The first vehicle modification that you should consider when you want to go overlanding is upgrading your tires. The original tires of your truck work efficiently on-road, but once that paved road ends, their capacity will be limited.
When you upsize your tires and choose those that are specially designed to tackle rough terrain, you ensure a comfortable and safe overland journey. Higher ground clearance and a larger vehicle footprint are just some of the benefits you can get from a tire upgrade.
General Tire is the best off-road truck tire brand for overlanding, especially the Grabber X3 and the Grabber A/TX, but BF Goodrich and Falken are also wise brand choices.
If you are quite torn between these three, we’ll help you decide by closely examining all of these tires. Without further ado, let’s get started!
What Makes a Good Off-Road Truck Tire for Overlanding?
Before we dive into the main topic, let’s first set our criteria for judging which is the best tire for overlanding. The best tire for your overland vehicle may depend on the type of terrain involved in your journey, but in addition to that, there are still other things you have to consider. Let’s enumerate them all, and when we go on to the comparison of well-known tires, see which one has more of these.
Durability
Tread life is another important feature. Your off-road tires must be durable enough to withstand even the most extreme driving conditions and road surfaces.
Heavy-Duty
Your off-road tires should be able to carry your vehicle over any kind of rough terrain. A good off-road tire has 3 plies because the higher the ply rating, the bigger the tire and the more weight it can hold. But take note that if your tires are too big, they will consume more fuel.
Thicker Sidewalls
A thick sidewall can make the tire puncture-resistant. Also, when you air down to match the RIGHT TIRE PRESSURE FOR OFFROAD DRIVING (https://passportoverland.com/best-air-pressure-for-off-road-conditions), a thicker sidewall can protect the rim from touching the road surface and give you more ease in tackling rough terrain.
Aggressive Tread Patterns
This is the part of the tires that you should really pay attention to. The tread pattern of your off-road tire must be aggressive enough to provide your vehicle with a better contact patch. Aggressive thread patterns have more grip, even in the wettest conditions, and their deep-enough tread grooves will give you more traction. Lastly, a comfortable and safe ride heavily relies on the tread patterns of your off-road truck tires.
Less Noise
No one wants noisy tires that distract you from enjoying the view while you’re on your road trip. A good set of off-road tires produce less noise.
Affordability
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars just to have a good-enough tire for your overland vehicle. There are lots of off-road tires that can give you better performance yet are low in cost.
The Top 3 Truck Tires/ Brands For Overlanding
When it comes to tires, whether they be for overlanding or off-roading, there are three brands that stand out. When you ask your fellow overlanders to recommend a tire, one of these three always makes the list.
BF Goodrich, Falken, and especially, General Tires, are well-known brands of tires for overlanding. We’ll now examine these three and their features to see which off-road truck tire is best for overlanding.
1. BFGoodrich
BF Goodrich has a good reputation when it comes to off-road tires. They started designing tires for off-road driving in 1976 and since then, they have been dominating the market, especially after they released their All-Terrain T/A KO2. But this is not the only tire that they are known for.
They also take pride in their Mud-Terrain T/A KM3, which is designed to tackle extreme road conditions. If BF Goodrich is your brand and you’re looking for the best tire for overlanding from this company, go for their All-Terrain T/A KO2 because Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 is mainly for off-roading.
All-Terrain T/A KO2
The All-Terrain T/A KO2 from BF Goodrich has been on the market for 15 years now, and it has never failed to amaze overlanders since then. This tire is available in 76 sizes and fits on several vehicles, such as Jeep Wrangler, Mitsubishi Montero, Toyota Tacoma, etc.
The All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires have aggressive all-terrain traction, so you can go wherever you want with confidence. You can have this tire by visiting the website: BF Goodrich.
What’s remarkable about this tire is that its sidewall has protruding rubber blocks that provide more traction when you air down. The interlocking tread design of this tire helps in pushing out objects stuck on the tread. Even if you travel on rocky roads, you don’t have to worry about small pebbles getting stuck on your tires.
