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Are All-Terrain Tires Good For Towing? (Explained)

All-terrain tires are a special kind of tires designed to promote traction for both on-road and off-road driving. They are commonly installed on pickup trucks, SUVs and light trucks. 

These tires have one major use-which is making sure a vehicle can traverse different terrains. They have very wide and deep treads which enable them to grip even muddy and rocky roads. 

Since they can be fitted on pickup trucks, there have been questions concerning whether all-terrain tires are good for towing.

In this article, we will be examining the question and exploring towing possibilities with all-terrain tires. 

Here’s the Short Answer to Whether All-Terrain Tires Are Food for Towing:

All-Terrain tires are perfect for towing, especially if you are going off-road. Their wide and deep tread provides extra traction and makes towing a lot smoother in different types of road conditions. If you’re towing on slippery terrain, all-terrain tires might be the right shoes for your vehicle.

Do You Get a Better Grip With All-Terrain Tires?

As we mentioned earlier, one of the most distinctive features of all-terrain tires is their deep and wide treads. The depth and width of the tread makes for a better grip on roads with mud, sand, or rock. 

They also come with incredibly thick sidewalls to protect the tires from harmful objects while driving off-road. 

So, if you are going to be towing on any of these roads, you can bet on excellent all-terrain tires for a splendid road grip. 

Can You Pull More With All-Terrain Tires?

All-terrain tires help by smoothening the towing process of vehicles by bolstering traction as needed on different roads. However, they may also hurt the towing process if they are too big. 

Studies show that large tires can affect towing capacity because they transmit less torque, which means less power for the vehicle and less towing capacity. 

So, while all-terrain tires will help with traction, they may also mar the process if you have the wrong tire size. 

An easy way to figure out the right size would be to make sure whatever A/T tires you get are of equal size with the tire that came with your car.

That’s because manufacturers often ensure that the tires match the towing capacity of their vehicles. 

You can also take your vehicle to the auto shop and inform them you want perfectly sized A/T tires for your towing needs. They will do the math for you and figure out a fitting set of A/T tires for the vehicle. 

Once you figure out the right size, your A/T tires will match your car’s towing capacity and pull the expected weight on different terrains. 

Should You Air Up Your Tires Before Towing?

When you are traveling in a vehicle, you want to make sure the tire pressure is set and well inflated.

So, if you are new to towing, you may want to go the same route and air up your tires completely before towing. 

While that is a well-intentioned move, it is not always the right move to make before towing. Now, don’t get us wrong; it is absolutely important and of great necessity to inflate the tires before towing. However, over-inflation may mar the entire process. 

Experts advise inflating the tires to the maximus PSI only when you are towing a large amount of weight. So, if you are not towing much, it’s advisable to keep the tire pressure a little below the max PSI. 

In this case, over-inflation is just as dangerous as under-inflation, so you should watch it. If this sounds all too technical to you, you may visit an auto technician shop for the right level of tire pressure and inflation before towing. 

Related: Are All-Terrain Tires Worth It? (Explained)

Do Tires Really Make a Difference in Towing?

Tires make a lot of difference in the towing process. You can’t move your vehicle at all if they have no tires or if the tires are bad and don’t have enough air.

In the same breath, you cannot tow with the car if the tires are not in an optimal state.

If you tow with the wrong tires, the tires could become flat on the way or get blown out. Also, like we mentioned before, towing with tires too large for your vehicle may reduce the vehicle’s towing capacity. 

Hence, it is important to have the right-sized tires for your vehicle when towing and keep the pressure at an optimal level. 

Related: Are All-Terrain Tires Good On The Highway? (Solved)

Can You Tow With Passenger Tires?

Passenger tires work best with sedans, crossovers, coupes and other light vehicles.

They are not ideal for large SUVs and trucks and one reason for that is their terrible towing performance. 

You can tow with a vehicle that has regular passenger tires, but the weight you can pull is going to be minimal. While they are generally more fuel-efficient, towing is just not a strong suit of passenger tires. 

What Are the Best Tires for Towing?

Below are some of the best tires to install on your vehicles if you have some weight to tow:

Goodyear 795698918 Wrangler Radial Tire

This tire comes from the reputable Goodyear brand and it is a great choice for light trucks. It enjoys top-shelf control, incredible traction in different seasons and terrains and a durable rubber. 

It also features an economical design that allows for heavy towing in different weather. 

Falken AT3W WildPeak All-Terrain Tire

This is a splendid all-terrain tire and its brawny look and ruggedness makes it a great choice for towing.

Besides that, it also guarantees stability when driving and features a 3D Canyon Sipe Technology that forestalls wear and tear.

Related: How Long Do Falken Tires Last? (Checked)

WestLake SL369 All-Terrain Radial Tire

This tire has a rugged tread pattern that improves its off-road performance and allows for tight grip and traction on not-so-great pavements. It is less noisy than the average all-terrain tire and delivers outstanding towing performances. 

Milestar GrantLand 24760007 ATV Radial Tire

This tire, amongst many features, boasts circumferential tread blocks which promote smooth rides even when towing. It also possesses smartly built grooves and a doping technology to counteract extreme water retention. 

Firestone Trabsforce HT Radial Tire

These all-season tires are designed specially for light trucks and they are made of the best polyester and steel. They also have circumferential grooves that make for extra traction in moist conditions plus stable towing performances.

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