| Remember those monster 4x4 trucks that you | | | | over bumps, humps or the occasional pothole. |
| see on television? | | | | And if you want to go off-roading, then |
| Even though we usually don't see such | | | | low-profile tires are an absolute no-no. Driving |
| humongous vehicles on our roads, most people still | | | | through rough terrains require you to have a |
| associate 4x4 trucks with extra-big tires. And | | | | high-profile tire so that you have more sidewall |
| indeed, making the right tire choice is a critical part | | | | height to have extra suspension and to cushion |
| in determining the fun and performance you can | | | | your rims from damage. If you dare to use |
| get from your truck. | | | | low-profile tires to go off-road, I can certainly |
| In making an educated tire choice for your | | | | guarantee that your rims will be dented or spoilt. |
| specific truck, you have to bear in mind several | | | | Then you'll want to consider if you will be doing |
| considerations. | | | | serious mud bogging. If so, you will need special |
| But chief among all the considerations involved, | | | | mud tires as these are specially designed for |
| you must remember the guiding principle that | | | | extra rough road conditions. The tire tread |
| "usage comes first." | | | | pattern is vastly different from conventional road |
| Don't be carried away by the looks of the tire. A | | | | tires. Not only are the spaces in the pattern made |
| lot of people make the mistake of going for the | | | | wider so as to help clear out the mud more |
| fiercest-looking, biggest, fattest tire that their | | | | efficiently, the tread pattern itself is designed to |
| budget can afford. | | | | provide extra grip and traction to crawl through |
| Yes, having a nice-looking tire is good, but it's of | | | | the sticky mud. Without using mud tires, you will |
| no use to you if it doesn't suit your needs, or if it | | | | be stuck in the mud in no time because of the |
| doesn't last as long as you expected it to and you | | | | lack of traction. |
| have to waste money changing to another set of | | | | Yet another point to consider is the tread life. No |
| tires a little while down the line. | | | | 2 tire designs are made the same, and they all |
| So before you plonk down your hard-earned | | | | have different life-spans. In most cases, you |
| cash, have a clear idea of what you want to use | | | | sacrifice life-span for better performance, so a lot |
| your 4x4 truck for. | | | | of people get unpleasantly surprised by the short |
| Are you just using it as an everyday mode of | | | | tread life in their high-performance tires. You need |
| transport? Or will you be doing some serious | | | | to know what you are in for before deciding on |
| off-roading during the weekends, or perhaps even | | | | the tire, so make sure you ask the tire shop for |
| some mud bogging? | | | | their opinions first. And you should also learn how |
| Each of these different usage scenarios require | | | | to look at the Uniform Tire Quality Grading |
| different types of tires. And if you choose the | | | | (UTQG) rating. Every manufacturer is required to |
| wrong set of tires, you will definitely face pretty | | | | grade each of its tires under this labeling system, |
| serious safety issues and dire consequences. | | | | and among other things, it will tell you the tire's |
| Firstly, think of the ride quality you want (or | | | | ratings for tread wear. Use this to compare 2 |
| need). A low-profile tire looks great from the side | | | | different tires and you will be able to know which |
| because of the aggressiveness character, but | | | | lasts longer in practical use. |
| your ride quality will definitely suffer when riding | | | | |