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There you are, driving along the highway in your 4X4 when you glance off to the side only to see an oh-so-inviting muddy logging trail. “Can’t pass this one up”, you say to yourself, as you tug on the steering wheel and head off to 4-wheeler’s heaven. Next thing you know, you’re using your cell phone (if it works out in no-man’s land) to call a tow truck. What happened? In the excitement of the moment, did you forget you still had highway tires on your truck? Oops!

Most light trucks come equipped with All Purpose tires, which are fine for everyday driving. But if you’re an offroad enthusiast, you’ll want to take the time to find the tire that’s perfect for your offroad adventures. And there are plenty of options.

ALL-SEASON (All-Purpose) TIRES. These tires are adequate for driving in all four seasons. Most carry an M/S designation (Mud/Snow) but are really meant only for light snow. They don’t have the proper rubber compound for cold weather, nor the open tread block pattern for the traction provided by a snow tire.

ALL-TERRAIN TIRES. These tires are a compromise for those who use their truck for general daily driving with only occasional off-road use. Surprisingly, they are designed with added grip for “all terrain”, dirt, sand, wet surfaces, light snow and light mud. But they are also good for general highway use and are relatively quiet on pavement. If you’re going to be driving in heavy snow or thick mud, however, you need to move on to a tire designed with that purpose in mind.

SNOW TIRES. If you drive in light snow sporadically, you don’t necessarily need snow tires–all-season tires should do the trick. But if you live in a severe-weather climate (or do a lot of driving in heavy snow), snow tires are for you. Snow tires have an open tread block pattern for better traction and should be narrower. More importantly, they are manufactured with a rubber compound that is more flexible in cold weather. The colder the climate, the less suitable your all-season tire becomes.

STUDDED SNOW TIRES. These are for icy winter conditions. They are “studded” (have metal posts embedded in them), allowing for up to 40% better traction in hard-packed snow and ice than an all-season tire. The downside, however, is the increased noise level as well as the fact that traction is decreased on dry and wet surfaces. Beyond that, due to the fact that they tend to “chew up” the pavement, many regions have either banned them all together or restricted their use to certain months of the year. WINTER TIRES. Winter tires provide better traction in snowy and icy conditions. Their tread patterns and tread compounds are specifically designed for winter conditions. These tires perform better not only in snow, but also in slush and rain. And they’re generally quieter than the snow tire. Look for the snowflake/mountain symbol which means they are certified to have met specific snow traction requirements.

MUD TIRES. If you’re mudbogging, you need wide tires with large lugs. The lugs should have deep voids in between to expel the mud, allowing for better traction at each rotation. These tires, however, are generally loud on the highway, although you may find some exceptions. Mud tires are also good for rock climbing, sand and unpacked snow but do not perform well in icy conditions or in rain.

Two additional points to keep in mind … don’t try to cut corners by changing out only two tires. All four tires, whether they are snow tires or mud tires, should be the same. Two just won’t do. And while the above list does not include any particular brand recommendations, the quickest, most reliable way to choose a good tire brand is to talk to other offroad entusiasts and find out what they’re using in your area.

So there you have it. Tires are the most important truck accessory. Always make sure you have the right tires for the right job and you’ll never have to embarrass yourself by calling a friend to come tow you out of an ugly mess.

About the Author

Copyright 2006 by Debbie Pettitt who is webmaster for Truck Extravaganza bringing you valuable information and resources about trucks and truck accessories. For more information about tires and other truck accessories, visit Truck Accessories -

car trouble deja vu
My car has developed pulsing brakes and a low-speed wobble, for the second time in under 2 years. Help me get it fixed right this time, please? My car wobbles from side to side slightly at low speeds. The wobble frequency varies with the speed of the car, becoming a mostly non-noticeable vibration above ~20 mph. Also, the brakes apply in a jerky/pulsing manner that again varies with the speed of the car and isn’t noticeable until I’m going quite slowly. It feels to riders as though I’m pumping the brake pedal, even though I’m applying constant pressure. It feels to me like the brakes don’t catch as well during some parts of the wheel’s rotation.

