Tire Blog at Dolson Tire & Auto Middletown NY
When you see mud tires "Mudders" for short - you think TRACTION! Right?
When you see CRAWLING tires or Rock Crawlers you think TRACTION? Right? FUN!
But when you see these treads - do you know what they are designed for?
Mud tires or offroad traction tires are purpose engineered for certain types of surfaces with special characteristics. There are many designs with specialized applications. Sand traction is different than loamy soil and different than clay and different than stumps and different than ooooozzy mud.... there are many types of traction. These aggressive tires also have special rubber compounds for these surfaces. In some conditions you want a stiffer compound, in some cases soft and grippy. It all depends on the purpose. 4x4 experts take this into account. If looks are your main reason for a mudder tire then the performance may not matter to you.
But mud tires have one thing in common - they are not designed for snow. Mud tires may look aggressive but snow and ice is another different animal altogether.
For snow and ice you need a traction tire with sipes, low temperature rubber, lots of blades, in some cases side treads can help as well. These plow tires for 4x4 trucks are often in the all terrain class, not really mud. They may look aggressive, but not as open as a mud tire. They have more blades and angles, usually more different sizes of blocks, less void ratio than a mud tire. An example of a popular plowing tire is the Goodyear Duratrac. Many plowing guys use them. The Duratrac tire has metal stud holes for maximum ice grip (dont plow someone who loves their driveway with metal studs - they will scratch up the surface). The traction is relied upon by many county and state government light pickup truck plows and local drivers with plows on their pick up trucks. There are many other brands that are similar hybrid all terrain to near mud terrain tires but have the many sipes you need for snow and ice conditions. Dick Cepek FC-II, Cooper ST Maxx are just a few choices.
Size - for snow do not go wider without good reasons. You want to get down to the surface, That's what you are plowing for. So that's where you should seek your traction as well. Use an oem size or consider weight, width, rim size, and design. Many prefer to use a narrower taller tire with the same or higher weight rating at the correct pressure for the purpose.
I hope you enjoy this article on snow tires vs mud tires for plowing. Come see us at Dolson Tire & Auto for tires, repairs, and service on your plow trucks near Middletown NY. Enjoy!
--
www.DolsonTire.com A Full Service Repair Work Shop and Tire Center
phone to make an appointment 343-6300
Open 7 Days
www.DolsonTire.com A Full Service Repair Work Shop and Tire Center
phone to make an appointment 343-6300
Open 7 Days
No comments:
Post a Comment