Picking the right tires for trucks and pickups might be challenging. These vehicles typically cover both smooth and rough terrains. As such, pickups and trucks need tires that deliver confidence for tacking off-road surfaces and comfort when switching to smooth roads. This guide helps you narrow the list of available tires for pickups and trucks to ensure your truck is properly prepared for the road ahead.
Best Tires For Trucks and Pickups
The best-rated truck tires include the following models according to their all-terrain/ highway/mud terrain types:
- All-terrain truck tires: Nitto Ridge Grappler, Toyo Open Country A/T III, Falken Wildpeak A/T3W, BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2;
- Highway truck tires: Michelin Defender LTX M/S, Toyo Proxes S/T III, Continental TerrainContact H/T All Season;
- Mud terrain truck tires: Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/T, BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3, Milestar Patagonia M/T.
Mud Tires For Trucks and Pickups
The three best truck and pickup mud tires include Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/T, BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3, and Milestar Patagonia M/T. The Baja Boss M/T tire provides solid traction in sticky material, sand, gravel, and snow due to its silica-reinforced formula and aggressive tread bitters. BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 features an advanced Krawl-TEK compound, providing 5% better traction in muddy and soft soil conditions than its T/A KM2 predecessor. Milestar Patagonia M/T is an efficient mud evacuator due to the high void tread design that promotes mud and debris expelling for quick self-cleaning.
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/T Review
The Baja Boss M/T Mickey Thompson is a premium mud terrain product crafted for extreme off-roading. The tire features an advanced asymmetrical tread pattern to ensure superior traction, noise suppression, and top-notch grip on tough surfaces. The Baja Boss M/T product resists punctures and damage due to the Powerply™ XD 3-ply construction reinforcement.
The mud-counteracting and gripping properties of the Baja Boss M/T are due to extra-large Sidebiters® as well as stone ejector ribs to minimize debris buildup. The T4 silica-reinforced compound is responsible for superior wet braking capabilities and resistance to cuts and chips. The Baja Boss M/T is available in sizes from 15 to 24 inches and is a top-tier product for truck and pickup drivers looking for reliability on any terrain.
BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 Review
The Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 BFGoodrich tire has a 5% better mud performance compared to its Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 predecessor, as shown in BFGoodrich's internal studies. This product features an aggressive tread pattern, ensuring maximum traction on loose soil, and reinforced sidewalls to handle tough off-road terrains. The Terrain-Attack tread design with massive tread blocks is responsible for the tire's aggressive grip in muddy conditions. In addition, the tire evacuates compacted mud effectively from its tread through the special Mud-Phobic bars.
The rock traction and off-road durability of Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 BFGoodrich tires are 8% and 27% respectively, better than that of the previous (Mud-Terrain T/A KM2) model. This product is among the top options for year-round performance on the toughest terrains and muddy conditions.
Milestar Patagonia M/T Review
The Milestar Patagonia M/T tire is suitable for an exceptional variety of challenging conditions including desert dunes, mountain passes, rocky trails, and muddy bogs. The Patagonia M/T's versatility is due to its high-void tread pattern and stone ejectors. This pattern provides aggressive biting edges for superior traction and quick self-cleaning properties of debris, mud, and stones.
The Patagonia M/T tire features staggered, off-center tread blocks that enhance grip on uneven terrain without compromising stability when switching to on-road surfaces. The product structure is 3-ply reinforced for maximum protection against impact damage and punctures.
The Milestar Patagonia M/T tires are compatible with 2WD, 4WD, and AWD vehicles and are available in LT and flotation sizes. The most popular sizes are 37X12.50R17, LT285/70R17, LT265/70R17, LT285/75R16, and LT265/75R16.
All Terrain Tires For Trucks And Pickups
Nitto Ridge Grappler Review
The Nitto Ridge Grappler tire is a hybrid product that provides superior off-road capabilities and on-road comfort thanks to its construction. The Ridge Grappler is an option of choice specifically for pickup and truck drivers prioritizing mud terrain and all-terrain performance. This product has a dynamic hybrid tread pattern to offer a smooth and quiet ride on even surfaces and aggressive traction when going off-road.
The architecture of the Ridge Grappler includes lateral Z grooves and a strategically placed tire shoulder to ensure consistent traction on rough terrains and clear mud effectively. The reinforced block foundation adds rigidity to the tread blocks, reducing flex and enhancing durability. Stone drilling is unlikely with this tire due to stone ejectors that help the tire navigate rocky terrains without forming gravel blocks in the tread. The Nitto Ridge Grappler is designed to handle tough trails and cruising highways with precision and ease.
Toyo Open Country A/T III Review
The Toyo Open Country A/T III tire is crafted for all-terrain conditions, combining on-road stability with off-road traction. Thanks to T-mode tire development technology, the product delivers superior performance in wet and dry conditions. The tire features staggered shoulder lugs for extra traction on tough terrains and stone-ejecting blocks to prevent debris from blocking the tread grooves.
