How to Choose the Best Mud Tires for your ATV

Table of contents:

Size Tread Performance Load Range Construction Price

5 January 2023

The tires on your ATV have a huge say in your overall riding experience. Choosing the right set of tires for your vehicle can make your riding fun-filled and exciting.

Mud tires are a must if you love riding your ATV on mud trails. But since there are different mud tires from different brands, it can be daunting to know the best tires for your vehicle.

This guide enlightens you on factors to look out for when choosing mud tires for your ATV and the best mud tire brands to go for.

Size

A bigger mud tire can ensure easy, smooth mud riding. The larger the tire's size, the easier it is to drive through muddy trails. But bigger tires come with their drawbacks. Some parts of the ATV, such as the gear, have limits on the weight they can carry.

For example, going with large-sized tires can impair the functionality of the gears.

It is always best to stick to the tire size specified in your user's manual. However, if you desire larger tires, go for a size two inches higher than the recommended one.

Tread

The tread on mud tires differs from regular ATV tires. Standard mud tires have about 1-2 inches long deep tread patterns and widely spaced lugs. The lugs allow mud attached to the tires to fall off easily, while the tread patterns provide extra traction. The tip is to check the tread range and get the proper sizes.

Performance

A mud tire works best in mud trails. Riding on a smooth trail with mud tires won't give you the same satisfaction as riding with normal tires. It is best to choose a tire that fits your riding style based on your speed or acceleration level.

There are less aggressive, heavy aggressive, and moderately aggressive mud tires. Moderately aggressive are perfect for mud trails and are the best option. Less aggressive mud tires with less than 1 inch are good and versatile on mud trails, providing just the right amount of traction needed.

Load Range

The load range is an indication of the strength and load capacity of the tire. Tires are classified into B, C, and D according to their layers. The B load range has four layers, the C load range has six, while D has eight layers.

Construction

Tires are either made with radial or bias construction, with the difference in the movement of the underlying rubber-coated steel.

Tires made with radial construction have the underlying rubber-coated steel running from the middle to the side of the tires. On the other hand, the bias construction has the underlying rubber-coated steel running from the center and overlapping to an angle.

Tires made with radial construction are different from ones made from bias construction.

Although tires made from radial construction are more expensive, they have a longer lifespan and ensure smooth riding with less noise.

Tires made from the bias construction are cheaper but offer less low durability.

Price

One major misconception among the general public is that the best commodities are more expensive. This is not true for mud tires, as you do not have to break the bank to get the best ones.

They are fairly priced tires with excellent performance.

Some moderately-priced tire brands include:

Sedona Buck Snort: Tires from this brand perform excellently well in the mud and have a C load range, but they are available in limited numbers.
Kenda Bear Claw: The tires have long durability, a C load range, and angled lugs with solid performance but have shallow tread depth.
STI Back & Out Claw: STI tires have a center thread design, provide good ride quality, and have an excellent lug system design.