Four Wheeler Tires 101
One of the most overlooked aspects of buying a new or used ORV is the type of tires that it comes with. If you’ve owned your off road 4 wheeler for any length of time, or you just bought an older machine, you may be looking at having to replace the tires in the near future. Depending on the type of tire they already have on them, and how hard they were used, some ATV tires can wear out rather quickly.
Once you find yourself needing new tires, you’ll have to ask yourself what kind of ATV tires do you need. Not all ATV tires are created equal. Picking the wrong type of tires for the type of off-roading you do can leave you with less than ideal performance. Follow the advice below to be sure of getting the best possible tire for your 4 wheeler.
The amount of money you have to spend on new or used ATV tires will affect the quality of tire you’re able to purchase. The old saying that you get what you pay for is as true for tires as it is for anything else. Used ATV tires can be a real bargain, just be sure you check them out thoroughly so you’re not buying someone elses problem.
First off, decide what type of riding you do the most. It should go without saying that if all your riding is done on the sand dunes, then the best choice for your ORV is sand tires. But this common sense approach is lost on some 4 Wheeler owners. With today’s technology, an 4×4 owner can easily match tires to his or her type of riding for peak performance.
High performance sand tires are a thing of beauty to off road riders who play in loose sand. Their wide slick tires give good floatation while the rubber paddles scoop up large amounts of loose sand giving the four wheeler superior traction. This is a specialty type of tire and having said that, they are bad picks for off roading in mud and rocky terrain.
If you’re just a casual rider that doesn’t take your four wheeler to extremes, then a general purpose type of tire may be all that you need. These tires perform well under a variety of conditions. Just don’t expect them to handle deep much or deep and loose sand well. For your average ATV owner, they are more than enough for average conditions.
Mud tires for ATVs really catch the attention of most off roaders. These tires have very aggressive tread design and are made to dig out huge amounts of mud and throw them off the tire as it goes around. These tires just look like they could kick anything’s butt and still have some left over. High performance mud tires should be your choice if you ride in deep mud like is found in the Southern Swamps and Midwest bogs. Some even use these aggressive tires for rock climbing, but in my opinion there are better choices for this type of off roading than mud tires.
The little X shaped tread on a High Performance ATV tire is just what the doctored ordered for hard packed surfaces when you need to go fast. These tires generally are a little wider and have a lower profile than other types of ATV tires. You’ll usually see these tires on ATV racing machines. Also, seeing how they are high performance tires, many will come with a high performance price!
Deciding on what your ORV will be used for is the most important step in choosing the right ATV tires for your machine. So before you run out and plunk your money down for any old set of tires, give it a little thought and get the right ones for the job.
Before you go and lay out your hard earned money to a local used atv parts dealer for tires or other parts, do a little research to make sure you’re getting the best deals on your parts. ATV riders can find good deals on used atv tires and other necessary parts by shopping on the Internet.
Feb042011
Tags
Attorney attorneys auto automotive autos auto_and_trucks Bicycles Bicycles Accessories bike helmets bikes business cars clothing cycling finance fitness Fitness Equipment Accessories Fitness Weight Training Machines hobbies insurance Law Lawyer lawyers Legal leisure moto motorbikes motorcycle Motorcycle Apparel motorcycle covers Motorcycle Helmets Motorcycle Jackets Motorcycles Motorcycle Saddlebags Motor vehicles outdoors recreation shopping sporting goods sports Sports Fitness Stationary Bikes travel trucks vehicles