Off Road Tires: Top 7 Must Haves

Yeah, driving on the roads is fine and everything. But any off-road enthusiast can tell you that the thrill of smashing rubble, trudging through mud, or hounding over desert dunes is completely unmatched. 

The reason your truck or Jeep works so flawlessly in those situations is because it’s got a fantastic set of off-road tires. Your wheels can make or break your performance on tricky terrain, so do some research before settling down.

But let us help you out a little bit. We never get tired of talking about tires, and we know a thing or two about off-roaders. So if you’re a seasoned off-road veteran, or one of the newbies to the world of all-terrain driving, here are some of our top picks to make the most of your ride.

1. BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2

If you’re an off-road snob, then you’re familiar with BF Goodrich. They launched their first off-road tire nearly 40 years ago, so they’ve got a good idea in regards to what works and what doesn’t.

And one of the things that definitely works is the All-Terrain T/A KO2. This tire was a champion in the Baja racing championship, which is one of the craziest off-road racing competitions in the country. We feel like that’s a pretty good representation of the quality that these wheels possess.

The KO2 has a bruise resistant sidewall and increased rubber thickness for enhanced performance and durability. They also feature an advanced deflection design that helps remove rocks and gravel before they ever even have the chance to pierce the rubber. On top of that, these things have interlocking tread elements that maximize traction on-road, so you’ll have a smooth ride no matter where you go.

BF Goodrich is beginning to sound a lot more like BF Greatrich to us.

2. AMP Terrain Attack M/T

All-terrain tires are great for the indecisive people who don’t know if they want to stay on the roads or journey off of them. But for the people who live for adventure, mud tires are the way to go. AMP is a leader in off-road wheels, and their Terrain Attack M/T tires are proof of their prowess.

What makes these stand out are the twin lug sidewalls that grip into the harshest environments to propel you forward rather than dig you down. It’s also got some killer, deep treads that increase traction in wet conditions. As the name implies, these are pretty great in muddy environments.

They’re also surprisingly quiet on asphalt, so you can still jam to your favorite Apple Music playlists without interference. Despite it being specifically listed as a mud-terrain tire, you shouldn’t have any difficulty traversing through snow, sand, rocks, and more. 

As you can see, AMP gets us pretty amped up. We can go on and on about them, but we’ll try to move on to some more awesome off-road options.

3. Cooper Discoverer AT3

It’s not often that a tire brand can excel in pretty much every type. From cars to SUVs, vans to trucks, Cooper just knows what they’re doing. And that extends to their off-road tires.

One of our personal favorites is the Discoverer AT3. This is an all-terrain tire that is strategically designed to prevent shedding on rocky and gravel terrain. It’s because it’s treads use even wear arc technology to balance pressure on all ends of the tire, giving it some insane on and off-road handling.

The thing about most off-road tires is that they’re pretty lackluster in the noise department. Since the treads are so deep and uniquely shaped, you often hear a loud rumble when driving on the highway. While some people may enjoy this, Cooper has eliminated the annoyance with their own “whisper grooves” that provide a sound barrier to reduce noise when on the road.

These are perfect on a light pick-up truck or even an SUV, especially since it handles so well in all types of terrain.

4. Nitto Terra Grappler G2

If a tire’s name is the “grappler,” you just know it’s going to be good. Nitto is another trusted off-road brand among the likes of Cooper and BF Goodrich. And this Terra Grappler G2 is one of their newest, and best, all-terrain tires in their arsenal.

This is a balanced tire that’s meant to perform well on and off-road. But when you take these wheels into the most intense environments, you’ll be driving like nobody’s business.

The shoulder lugs on an off-road tire are one of the most important parts, and the ones on the Grappler really stand out. The biting design connected to the sidewall lugs starting from the shoulder block, so the traction and support is truly exceptional. They’ll be able to dig you out of the roughest terrain imaginable.

5. General Grabber AT2

Not to be confused with the Grappler like we just mentioned, General’s Grabber AT2 is a stellar option for your off-road needs. 

It has a really unique five row tread pattern that is able to have some really killer traction off-road. It also features a self-cleaning tread design, so you’re not going to need to worry too much about mud and dirt getting caked on there.

What makes this one stand out is that the Grabber Arctic variation has optimized arrangement for winter studs. So you don’t need to worry about replacing your tires completely in the winter months. You can just easily apply some studs to enhance your control in snowy and icy conditions.

These are some truly hot tires, sure make sure you grab a grabber before they’re all gone!

6. Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8

Nexen has been a trusted tire brand since 1942. They’ve probably been around longer than your grandparents, which makes us think they have some experience when it comes to crafting the best quality tires in the game.

A prime example is the Roadian AT Pro RA8. It has a unique zig-zag tread design and an open outside shoulder to improve off-road traction. These things perform super well in wet and muddy conditions. The sipe design also helps spew out small pebbles while helping to reduce the amount of heat caused by friction.

It also sort of just looks like a sick off-road tire. If you want something that’s going to be as functional as it is stylish, this might be the right one for you.

7. Ironman All Country M/T

It just wouldn’t feel right is Ironman tires were meant for sedans. Ironman’s All Country M/T is for anything but the roads. With these things, the entire world is your asphalt oyster.

The design of the treads are really able to lock onto the most intense off-road environments. It has staggered buttress that helps protect the sidewall from cuts and abrasions while also helping to easily shovel away silt and sand.

We love this tire because of its durability. Whether you’re just driving over asphalt or trucking over the sharpest and pointiest rocks in the land, these are built to last you as long as you’ll need them for. We also love this tire because similar to the Roadian, it just looks pretty dang cool.

Cool, So Where Can I Get Some?

We don’t blame you if this article made you want a fresh set of wheels -- we’re chomping at the bit ourselves. But as you probably know, tires are expensive. And off-road tires? They’re a different breed entirely. 

But don’t let price keep you from achieving your most unattainable tire dreams. At Rent A Wheel, our mission is to provide you with the highest quality wheels at the lowest possible price. Choose from our selection of all of these wheels (and much more) and then choose a payment option that works for you.

Sure, you can pay us upfront for the whole tire. Or, you can choose from one of our flexible plans to alleviate that financial burden now. Our rent to own program gives you a whopping 78 weeks to pay off your balance. That’s payments as low as $14 a week for our smaller wheels.

Or, you can try our 120-Day Same-As-Cash Price plan, which allows you to pay for your wheels in flexible payments over a 120 day period. We’ll only charge you our regular cash price -- not a penny more.

This is all to say, don’t pay more than you need to in order to get the tires you’ve been eyeing up for a while. Your off-road adventures can wait for you as long as you need, but you can’t wait for them. Just fill out our simple application to get pre-approved today. 

Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/21/the-rise-of-burly-high-performance-and-off-road-suvs-and-trucks.html

https://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i22/Tire-Friction-Studies-Reveal-Rubber.html

https://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/engineers-tread-patterns-truck-tires/