Off-road tires
All-terrain, rugged-terrain and mud-terrain tires sized for your ride height and load, then mounted, balanced, installed and aligned in one visit.
AT, RT or MT
Tread categories are loose marketing terms, but the three broad families are a useful way to narrow the field. The right one is the tire that suits the driving you do most weeks, not the trip you take once a year.
All-terrain
Tighter tread blocks and plenty of siping. Quieter on the highway, longer-wearing and generally the best on wet pavement and snow. Many carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol.
Rugged or hybrid terrain
An all-terrain center with mud-terrain style shoulder lugs. More bite in dirt and rock and a tougher-looking sidewall, with a bit more hum and a bit less tread life than an AT.
Mud-terrain
Large open voids that clear mud and grab ledges, and often heavier sidewall armor. The trade-off is road noise, weight, faster wear and less grip on ice.
| Type | Highway noise | Tread life | Snow and ice | Mud and rock | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-terrain | Low | Longest | Best of the three | Fair to good | Daily drivers, towing, winter commuting |
| Rugged-terrain | Moderate | Middle | Good | Good | Mixed use, lifted weekend rigs |
| Mud-terrain | Highest | Shortest | Fair | Best | Dedicated trail and mud use |
Load range and sidewalls
Passenger (P-metric) tires are built for comfort and lighter loads. Light-truck (LT) tires use stronger internal plies and run at higher pressures, which is why they resist punctures and carry heavy builds better, and also why they ride firmer.
Load Range C
A 6-ply rating. Lighter and more compliant, a reasonable fit for midsize rigs and Jeeps that stay near stock weight.
Load Range D
An 8-ply rating. Often a good balance for built Wranglers, Broncos and half-ton trucks carrying armor and gear.
Load Range E
A 10-ply rating. Standard on three-quarter and one-ton trucks and heavy overland builds. It rides stiff and harsh on a light vehicle at full pressure.
Sidewall plies
“Ply rating” describes strength, not a literal ply count. For sharp Colorado granite, look for a tire with a three-ply sidewall and raised sidewall lugs.
One caution: the pressure on your door placard was written for the factory tire. An LT tire needs pressure set from the tire maker’s load-inflation chart, and running it at a P-metric number can leave it underinflated or overinflated for the weight.
Reading a tire size
Metric sizes such as 285/70R17 give the section width in millimeters (285), the sidewall height as a percentage of that width (70) and the rim diameter in inches (17). To find overall height, multiply 285 by 0.70, divide by 25.4 to get inches, double it for the top and bottom sidewalls, then add the rim. That lands at about 32.7 inches, which is why a 285/70R17 gets called a “33.”
Flotation sizes such as 35x12.50R17 state the numbers directly: roughly 35 inches tall, 12.5 inches wide, on a 17-inch wheel. Measured height varies by brand, so two “35s” are rarely identical.
What a taller tire does to gearing
Going from a 31-inch tire to a 35-inch tire is about 13 percent taller, so the engine sees the equivalent of a 13 percent numerically lower axle ratio. On the road that means slower acceleration and more downshifts on grades. The speedometer reads low by the same share, so an indicated 60 mph is closer to 68.
At Front Range elevation, naturally aspirated engines already give up some power to thin air, so a big tire jump can feel sluggish. Some owners regear to restore performance; we don’t regear, so we size tires to the drivetrain you have or plan around the regear you will have done elsewhere.
Snow, siping and Colorado law
Siping, the thin slits cut across tread blocks, gives the tire extra biting edges on snow and ice. Tires marked with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) passed a standardized snow traction test; an M+S marking only describes tread geometry. For mountain winter driving, a 3PMSF all-terrain is usually the better daily compromise than a mud-terrain.
Colorado’s Traction Law covers I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison from September 1 through May 31, and CDOT can activate it on any state highway. When it is in effect, four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles need M+S, all-weather or winter tires with at least 3/16 inch of tread, or chains or an approved traction device. Separately, C.R.S. 42-4-228 treats any tire with less than 2/32 inch of tread as unsafe. Worn tires can pass the second test and still fail the first.
Wear, noise and airing down
Rotation
Aggressive tread wears unevenly fast, and once lugs cup, the noise climbs and never comes back down. Rotate more often than you would a passenger tire, commonly every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, and follow the tire maker. Include a matching spare in a five-tire rotation.
