Off-road riding is a very effective way to get to know new landscapes. As it is an extreme activity, it is a fact that the tires will feel the impact of the geography of the terrain. One way to preserve tire life is to get into the habit of performing some preventive actions. These actions include checking tire pressure, repairing punctures, and periodically rotating the tires. If you frequently use mud tires on your extreme trips, you may wonder how often you should rotate these tires to maintain them as long as possible.
Because mud tires are subject to rougher use, experts recommend that the ideal rotation period be every 3000 miles or 5000 kilometers. In contrast, you can rotate off-road tires every 6000 miles or 10000 kilometers.
Tire rotation is a critical factor in the off-road world, besides being a common practice. It would be best if you only used these tires when off-roading in terrain that deserves it. This type of tire is not appropriate for daily on-road driving. Tire rotation does not allow repositioning the tires front to back or side to side to extend their life. But to understand more about mud tires, the importance of tire rotation, and the measures we can take to take care of them, we invite you to read on.
What Is A Tire Rotation?
Tire rotation is more than periodically changing the position of each vehicle’s tires. Many people associate the tire rotation frequency with changing the oil every 5000 miles. However, for the specific case of mud tires, the rotation frequency must be earlier since the wear is much more significant and faster than conventional tires.
Tire rotation is the best opportunity to check them for significant damage visually. It helps to detect punctures, check air pressure, and rebalance them if we notice vibrations when driving the vehicle.
Why Should You Rotate The Tires?
There are a lot of solid reasons why it is imperative to rotate mud tires periodically.
- When we rotate the mud tires systematically and periodically, we distribute the wear evenly among the four tires, thus maximizing their useful life. The reason is that each particular vehicle position demands different performance from each tire. For example, the front tires of a front-wheel drive vehicle will apply more torque and friction to turning, accelerating, and braking than the rear tires, resulting in more wear.
- New tires demand a rotation according to the manufacturer’s instructions because their treads, being still deep and fresh, are more prone to uneven wear.
- One of the significant advantages of even tire wear is that the treads will have a similar tread depth. This action will help maintain traction and even handling on all four wheels. Uniform wear allows the driver to have optimum cornering and braking performance and preserve the safety factor.
- Timely tire rotation also allows the vehicle to have four-wheel traction. Uniform wear reduces stress on the drivetrain, reducing wear on expensive drivetrain parts.
What Is A Mud Tire?
The mud tire has a unique design to cope with harsh and extreme off-road conditions. These tires usually have deeper treads and larger sidewalls that help provide better grip in slippery, loose, and high-risk terrain such as mud, snow, and sand. Mud tires will perform better off-road than on-road.
How Often Should You Rotate Mud Tires?
When off-road riding frequently on complex terrain surfaces, experts recommend using mud tires. These tires are the most appropriate when riding on very rough terrain, as they require tires that have a very thick tread. This type of tread provides optimum traction.
Driving in mud or on outer surfaces forces us to drive much more abruptly than usual, so professionals in the off-road world advise rotating mud tires every 3000 miles.
A golden rule is that mud tires should only be used off-roading, not for everyday highway or street driving. Mud tires will have no traction on the road, which makes it highly unsafe for the driver and his passengers. Even professional drivers can lose control on the road if using these tires at high speeds. Although you can use some mud tires daily on the road, they cannot provide the best driving experience.
How Can You Extend The Life Of Mud Tires?
Tires, like other parts of the vehicle, are wearing pieces. Depending on the type of tire, some may last longer than others; however, the reality is that we will have to replace them at any moment. Off-road vehicles and off-road practice will involve traveling through extreme and treacherous terrain. In these conditions, tires can suffer accelerated wear if we do not take some measures to take care of them. We will now review some steps we can take to contribute to tire durability.
Selecting The Right Tire
No matter what off-road vehicle you drive, selecting the right mud tire model is essential according to the manufacturer’s indication. The aspect you should check is the gross vehicle weight indicated by the manufacturer; it is also necessary to know the recommended tire inflation pressure.
The selection of the mud tire is a simple task when it comes to original off-road vehicles. But in the case of modified cars, tire selection may be a more complex task. Modifying a vehicle for off-road use involves changing the suspension lift and increasing the tire size, which means we will add more weight to the car. In this case, the best thing to do is to go to a specialized center that will guide us concerning which would be the ideal mud tire for this type of vehicle.
The Placement Of The Correct Air In The Tires
Many people are unaware of the importance of keeping mud tires with the correct air. This action helps us in the safety of the vehicle, in addition to saving fuel, improving performance, and extending the tire’s life.
It is important to remember that off-road vehicles perform better with reduced air pressure when off-roading. When the air pressure is low, the traction zone, or the size of the tire’s footprint on the ground, increases. The larger the footprint, or traction, the greater the ability to overcome rocks and obstacles. Additionally, reducing tire pressure decreases the possibility of slippage, which translates into decreased tread wear.
Tire Rotation
By now, the importance of tire rotation is evident. However, it is one of the most critical measures to extend tire life. The key to mud tire rotation is to be very disciplined when changing tires. If the driver rotates the tires every 3000 miles consistently, he will be working to extend the life of the tires.
Checking Shock Absorbers
One factor contributing to tire longevity is checking that the suspension is in good condition. A defective shock absorber can immediately cause the tread to become completely worn or unusable.
Tire Alignment
Not only is it essential to check that the shock absorbers are in good condition, but it is also vital that the vehicle has the correct alignment. Experts recommend that before going off-road, it is advisable to have the vehicle’s wheels aligned. Remember that not all alignments are the same. You will likely no longer apply the manufacturer’s original indications if you have a modified car. So your best option is to entrust this work to a specialized professional center.
Tire Storage
If you use your off-road vehicle on the road daily, you should store mud tires as correctly as possible. Tires are susceptible to oxidation which results in dry rot. New tires become hard and dry, and cracks begin to appear. This process occurs faster if they are left exposed to sun and heat.
The best alternative is to store tires individually in a covered garage or shed that is out of the sun. It is also a good idea to buy rubber covers that protect them completely.
A Final Thought On Rotating Mud Tires
The main highlight we should take away is that we rotate mud tires so that they get even wear. Rotating mud tires every 3000 miles will provide us with optimum traction on the road, which translates to the safety of the driver and his passengers.
