Finding the right tires for your car, jeep or truck in Vancouver, the North Shore or anywhere else in the Pacific North West depends greatly on your lifestyle and priorities. Because British Columbia’s environment, terrain, and subsequent lifestyles are as diverse as its population, some only need all-season tires at stock specs for driving in the city and much of the Lower Mainland. Whereas others living just over the bridge in North and West Vancouver or as far North as Prince George and Port Alberni need to consider having two sets of tires – Winter Tires and Summer or All Season Tires. Lastly, if you’re living in rural, country, or otherwise inaccessible areas, or if you go camping, take off-road treks and go overland travelling, you then need to consider more substantial and beefy Off-Road, All-Terrain or Mud Tires.

Your vehicle, its wheels, rims or modifications, your priorities, and your budget will systematically narrow down your selection until you’ve found the right tires for your vehicle. You may either choose to be limited by your car’s stock rims and wheel size, or you may choose to modify your vehicle and purchase new wheels to allow for greater tire selection and performance.

Off Road Tires Vs. Winter Tires Vs. All Season Tires

Being optimized for “all” means being optimized for “none.” If you plan to do any off-roading, stock or “all-weather” tires simply won’t do. All-season tires are designed for all seasons, meaning no-season in particular. Meaning, they have middle-of-the road traction, longevity, and control. If you drive on well-paved streets, in mild seasonal conditions, your standard all-weather tire should get you from A to B with no problems. However, if you regularly encounter diverse terrain, drive in all or extreme weather conditions, go off-road, tow heavy loads, need performance, longevity, or application-specific utility, performance and off-road tires are a necessity. Below is a guide for Off-Road, Performance and All-Season tires

Off Road Tires

Major Types of Off-Road Tires and Their Performance

There are 4 main types of off-road tires:

• All-terrain Tires
• Mud-terrain Tires
• Snow-Winter Tires
• Sand Tires

Off-Road Tire Construction

Off-road tires are usually radial or bias-ply.

Radial tires have horizontal plies from bead to bead, across the tire’s surface. On top of the main layer, there are stabilizing plies. These tires usually cause less rolling resistance which improves fuel economy. Moreover, these tires provide smoother rides, making them great for street use. Radial tires also have longer wear and help keep a vehicle under control. Most tires on the market are radial, but are not all are off-road.

The differences between a bias ply tire and radial tires.

Bias-ply tires are proven to be better for off-road use because of their shared casing plies for tread and sidewalls. While radial tires have plies at 90-degree angles, bias-ply tires have crisscrossed layers of steel at a 30-degree angles. The shared plies improve tire flexibility, allowing for better traction and self-cleaning. The increased flexibility, however, can also be a disadvantage if used on-road. It can cause more rolling resistance and increase fuel consumption.

Bias-ply off-road tires also keep any minor punctures in place, preventing expansion and making it possible to plug them and finish your travels.

Mud-Terrain Tires (MT Tires)

MT tires are mostly for off-road use on muddy surfaces. Their tread is aggressive, the blocks are larger, and channels are wider. Mud won't pack into the tires’ grooves. Or, if they do, most Mud-Terrain tires can clean themselves of it. Dirt, debris, and mud channel through the tire grooves, similar to how water does in regular street tires. The same goes for driving with Mud-Terrain tires in deep snow, making them good for year-round use. They won’t, however, keep your vehicle stable on ice because of their lack of contact patch area. 

MT tires have stiff sidewalls to absorb shock from the impact on uneven surfaces. The tread is quite durable, but not as much as on all-terrain. The rubber in these off-road tires are softer to provide better grip on all surfaces. This is one of the reasons they wear faster and cost more. Mud-Terrain tires are also usually noisy and rough when used on highways. They may also be less stable on wet roads.

Winter Tires | Snow Tires

Not always considered off-road tires but still worth mentioning, winter tires are for snowy, icy surfaces, and colder times of year. The rubber compounds are soft enough to stay pliable in low temperatures (7-10C). These on- or off-road tires can bite into snow and ice with the help of their thinner tread block grooves – called sipes.

These tires have a number of advantages over all-terrain, but their major drawback is they are only useful in cold seasons. When weather becomes warmer, these tires can no longer provide adequate performance. Furthermore, they do not last as long because at least 4/32” tread depth is needed to grip the snow.

Sand Tires

Sand tires provide good traction on sand to help move through dunes.

These tires have special extrusions that appear horizontally or in a V-shaper across the tire. These help churn sand and move the vehicle through it successfully. These off-road tires are usually specialized, used for specific sport activities or tours.