Airing down
Lower pressure lengthens the footprint for grip and ride on rough trails. Many drivers start in the high teens and adjust for vehicle weight and tire construction. Going very low without beadlocks risks unseating a bead. Air back up before pavement; an onboard compressor makes that quick.
Gravel roads
Weld County alone maintains about 2,080 miles of gravel road, and plenty of local commutes cross it. Stone drilling and sidewall chips are common, so a stronger sidewall and a tread with stone ejectors earn their keep here.
Tire brands we carry
Our tires come from Mickey Thompson, Nitto, Cooper and Falken. Between them there is an all-terrain, rugged-terrain or mud-terrain for every Jeep, Toyota, Bronco and truck we see, in the load range your build needs. Tap a logo to see each brand’s popular models.
Tire size, load range and brand drive most of the price, followed by whether new wheels, pressure sensors or a spare are part of the order. If the size you want needs more room, a level or lift becomes part of the plan. Some combinations may require minor trimming of plastic liners or air dams; we don’t cut sheet metal, so we will point you toward a size that fits without it.
Once the tires arrive, the vehicle is usually in the bay within about a week. We mount and balance, install, and align before pickup, all in a single drop-off at our Windsor shop. Hours run weekdays 9 to 4, with early drop and late pickup available on request.
See it on a real build
Photos and parts lists from rigs we’ve done in the shop. More on our builds page.
- Don’s Wrangler Xtreme Recon: 37-inch tires on a MetalCloak lift
- Wendolyn’s Toyota Sienna: a lifted minivan on all-terrains for snow
Tire FAQ
What tire brands do you carry?
Mickey Thompson, Nitto, Cooper and Falken. Tell us the vehicle, the size you want and how you drive, and we will narrow it down to the tires that fit and carry the load.
All-terrain or mud-terrain for Colorado?
For most people who drive pavement, gravel and snow, an all-terrain with the mountain snowflake symbol is the better year-round tire. A mud-terrain makes sense when trails are the main event and you accept the noise and wear.
Do I need Load Range E tires?
Heavy trucks and heavily built overland rigs often do. On a lighter Jeep or midsize SUV, Load Range C or D usually rides better and still carries the weight. We match the load index to the vehicle.
Will bigger tires hurt mileage and power?
Usually some, because taller tires lower the effective gearing and add weight. The speedometer will also read low until it is recalibrated, which is not a service we perform.
Do my tires meet the Colorado Traction Law?
For a 4WD or AWD vehicle, the tires need an M+S, all-weather or winter rating and at least 3/16 inch of tread when the law is in effect. Otherwise you need chains or an approved traction device.
What customers say
5.0 from 46 Google reviews
I can’t say enough good things about this jeep shop and Zach was super friendly and even looked at something I thought could be an issue. As someone that works in the trades and was hoping for a smooth experience. They exceeded any expectations that I had. My jeep looks a lot better lifted. I had very specific time frames I was hoping to meet and they made it work, answered dozens of questions that I had, and provided tons of information I wanted to know and didn’t think to ask.
Great job repairing my rear tire mount.
Zach did an excellent job replacing my Jeeps ball joints. Very satisfied with the joints he suggested and the work that was done.
Zach did some suspension work on my truck and it came out great, he was quick and the price was fair. Will definitely be back for more work in the future.
Zach was insanely helpful. He handled a pretty out of the box request with ease. I will recommend him to anyone in the area or passing through!
I had a great experience at Off Camber 4x4 as Zach is a true professional and pleasure to work with. He went above and beyond getting all hardware snugged up even though it wasn’t in the estimate - with being a late request made when I dropped off the truck. Additionally, Off Camber’s shop not only provided the most reasonable price out of the four estimates I received, they were the ONLY shop that recommended a follow up inspection for the type of service I had done. They installed a leveling kit, control arms, rear shocks, dual exhaust system, and a trailer receiver along with including the complementary inspection at 500 miles to make sure everything was still tight.
I had some Rubicon takeoff springs installed on my Wrangler JL Sport 2 door. It was awesome to watch Zach work. He took time to torque everything properly and still completed the job in a very timely fashion. It was a great experience!
Amazing experience. I needed to improve lighting on my truck and Zach provided excellent recommendations, found all the parts online for a good price, did excellent work and all for a very reasonable price. I'm definitely coming back. Highly recommend to everyone!
Find the right tire
Mickey Thompson, Nitto, Cooper and Falken off-road tires for trucks and Jeeps, fitted for drivers across Windsor and Northern Colorado.