The Right Truck Tires make your Ride
Truck tires are the #1 feature of your truck when it comes to improving
your ride. It is important to make the right choice for your heavy duty
or light trucking tires, and maintain them so they last for a long time.
Whether you own a 4x4 or 2x4 Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Toyota, GMC,
Chevrolet, Nissan, or other make a smart truck owner knows that a truck's
tires have a huge impact on performance.
Before you choose the best tire for your truck it is essential to
understand the terms of the truck tire world. Rest assured that the
following information will lead you to the best set of tires for your
truck.
Things to Know
Tires are specified in the form 285/70TR/17. The first number is the
width of the truck tire, the second number is the aspect ratio or height
of the sidewall, and the third number is the wheel diameter or rim size.
The height of your sidewall is important and should be chosen based on
the conditions where you drive your truck most often. If you only drive on the the
street then a low profile truck tire will be fine, but if you go off-roading
then you are going to want more tire in between your rim and the ground.
That way you won't bottom out on your rims when your tires encounter
rough objects off
the road.
Wider tires have more contact area with the ground, thus giving your
truck a better grip, both on and off road. Your
truck's handling becomes easier because of the bigger tire width. On the other
hand, the same wider truck tire will make more noise and may decrease
the fuel efficiency of your light or heavy duty truck. Wider tires can
also slip more when it rains.
The size of your rim is a personal preference. Popular today are the
larger sized rims. Just make sure that the rim and truck tire you choose
will fit inside the wheel well of your truck. The Wheel Rim Width varies
from truck to truck. It can be custom made to suit both your on and off
road driving conditions. The wheel rim width is rounded off to the
nearest half-inch of the tire. Usually, the best choice is to have the
rim width at about 90% of the tread width of your tire.
Truck Tire Maintenance
The most important safety aspect of maintenance on your truck is to keep
its tires intact and in good shape. A blown tire can cause an accident
in an instant. The number one cause of the tire wear and tear is
incorrect tire pressure. All the tires on your truck should have
consistent air pressure to carry the weight of your truck equally.
Adequate air pressure is important for a good tire life, handling, and
traction. Look through your truck's owners manual, on the sticker inside
the drivers door, or look on the tire itself to find the correct air
pressure that you need to maintain inside your tires. Some of the time
that information is given on the vehicle placard that can be found in
the glove box, or the armrest compartment of your truck, but if you get
custom tires for your truck the best place to look is on the tire
itself.
Seasonal changes can affect the air pressure of the tires. Cold
temperatures are responsible for dropping the air pressure of the tires,
whereas warm temperatures are responsible for increasing the air
pressure. Expert truckers go by the rule: a 10% swing in the
temperatures causes a 1lb. change in the air-pressure. Sudden changes in
temperature are a good time to check the pressure of the tires on
your truck. These changes occur most often in the spring and fall
months.
Rotating Rules
You can reduce the wear and tear of your truck's tires by rotating them
often. Rotating your truck's tires keeps the tread wear balanced and can
really help you out when slippery and wet conditions occur. A simple
rule about rotating your tires is to do it on every other oil change.
That equals out to approximately every 6 to 7 thousand miles. Doing this
consistently will make your tires last longer and allow you a comfortable
ride for many, many miles.
We Highly Recommend...
The
Tire Rack - Truck Tires
- The Tire Rack carries products from the top brands in the industry.
The also offer a 30 day refund Policy! Just put in your Truck's make and
model and they will show you all the tire and wheel options for your vehicle.
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