This tire will give your vehicle better traction in gravel, dirt, mud, snow, soft soil, rocks, and sand. All in all, these features can give you a comfortable ride even on bumpy road surfaces.
2. Falken
Falken is another well-known brand when it comes to off-road truck tires. This company is based in California and has been in the market since 1983. They also have tire distribution centers in Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas. These distribution centers make them more accessible and easy to locate whenever you need off-road tires for your truck.
This company takes pride in its Wildpeak Tire Line that never fails in conquering rough terrain, and the Wildpeak A/T3W is the most well-known tire from this tire line.
Wildpeak A/T3W
The Wildpeak A/T3W tires are highly rated tires from the brand Falken. This tire can conquer any kind of rough terrain and withstand even extreme weather conditions.
What customers like about this tire is that it performs really well even on wet road surfaces and roads buried in snow. Its full-depth sipes and grooves give better traction throughout its tread life. If you are a truck owner who prioritizes comfort in driving on-road, off-road, and in different weather conditions, then you should really go for this tire.
Going on with the features that make the Wildpeak A/T3W stand out among other tires. This tire has a deep tread, which can ensure you that this tire will last a long time and can give your vehicle more grip, even on rocky roads. Its tread blocks also have support ramps and step-down features that gets rid of stuck pebbles on the tire. Its sidewall also features blocks that can protect the tire from being cut by sharp stones on the road.
Lastly, the lower part of this tire’s sidewall features heat diffuser technology, which cools down the internal components of the tire. Visit Falken Tire for more information about its Wildpeak A/T3W.
3. General Tire
Tires from the brand General Tire are called “the Generals” for a reason. This company offers high-performing tires on and off-road at an affordable price. The average price of off-road truck tires from this brand is $173. They also offer a 45-Day Road Test Period, which makes them stand out from their competition.
General Tire was founded in Ohio in the year 1915. Consider how much experience and knowledge they gained during their nearly 100-year tenure in the tire industry.
When we say General Tire, it would either mean the Grabber X3 or the Grabber A/TX. You can easily distinguish between these two because Grabber A/TX is an all-terrain tire while Grabber X3 is a mud-terrain tire. Does your overland trip involve more driving on-road than driving off-road? Then you should go with the Grabber A/TX. If your overlanding trails are deep mud, sand dunes, or boulders, the Grabber X3 can give you a more comfortable and safe ride, even in extreme road conditions.
Grabber A/TX
The Grabber A/TX performs well on highways, even on dirt roads. What you can get from fitting this tire to your overland vehicle is a safe, comfortable, and quiet ride. Its five-row tread pattern can give your vehicle more grip in every direction, and its alternating shoulder scoops located in its sidewall provide more grip in extreme road conditions. As compared to the Grabber X3, this tire is less expensive.
Grabber X3
We can say that the Grabber X3 is a favorite when it comes to overlanding and off-roading. In fact, this tire is rated 4.9, which is near perfection. You might be wondering why this mud-terrain tire receives so much praise when its competition, Grabber A/TX, can tackle all terrains. It’s because the Grabber X3’s performance off-road is way better than Grabber A/TX’s.
With this tire, you can drive in mud, dirt, sand, gravel, and rocky terrain with confidence and assurance. Its siped tread design gives you more grip, even on wet road surfaces and deep snow. The Grabber X3 is famous for its stone bumpers that effectively eject stones stuck in its grooves.
What Is The Best Offroad Truck Tire?
Upgrading your tires is a worthwhile investment for your overland vehicle. With thousands of available choices when it comes to off-road truck tires, it is best to determine your kind of overland trip and what terrain you will encounter before you decide which brand to choose. Among BF Goodrich, Falken, and General Tires, it is without a doubt that General Tires are the best off-road truck tires.
Off-roading is just a part of overlanding, but much of your journey may be on dirt roads. Choose a tire that can get you through rough terrain without compromising your safety and comfort. Upgrade your tires with the General Tire Grabber X3 because its aggressive tread patterns make it the best off-road truck tire for overlanding.
