while the best touring tires have many different kinds of patterns. This changes how the air sounds as it goes through them, but most of the time the air flows cancel each other out, making less noise.
- Less time on the road: Because the tires are made of softer rubber, they don’t last as long, but not less than the average of 40,000 miles. These compounds help make sure that all-terrain tires work well on all surfaces. There are tires with a mileage of 50,000 to 70,000 that last longer.
- Having a tendency to cup: Because of how they are made, all-terrain tires tend to cup. The more aggressive the tire, the more likely it is to cup. Most of the time, it’s because the shock absorbers don’t have enough control. Check them now and then, and rotate your tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. Also, keep an eye on the parts of the wheel and tire that are worn. Read this post to learn more about how to rotate and balance tires.
- Less efficient use of fuel: All-terrain tires are in the middle when it comes to how much gas they use. Regular street tires use less gas, while off-road tires use a lot more. The economy is affected by things like mechanical friction, wind resistance, rolling resistance, and the tread pattern. Rolling resistance could be eliminated if the sidewalls were stiffer and there was almost no tread, but then there would be no grip.
What is all terrain tires best for
Small trucks.
Light trucks can often go on and off-road, and they can carry a lot of weight. Even though regular used LT tires can handle the load, all-terrain tires will work better on and off the road. In general, a light truck can carry no more than 4,000 pounds.
Pickup trucks.
Pickups can also go on and off-road, but they can carry up to 6,000 pounds more than cars. People often use these kinds of vehicles to move goods or go on trips, which can involve driving in mud or rock for a while.
SUVs.
SUVs can also use all-terrain tires, which come in different models with different ply ratings. This means that their load indexes are different. SUVs can carry the same amount of weight as pickup trucks, so you have a lot of options. But before you choose between all-terrain, SUV, and street tires, you should think about what your car is used for.
Campers.
Campers need all-terrain or off-road tires that are up to 37 inches wide and can handle rough terrain. The tires on these vehicles are also better because they have stiffer sidewalls and a more aggressive tread. Because they have to pull not only the car but also the trailer through mud, rocks, and sometimes snow.
Cars with 4-wheel drive.
Normal cars that go off-road a lot may also benefit from all-terrain tires. It’s important to keep in mind that the tire has to meet or beat the speed rate and load index that the carmaker has set. The size and aspect ratio must also be a perfect fit for the wheel. So, if you want to put all-terrain tires on a normal 4-wheel drive car, you may need different wheels so that the height of the tires doesn’t affect how well the car works.
All Terrain Tire Life
Do all terrain tires last longer? How many miles you get out of your tires depends on things like the type of road you drive on, where you drive, and how you drive. We’ll talk more about these things in a bit, but first, let’s look at how far your tires usually go.
Based on miles driven, the average life of an all-terrain vehicle is 40,000 miles, but some models can last for 80,000 miles or more. This means that good all-terrain tires can last longer than some highway tires.
A tire’s warranty is often based on how many miles it has been driven. They are basically promising that you will be able to drive a certain distance if you take care of your tires and don’t abuse them.
Note: If you want to use this warranty because your tires need to be replaced too soon, you’ll need the maintenance records to show that you took good care of them. That’s fine, though, because you’re already doing regular maintenance, right?
Even though the all-terrain tires might wear out faster, they might last longer than some highway tires. You might think that these tires will end up costing more because of this, but that is not always the case. You can find tires with good ratings for a fair price if you look around.
