Keep Good Tires on the Rear

JeepnDel

Administrator
Staff member
Only two things will kill you, really -- tires and brakes. Keep both of them in proper and cared for condition. Did you know...

ROTATE your tires, and yes, even your off-road rig tires. Rotating tires extends tire life, ensures a better footprint all around, and forces you to check your tires more often!

Keep them properly aired up and check them frequently.

One last tip: remember the old days when we used to buy two tires at a time, rather than 4, to spread out the cost? Well, if you do that today, or if you run mis-matched tread wear tires, PUT THE GOOD TIRES IN THE REAR!

Yes, the rear tires, even with front-wheel drive rigs, is where you need the stability of good tires -- your best tread goes in the back. Your chances of spinning out of control in wet conditions is hugely reduced with your good tires in the rear. They will stabilize you as you push through a puddle or wet surface, even if your front tires want to lose traction. (This info comes right from a tire manufacturer).

So the bottom line; make sure you are in the habit of checking and rotating your tires. Keep the proper air pressure for the conditions; and don't be lazy about safety.
 

Xkid

Jeep Fanatic
In the midst of rotating mine. Checking breaks and dealing with seized slider pins.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Good write-up Del. The part where you say the rear tires will stabilize you is sometimes is overlooked and is a great reminder/piece of information. I tend to look over my tires frequently, check lug nut torque in between rotations and prior to trips for piece of mind.
 
Last edited:

gingerempire

Jeep Newb
What does everyone view as the minimum tread depth for an off-road rig (or maybe better stated the minimum depth that you'd feel comfortable doing a full trail run)? The legal depth is somewhere around 2/32", but I don't think I'd go anywhere near a trail if down that low? I realize the answer is always, "it depends on the trail and the tire," but I'm looking for general guidance.

I have about 28k miles on my Cooper SST Pros, and I've been doing 5 tires rotations. They are showing some wear, but they still appear to have a lot of life left...wearing evenly and no other issues.
 

Pthorpe84

Moderator
Staff member
What does everyone view as the minimum tread depth for an off-road rig (or maybe better stated the minimum depth that you'd feel comfortable doing a full trail run)? The legal depth is somewhere around 2/32", but I don't think I'd go anywhere near a trail if down that low? I realize the answer is always, "it depends on the trail and the tire," but I'm looking for general guidance.

I have about 28k miles on my Cooper SST Pros, and I've been doing 5 tires rotations. They are showing some wear, but they still appear to have a lot of life left...wearing evenly and no other issues.
Really depends on where you wheel at. In Moab you could slap on a set of nascar racing slicks and crawl most anything. Out east....whole different story. I ran my MTR-k to about 2/32 and only suffered in the mud. You also have the option to have the tires groved if your going to use them off-road ONLY.
 
Top