Off-Road Tire Tips for National Tire Safety Month

Why Proper Care of Your Off-Road Tires Will Keep You Ready & Rolling

Tire safety is always important no matter where you go, but when the pavement turns into dirt and gravel, you become faced with a new set of issues. Your tires are the only thing between your ride and the raw Earth, so it’s important that you take good care of them. June is National Tire Safety Month, and enthusiasts should treat it as more than just a calendar reminder. What it really is the wake-up call to stop snoozing on your tire’s health and make sure that rubber is getting the respect it deserves before you subject it to the most grueling conditions.

Because tires take the brunt of every hill, drop, and bump of your off-road excursions, their safety is critical. Unfortunately, they tend to get neglected because they always seem so dependable. That makes the fact that June is National Tire Safety Month more important than ever, because it’s all about the prevention of common issues for your tires. We’re talking about catching wear before it goes too far, learning how terrain can impact your tread, and making sure your tires are rotated enough to help maintain their treadlife. So we’re going to run through the must-haves for your off-road tire care to keep you conquering those trails all summer long.

The Trails Don’t Forgive–Which is Why Tire Maintenance Matters

One of the most dangerous aspects of off-roading is that uneven terrain doesn’t give warnings when disaster strikes. The trails don’t care if you don’t realize a rock just shredded your sidewall. These situations can be all too common, which is why your tire safety isn’t something that can just be swept under the rug. Drivers who take their vehicles off-roading need to be hyper aware of what they’re putting their tires through in a way that a daily driver wouldn’t think about on a regular basis. So let’s go over how to keep your tires sharp and your ride trail-ready.

Checking the Surface of Your Tires Keep Them Safe

Regular off-road enthusiasts know that every trail ride leaves a mark on your rig, whether that’s mud on the side of the body or finding sand everywhere after rolling over the dunes. However, the marks a trail can leave on your tires are ones that shouldn’t be brushed off. When you get back from an off-road excursion, take a minute or two to check your tires for any cuts, debris, or other damage. Even the smallest puncture can turn into a blowout when you’re cruising the highway on the drive home.

One thing you’ll want to remember is that most off-road tires wear down much differently than those that are built for street driving. They’re much tougher, but that doesn’t mean they’re indestructible. A good tire is only as dependable as their sidewall, and even off-road tire sidewalls can be vulnerable, especially if you’re driving them in an aired-down scenario. A good tip to remember is checking out the rubber after you’ve finished a trail ride, before heading home. This lets you catch any issue before you subject the tire to normal driving conditions and avoid having to equip a spare on the side of the highway.

Be Smart When You Air Down and Air Up Your Tires

We all know that airing down your tires is one of the best off-road tricks in the book. It’s key to giving your tires more surface contact, so driving over sand and rough terrain almost feels like you’re floating over them. Unfortunately a mistake that a lot of off-roaders, especially newer ones make, is forgetting to re-inflate them to the correct PSI. You’re asking for real trouble when you don’t air them back up, driving on the highway with lower pressure can result in higher temperatures on the rubber and sidewall fatigue, which can end up wrecking the tires.

A good habit to get into when you’re adjusting the pressure in your tires is keeping a good compressor or CO2 setup with you when heading out on the trails. Get used to checking the pressure both before and after you ride, and make adjustments for different terrain. Sand, mud, even snow should all call for slightly different setups, airing-down isn’t meant to be viewed as a universal one-size-fits-all adjustment. Make sure that when you’re finished you bump that PSI back up, do one last check, and you’re ready to head home after a day spent overcoming the most challenging terrain around.

Rotate Those Tires with Purpose–Aggressive Treads Need Extra Love

Off-road tires are well known for their aggressive tread. Block lugs, deep voids, and aggressive sidewall designs are trademark for tires built to dominate off the pavement. The big drawback of these tires is that those features also tend to wear out faster than something used primarily for street driving. And if your tires start to wear unevenly, you’re really in trouble. That results in weaker grip, louder noise levels, and your ride starts to feel as bumpy as driving down a cobblestone street at full speed. Don’t look at regular tire rotations as an annoying chore, look at them as a critical job to preserve your performance and help save you time and money.

In order to hammer the point home, consider setting a hard schedule. Rotate those tires every 3,000 or 5,000 miles, especially if you also use your off-roader as a daily driver in-between excursions. Don’t skip those rotation appointments, just think of helping your tires last as long as possible so you keep driving with as few interruptions as possible.

Your Spare Tire is a Main Character, Not a Featured Extra

Having your spare tire mounted in your truck bed or the back of your Jeep shouldn’t be just an aesthetic statement, it’s also a reminder of your practicality and preparedness for any situation. A good spare tire is the ultimate emergency backup plan, not the dead weight that some enthusiasts think it is. That means that when you’re inspecting the condition of your tires, that includes taking a look at your spare. Make sure it doesn’t show signs of cracking, underinflated or so old you don’t even remember when you bought those tires in the first place.

Working it into your regular maintenance routine keeps it at the top of mind, ensuring that it’ll be ready to roll the moment you need it. Checking PSI, inspecting for damage, and making sure it’s trail-worthy will pay off in the long run, should an emergency arise. Most dedicated drivers wouldn’t want a tire that’s been sitting in the sun for five years as part of the main setup, and you shouldn’t either.

Stay Trail-Ready All Year Long with Off-Road Tires from TrailBuilt Off-Road!

June is National Tire Safety Month, but for off-roaders, the awareness should be a year-long mindset. Your setup takes more abuse than normal, so that maintenance is critical to preserving the life of your tires. And when it comes time to get a new set, TrailBuilt Off-Road has the best selection of tires made to conquer even the most difficult environments. We offer free shipping and quick delivery for every purchase, and we offer some fantastic financing options to help make your purchase easier and more affordable than ever. And if you decide to bundle a new set of wheels with your tires, you’ll also get free mounting and balancing added on. Don’t wait till disaster strikes, replace your old off-road tires today and make sure they’re ready to roll for the long haul.