Does your diesel truck need new tires, but you’re not sure where to start? Many people struggle to understand all the different factors that they need to keep in mind before buying tires for their trucks.
Finding the right tires for your diesel truck requires research to know your options. You and your truck deserve the tires that are going to suit your needs the best.
The tire you pick could change the way you see your truck in terms of obstacles and performance.
Keep reading to find out which factors you should consider when choosing your new diesel truck tires.
1. Types of Diesel Truck Tires
Several types of diesel truck tires serve different functions. Choosing the one you need can be an overwhelming task, but this is the best place to start.
Diesel truck tires tend to fall into three types. These types are all-season, mud-terrain, and all-terrain.
Mud-terrain tires are supposed to be the best of the best for truck owners. They look great, handle great off-road, and come in a range of sizes. These tires can go almost anywhere, including mud, dirt, and some kinds of snow.
Be careful with these tires if you plan to be on-road often. They will not handle awesome in the rain, and they can be quite loud on the pavement. There has been some new technology that has made certain mud-terrain tires quieter.
If off-road tires and low-noise are important to you, look for those.
All-season tires are probably what your truck came with. They do best on highways and other roads but often fall short if you take them off-roading. These tires are not built with mud and wet grass in mind.
All-season tires have their advantages, such as their cost-effectiveness and their on-road handling. In addition to this, they are also relatively quiet and drive well in the wintertime.
All-terrain tires are a good middle ground between all-season and mud-terrain tires. This is one of the most popular types of tires for diesel truck owners for their versatility. These tires look good, aren’t too noisy, and are tough.
The only disadvantages to all-terrain tires are their poor fuel economy and less-than-perfect handling in mud.
2. Lift Height and Tire Size
The truck you have and its lift height could impact the size of tire you should get. Of course, you can always make fender modifications. But if you’re not too keen on cutting your new truck, we don’t blame you.
One way to find what size tire is best for your truck is by finding what your lift kit manufacturer recommends. Often these manufacturers will recommend the largest tire size that is compatible with their products.
Another thing to keep in mind is backspacing or wheel offset. Wheel offset is the amount of space between the wheel’s mounting surface and the centerline. Backspacing is the amount of space between the wheel’s mounting surface and the innermost lip.
These two things and tire size will determine if your wheels can spin properly without hitting anything they aren’t supposed to. Take care to know what size of tire your truck can handle. Diesel performance specialists are ready to help if your not sure what size will fit.
3. What Are You Hauling?
One of the most important factors to consider when buying on or off-road tires is how much weight they can handle. If you are driving a heavy diesel truck, you probably need heavily rated tires. You’ll especially need to make sure your tires can handle a heavy load if you plan to haul something big as well.
Be sure you are looking for tires with some of the highest load ranges, this means E or even higher. A weight rating that matches your truck and load is essential.
4. Driving and Road Conditions
Before you buy your diesel truck tires, be sure to factor in where you plan to take your truck. If you are going to be doing a lot of back and forth to work, primarily off-road tires might not be right for you. Likewise, if you plan to take your truck on muddy paths and snowy passes, don’t choose all-season tires.
Also, know your weather. If you live in California, your tires don’t need to perform well in the snow. If you plan to travel to the Pacific Northwest, choose a tire that can handle cold, wet weather.
5. Tires Backed by Warranties
New tires for diesel trucks rarely come cheap. When buying new tires, be sure that they are backed by a warranty. This will ensure that you will get a good deal of use out of the tires before you have to buy more. Many brands will promise about seven years of usage and a few retreads.
6. Noise Levels
The noise of your diesel truck tires may surprise you. The general rule of thumb is that all-season tires are the quietest and mud-terrain are the loudest. Yet, there are some outliers.
If the tire looks aggressive and knobby, it’s going to be loud. Consider how loud you want your truck to be before buying new tires for your diesel truck.
Where to Buy Diesel Truck Tires
After considering all these factors, we hope you are closer to finding the perfect set of tires for your diesel truck. You don’t want to put just any tires that fit on your truck. You want the ones that will serve you for years and take you where you want to go.
When you need to replace your tires, contact us to find new diesel truck tires at a great price.
