Truck tires are the #1 feature of your truck when it comes to improving your ride. It is important to make the right choice for your heavy duty or light trucking tires, and maintain them so they last for a long time. Whether you own a 4x4 or 2x4 Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Toyota, GMC, Chevrolet, Nissan, or other make a smart truck owner knows that a truck's tires have a huge impact on performance.

Before you choose the best tire for your truck it is essential to understand the terms of the truck tire world. Rest assured that the following information will lead you to the best set of tires for your truck.

Things to Know

Tires are specified in the form 285/70TR/17. The first number is the width of the truck tire, the second number is the aspect ratio or height of the sidewall, and the third number is the wheel diameter or rim size.

The height of your sidewall is important and should be chosen based on the conditions where you drive your truck most often. If you only drive on the the street then a low profile truck tire will be fine, but if you go off-roading then you are going to want more tire in between your rim and the ground. That way you won't bottom out on your rims when your tires encounter rough objects off the road.

Wider tires have more contact area with the ground, thus giving your truck a better grip, both on and off road. Your truck's handling becomes easier because of the bigger tire width. On the other hand, the same wider truck tire will make more noise and may decrease the fuel efficiency of your light or heavy duty truck. Wider tires can also slip more when it rains.

The size of your rim is a personal preference. Popular today are the larger sized rims. Just make sure that the rim and truck tire you choose will fit inside the wheel well of your truck. The Wheel Rim Width varies from truck to truck. It can be custom made to suit both your on and off road driving conditions. The wheel rim width is rounded off to the nearest half-inch of the tire. Usually, the best choice is to have the rim width at about 90% of the tread width of your tire.

Truck Tire Maintenance

The most important safety aspect of maintenance on your truck is to keep its tires intact and in good shape. A blown tire can cause an accident in an instant. The number one cause of the tire wear and tear is incorrect tire pressure. All the tires on your truck should have consistent air pressure to carry the weight of your truck equally. Adequate air pressure is important for a good tire life, handling, and traction. Look through your truck's owners manual, on the sticker inside the drivers door, or look on the tire itself to find the correct air pressure that you need to maintain inside your tires. Some of the time that information is given on the vehicle placard that can be found in the glove box, or the armrest compartment of your truck, but if you get custom tires for your truck the best place to look is on the tire itself.

Seasonal changes can affect the air pressure of the tires. Cold temperatures are responsible for dropping the air pressure of the tires, whereas warm temperatures are responsible for increasing the air pressure. Expert truckers go by the rule: a 10% swing in the temperatures causes a 1lb. change in the air-pressure. Sudden changes in temperature are a good time to check the pressure of the tires on your truck. These changes occur most often in the spring and fall months.

Rotating Rules

You can reduce the wear and tear of your truck's tires by rotating them often. Rotating your truck's tires keeps the tread wear balanced and can really help you out when slippery and wet conditions occur. A simple rule about rotating your tires is to do it on every other oil change. That equals out to approximately every 6 to 7 thousand miles. Doing this consistently will make your tires last longer and allow you a comfortable ride for many, many miles.

Toyota FJ Cruiser