When buying tires for your light truck or SUV, make sure that the size, type and load rating of the new tires matches your original equipment. Because SUVs and light trucks are more likely to carry heavy loads than cars, load ratings are extremely important. The truck tire you choose should match your vehicle and driving style.

Most SUV owners are best choosing all-season tires, also called all-weather tires, which provide a balance of good traction, a comfortable ride, and long tread life. All-season tires combine the smooth ride of a car tire with the rugged sidewall construction of a large truck tire. All-weather tires are designed to be good in most conditions, but are not optimized for any one condition.

During the harsh New York winter, winter tires are best. Winter tires, or snow tires, feature tread patterns designed to dig down and bite into snow and ice. Snow tires are built from a softer rubber compound which allows them to better conform to the road surface at low temperatures, when normal tires would be brittle and stiff. The added grip provided by snow tires is critical in winter conditions to prevent getting stuck or worse, losing the ability to stop and steer.

If you take your SUV or light truck off-road, all-terrain tires are best. All-terrain tires are branded with an “M+S” symbol, which stands for “Mud and Snow”. Although they do not provide as much winter traction as snow tires, all-terrain tires have tread blocks which help the tire deliver traction from any direction on dirt, sand, gravel, and snow. Besides all-terrain tires, specially made mud tires also excel during extreme driving conditions on large rocks and through deep mud, but provide a louder and more harsh ride on paved roads than all-season tires, and tend to wear faster.

Remember to choose a tire with an appropriate size and speed rating. You can find out what size tires are right for your vehicle by consulting your owner’s manual or by looking on the sidewalls of the tires you’re currently using. Make sure the tire specifications for load rating and speed rating match both your vehicle and typical driving conditions.

Truck tire sales and services are available from Frank’s Tire Service.