6 Top Pick Best Off-Road Tire Brands

Here are 6 of the best brands currently manufacturing off-road tires:

• Goodyear
• Cooper Tires
• Mickey Thompson
• BFGoodrich
• Dick Cepek
• Toyo

Goodyear

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is one of the two all-American tire brands that manufacture all kinds of tires, from sport to heavy off-road. The Wrangler tire is one of their most popular off-road lineups. They are primarily all-terrain tires, which provide great on- or off-road performance. However, if you need a more aggressive tread, the Wrangler DuraTrac® is worth a try. These have reinforced sidewalls to help puncture-resistance and improved silica rubber compounds.

Cooper Tires | Mickey Thompson

Cooper Tire and Rubber Company specializes in the design, manufacturing and sales of after-market replacement tires. Mickey Thompson is now a Cooper Tire and Rubber Company subsidiary, specializing in high-performance tires for various uses. The Baja ATZ-P3 lineup is one of their most popular off-road tires. These all-terrain tires have an advanced rubber compound to improve cut resistance. Furthermore, their sidewalls have their special 3-ply PowerPly feature. If you need a mud-terrain off-road tire, however, you might consider the Baja MTZ. Offering high mileage and excellent off-road traction, with self-cleaning capabilities, the Baja MTZ are great for mud and deep snow because substances will not pack into their grooves.

BF Goodrich

BF Goodrich is one of the world's most popular tire companies. They manufacture tires for all vehicle applications, including off-roading and all-terrain. BFG's most popular off-road lineup is their All-Terrain T/A KO2. The shoulder grooves are 40% wider than typical AT, they provide a long lifespan, are damage resistant, and have strong bead construction. A great mud-terrain lineup of theirs is Mud-Terrain T/A KM2. The construction of these off-road tires’ involve special linear flex zones to help grab and drive over obstacles much easier.

Dick Cepek

Dick Cepek, another Cooper subsidiary, specializes in off-road tires. Their Fun Country product lineup is one of their most popular. These fall somewhere in between all-terrain and mud-terrain tires. These tires' tread is 18.5/32” deep, with lateral grooves, helping resist damage while cleaning the tire. Moreover, the sidewalls on these tires add to their safety and puncture resistance. The sipes help keep the grip all year long.

Toyo Tires

Japan-based Toyo Tire and Rubber Company manufactures high-quality off-road tires. Their Open Country MT tires provide excellent traction on pavement, rock, mud, snow or other surfaces. Their over-the-shoulder tread construction guarantees deep mud and snow grip, while their sipes are quite deep, helping them stay planted on wet surfaces and ice.

Custom & Performance Off-Road Tires

Off-road tires are thicker, larger, have greater grip and deeper tread, and are usually non-directional, meaning they can be rotated and flipped to extend their lifespan. Teaming off-road tires with wider performance wheels mean you can adjust tire pressure to increase or decrease traction for various terrain and muddy or snowy conditions. Typical stock tires and wheels can quickly degrade under similar  conditions – tire walls can expand out of wheel barrel, causing folding or bursting over outer lip. Off-road tires, however, have additional rubber layers (upwards of 10 layers vs. 3 in stock tires) giving greater strength and reinforcement. Proper rims also help to prevent tire bulge and beading.

Performance tires are also designed for application-specific purposes. If driving on hills, through mud, gravel or sand, in water or snow, or at high speeds, application specific tires can give greater grip, prevent hydroplaning, perform dependent on ambient or surface temperatures, and a variety of other optimizations. Teamed with a lift kit, tires can also be much larger than you would achieve from stock suspension. If looking to drive over large boulders and rocks or through deep waters and mud, larger off-road tires will give you extra leverage and height to give you the power and clearance you need for extreme conditions.

Custom & Off-Road Wheels & Alloy Rims

Performance rims are where aesthetics meet performance. Rims are available in an unlimited variety of colours, finishes, trims, and sizes. Ranging from 15-21 inches, even your largest off-road tires can be installed. Available in matte, gold, brass, chrome and satin finishes with contrasting or tonal spokes, caps, and bores, you can choose a finish that works perfectly with your paint job or custom wrap project.

Alloy wheels help to reduce your vehicle’s overall weight allowing you to put the weight where it counts, like your trailer, camping gear, bed loads and passengers! Alloy wheels give extra strength that old and heavy steel wheels can’t; they offer better weather protection against the elements – offering rust protection from salt and sand; and, they are optimized for tubeless tires. Unlike stock rims, performance alloy rims help maintain the tire’s air pressure.

Based on your vehicle model and needs West Coast Off-Roaders can fit you with the right wheels and tires for your Jeep, truck, and performance vehicle. Contact today us for a consultation or to book an appointment for fitting and installation.

Contact Us Today for a Consultation or Quote: (604) 770-1252