Thanks to additional lateral grooves, the product is suitable for snow. Its robust architecture and advanced design ensure superior handling stability on mixed terrain, making it one of the best all-terrain tires for trucks and pickups available on the market.
Falken Wildpeak A/T3W Review
The Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tire is suitable for mixed terrain. It combines aggressive off-road abilities with comfort and balanced handling on pavement. Thanks to its optimized tread design and silica-enhanced tread compound, the tire resists low temperatures (3PMSF-certified) and wear and tear well. The Wildpeak A/T3W product includes technologies such as 3D Canyon Sipes and Heat Diffuser Technology, which resist wear from high torque and dissipate heat to protect tire internal components.
The Wildpeak A/T3W rigid and rugged tread blocks ensure vehicle stability and prevent stones from trapping into the grooves. Last but not least, the aggressive upper sidewall and offset shoulder blocks ensure protection against sharp rocks and off-road traction in off-camber conditions or at low pressure.
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Review
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 product is the toughest all-terrain product from the BFGoodrich catalog. This tire has tough sidewalls with increased rubber thickness ensuring superior resistance against splits and bruises. The All-Terrain T/A KO2 includes integrated technologies such as CoreGard Technology and Serrated Shoulder Design. These protect the tire from objects protruding and splitting the sidewall and ensure high snow, rock, and wet traction.
The product is optimal for all-terrain traction off and on-road. Its staggered shoulder blocks enhance tire maneuverability in deep snow and soft soil. A confident product for all-terrain purposes - the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 ensures superior off-road traction while maintaining predictable highway handling, making it a reliable tire for trucks and pickups.
Highway Tires For Trucks And Pickups
Michelin Defender LTX M/S Review
Michelin Defender LTX M/S is an all-season product designed to provide durable tread life and all-season safety. According to Michelin internal tests, the Defender LTX M/S lasts 10% longer in severe conditions than the Michelin LTX M/S 2, thanks to the Evertread™ compound. Similarly, the Defender LTX M/S is proven to stop 10 m shorter than Dueler H/L Alenza Plus, Firestone Destination LE2, and Goodyear® Wrangler SR-A in wet conditions (according to Michelin internal tests).
The Defender LTX M/S is crafted with MaxTouch Construction™ technology, ensuring a high fuel efficiency rate. This highway A/S tire provides superior wet and dry stability, impressive refinement in terms of comfort and noise, and solid year-round traction, making it an optimal choice for pickups and trucks.
Toyo Proxes S/T III Review
The Proxes ST III is an all-season tire suitable for light trucks, SUVs, and pickups, especially those with a sporty feel. This product is agile in braking, offering 6 feet shorter braking on wet roads*. The construction of this product is directional, featuring lightning grooves and multi-wave sipes. This design ensures an optimal balance between dry handling and wet balance, good water evacuation, and a low irregular wear rate.
The Proxes ST III arrowhead tapers provide high tread block stiffness, which increases straight-line driving stability. Ultimately, the directional tread pattern ensures high ride comfort and reduces road noise.
Continental TerrainContact H/T Review
The Continental TerrainContact H/T is a premium all-season tire suitable for robust highway terrains. This is an EV-compatible product, with best-in-class wet braking, and well-balanced on-road performance.
The TerrainContact H/T incorporates the TractionPlus + Silane technology to ensure a quiet ride on paved surfaces and exceptionally short braking distance and wet grip. The tire performs confidently in snow conditions thanks to special traction grooves that provide additional biting edges.
Trucks Tires: FAQs
Can I Put Truck Tires on a Car?
It is not recommended to put truck tires on regular cars due to tire size, weight, and performance differences. Truck and Light Truck tires are typically crafted to endure rough terrains and carry heavier loads. Putting a truck tire on a regular car can lead to clearance issues (due to size differences), ride quality issues (less responsiveness, lower handling), higher rolling resistance, and low fuel efficiency.
What Is Truck Tire Size?
As a general guideline, truck tires revolve around 17.5" to 22.5" inches. These sizes are generally compatible with light trucks, trucks, pickups, semi-trailers, and trailers.
Why Do Trucks Have 2 Wheels?
Trucks with two additional wheels in the rear are meant to provide higher resistance to extra load than light trucks with ordinary wheels. The greater the load on the vehicle, the more its stability and braking abilities are reduced. A dual wheel on the rear ensures more solid braking power and better maneuverability in the context of higher weights.
Why Trust Us?
The NeoTires team focuses on the result. We aim for our customers to drive confidently and safely in any condition. For this purpose, we formed a team in which each member has solid experience in this industry, ready to provide expert guidance and customized tire recommendations.
Contact us for any tire-related concerns, or explore our catalog of the most recommended tires for trucks and pickups. Our primary goal is not to sell tires but to match your needs with the right tires for optimal driving experience. Drive safe and choose your tires wisely!
