Going overly specialized with off-roading tires could be hurting both your vehicle\u2019s capability and your wallet, according to an expert from BFGoodrich. Brandon Sturgis, the company\u2019s Off-Road Product Manager, recently chatted with Autonocion about which rubber is best for tackling multiple terrains.<\/p>\n
One of the main points that came out of the conversation related to hobbyists who like to go a little overboard. We\u2019ve all been there, flicking through a parts catalog and seeing a \u201ctop of the line\u201d set of shock absorbers, brakes, or a racing carb that\u2019s only a little over budget.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, tires get pretty specialist when you go to extremes. So yes, you need the top-end stuff if you\u2019re planning on rock crawling through MOAB or competing in King of the Hammers. But if you\u2019re only doing some light to moderate off-roading or tackling multiple terrain types, then it\u2019s best to get something a little more generalist.<\/p>\n
For that, Sturgis points us towards his company\u2019s \u201cTrail Terrain\u201d line of tires. He said:\u00a0\u201cThere are some tires that we think really, really do a good job of covering the majority of the market. There are some people who don’t need a KM3, they just need a light all terrain tire for daily use.<\/em><\/p>\n “Maybe they’re only hitting a dirt road here or there, and they want to make sure they have good snow performance. And that’s really where Trail Terrain kind fits in. We feel those four products really serve the market here really well.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Trail Terrain tires seem to cover pretty much all bases, except for extreme use cases. They have a 3-Peak Mountain Snow Rating, which means they meet legal requirements if your state mandates snow tires in certain months. The rubber also has a few features making soft mud easier to deal with, notably the \u201cridged shoulder\u201d design BF Goodrich has become known for.<\/p>\n Full-depth 3D sipes are included to maintain grip as the tire wears, while Trail Terrains have also been designed to reduce road noise. Which is handy if the majority of your time is spent on asphalt. In addition to its snow performance, the tires have been designed with wet-weather performance in mind.<\/p>\n The line is designed for larger vehicles, like trucks and SUVs. Mind, if you want to take a Toyota Corolla off-road, there\u2019s probably a way to make it happen.<\/p>\n While tire choice is important, how you manage those tires will affect both performance and the lifespan of the parts. According to Sturgis, there is one common practice that must be observed above all else.<\/p>\n \u201cIt keeps coming back to air pressure management. I am constantly monitoring the pressure in my vehicle. Some of the newer vehicles are quite easy, because you can just scroll, scroll through a screen, and you see what the pressures are. But my vehicle doesn’t have tire pressure monitoring systems, so once a month, I’m checking my tire pressures.<\/em><\/p>\n “I would say it should be a normal routine. Then you can catch issues before you, before you go on a trip. I think what happens is people don’t catch the fact that maybe they picked up a nail, and they have a slow leak. Then now you’re on a trip, and now you have to deal with it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Sturgis\u2019 advice seems on par with that of other tire experts, especially regarding slow leaks. Not spotting a puncture early\u00a0or just topping off a tire with a slow leak instead of getting it fixed is a\u00a0good way to destroy<\/a> a somewhat pricey<\/span> component. While Sturgis\u2019 advice works for on-road activities, he believes air pressure is very important when you have off-road adventures in mind, too.<\/p>\n “If it’s for an off road trip, hopefully you’ve planned where you’re going, you know some of the terrain that you’re going to be driving over, if you know that you’re going to be airing down.<\/em><\/p>\n “They make these really nice, quick-bleed systems so that you can air down relatively quickly. But if you’re going to do that, then you need to make sure you have a way to air it back up when you’re going back on the road.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n If you\u2019re letting air out of the tires, make sure you have a way to put some back in. Seems like pretty obvious advice. But if you have embarked on a trip, you may not notice your pump is missing or it doesn\u2019t work until you hit the point where you\u2019re re-inflating your tires. So before you set off, go through a checklist. Make sure everything you need is where you need it. Make sure it works. And make sure all essentials have a backup just in case. A low-tech foot pump works in a pinch and costs less than the roadside assistance callout you\u2019ll have to make if your main pump fails.<\/p>\n Plus, it’s a better investment than taking top-end tires on a simple trail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Going overly specialized with off-roading tires could be hurting both your vehicle\u2019s capability and your wallet, according to an expert … <\/p>\nWhat are BFGoodrich\u2019s \u201cTrail Terrain\u201d tires?<\/h2>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t forget to air down\u201d<\/h2>\n