My question partially involves these symptoms, but mostly involves the fact that this has happened before. These same two problems occurred together about a year and a half ago. It all began a few months after I had 4 new tires put on the car. (Bear with me - I know very little about cars, so I’m about to pull terms from memory that I didn’t fully understand when I heard them.)

I was told at the repair shop that my brake rotors were bent and needed to be re-machined (to fix the jerky brakes), and also that one of my tires was probably out of round (to explain the wobble). The mechanic fixed the brake issue, but said the tire guys would have to deal with the tire issue. However, he did rotate the tires so that the wobble would be in the back of the car instead of the front until I could make it to the tire store - this made driving the car somewhat easier/less nauseating. He also said to tell the tire guys to be sure to use a torque wrench next time they did the tires. He seemed to be implying that the lack of a torque wrench might have caused the bent brake rotors.

A few days later I went to the tire store and told them about the wobbly tire and that the mechanic thought it seemed to be “out of round”. The tire guys took a look, did some stuff, and told me that one of the tires just needed balancing. I didn’t mention anything about the torque wrench, because I’m kind of shy and didn’t feel qualified to be telling the tire guys how to do their jobs.

So, approximately a year and a half later the problem is back. This time I want to know what I’m talking about when I go to get it fixed, so maybe it will STAY fixed. I’m done being shy. Here are my questions:

1) Does the original diagnosis sound correct - bent brake rotors and a bad tire? I mostly assume the mechanic was right, because the problems went away (for 18 months, anyway) after he fixed the brakes and the other guys messed with the tires.

2) Should the tire people replace my tire(s), or is re-balancing it/them ok? As I understand it, re-balancing just shaves rubber off of part of the tire, which won’t solve the problem if the tire is truly “out of round”. How do I know whether the tire really has an irreparable flaw? Should I demand a replacement? This is at a national discount chain, and at this point I don’t really trust them to thoroughly handle the matter unless I ask the right questions and really push.

3) Could the tire guys’ installation techniques, or the bad tire, have caused my brake problems? If so, should the tire store have to pay for fixing my brakes, especially if they should have replaced the tire the first time this happened instead of just rebalancing it? Should I mention the torque wrench thing this time?

4) Could there be something else wrong with my car that is causing both of these problems to come up again? I’ve been blaming the tire and possibly the tire people for not fixing it right the first time, but if something else could be making this happen then it’d be good to know.

Other details that may or may not matter:
The car is a ‘96 Civic with only 60,000 miles on it, automatic transmission. I bought it from my grandparents just over 3 years ago. It was in a major accident that required significant rebuilding at some point well before I purchased it, but my grandparents didn’t experience any problems with it after the rebuilding.

Bf good rich Traction TA
I just bought them 2 weeks ago for my stock tires.they re new but 2 of the have bee mounted email me luhur_dipta@yahoo.com

Bridgestone Potenza RE050
These are OEM on my 2008 VW GLi. Due to the vehicle being my wife’s daily driver, I felt an All Season tire would best suit our needs. This is why these tires are for sale. They have not been abused, or contain any known defects. I removed them from the car with less than 800 miles on the odometer. 225/45Z R17 Bridgestone Potenza RE050

Dunlop Grandtrek WT M2
$80 flat rate shipping for all four. The tires are brand new. I never got around to installing them this past winter, and I want to sell them before summer hits. I can take paypal payments, cashier’s check / money order, or regular check (please allow for funds to clear before ship).

Michelin Pilot PS2
Brand new still stickered, 700 for the pair shipped to your door.

Kumho ECSTA SPT
NEW #1 rated by tiretrack: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=KumhoandtireModel=Ecsta+SPT Tirerack sells this for $124 net to you. I’m selling this at $95. Shipping will be at actual cost to buyer. Free Pkup in San Diego. 858-638-1715

Yokohama S-Drive
2 used tires