Best Tires for Dodge Ram 2500
The Dodge Ram 2500 is an iconic pick-up truck, classified by many as one of the most proficient haulers around. Not only that, but the Dodge Ram 2500 offers plenty of trim levels aimed at comfort and off-roading. This means that the Ram 2500 has somewhat of a niche place in the market. Picking a tire is all about compromise, so you either want a pure hauling tire, a pure comfort tire, a tire which can both haul and be comfortable but not be particularly great at either, or a proper mud tire. Having all this in mind, let’s look at the available offers for all the climates out there.
Best All-Season Tires for the Dodge RAM 2500:
1.Michelin Agilis CrossClimate
Ride Quality:7 Noise Comfort:9 Handling:6 Traction:10
The Michelin Agilis CrossClimate are a bit of an oddball. Their job isn’t off-roading by any stretch of the imagination, nor sprinted driving. Their best asset is highway driving, so they are fantastic haulers. Their traction is amazing, but they are quite soft, when looking at both the tread and the sidewall. This makes them quite unstable, but when they get traction, they stick really well.
Their ride quality is decent, but a bit on the lower side due to how soft they are. A soft tire isn’t necessarily bad, but a squishy one due to softer sidewalls isn’t particularly comfortable on bendy roads. But again, their highway characteristics are perfectly fine and adequate, and should offer plenty of confidence even on somewhat icy roads.
Pros
Cons
2.Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT
Ride Quality:7 Noise Comfort:7 Handling:7 Traction:7
The Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT is a very balanced tire all-round. It doesn’t lose by much, but it is honestly never beaten. This dictates that the Wrangler is a perfectly adequate choice regardless of its use. Not only this, but the tire also fares quite decently even off the road. Now, don’t expect the tire to be the best rock-crawling tire out there, it just holds its ground to fiercer competition.
Goodyear provides a 65,000 miles warranty which is great and seems adequate with the tire’s overall comfort. It shows good comfort without being plush, both on the road and inside the cabin. All these benefits come with a caveat, and that is price. The Wrangler Fortitude HT is quite expensive. As such, if you want a safe purchase, be prepared to spend a bit.
Pros
Cons
3.Firestone Transforce HT2
Ride Quality:8 Noise Comfort:7 Handling:8 Traction:6
Firestone made this tire with a different goal in mind compared to the others. They wanted to give a truck tire for people who live in rainy climates and zones. As such, the Firestone Transforce HT2 can go past a light dust of snow, but it shines in rain, mush and mud. It remains composed even on gravel roads. If the weather isn’t harsh, then they will fare fantastically well.
However, there are a couple of caveats. Their snow abilities aren’t that well defined, and they struggle in heavy muck, a decent coating of snow, or ice. The other issue is that Firestone doesn’t offer a mileage warranty, all while having quite a soft tread.
Pros
Cons
Best All-Terrain Tires for the Dodge RAM 2500
1.Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adventure with Kevlar
Ride Quality:8 Noise Comfort:7 Handling:8 Traction:8
The All-Terrain counterpart of the Goodyear Wrangler, the All Terrain Adventure with Kevlar is a very good entry into the all-terrain category. Similar to the regular Wrangler, the Kevlar variant maintains the same abilities, that of being quite good at everything, but not fantastic. It has good traction all-around, on all conditions apart from ice. It even performed decently in the sand, according to a previous owner.
Another good feature of the Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adventure with Kevlar is that it gets a very respectable mileage warranty of 60,000 miles. For a tire suited for all-terrain driving, that amount of warranty isn’t particularly common.
Pros
Cons
2.Falken Wildpeak M/T01
Ride Quality:7 Noise Comfort:7 Handling:9 Traction:9
The Falken Wildpeak are a bit of an experiment from the people over at Falken Tires in making a hybrid between an all-terrain tire and a mud tire. Their experiment holds surprisingly well, despite all odds. It achieves blissful ride quality and noise insulation for a mud tire, all while handling really well on all the conditions, apart from ice. The Falken Wildpeak eats snow without too much hassle, even when sliding laterally.
Sadly, they don’t offer any mileage warranty. All Falken offers is the regular warranty that is available until the tire gets to 3/32” of tread left. Still, a fantastic tire for anyone who needs to haul stuff in the mud from time to time.
Pros
Cons
3.Continental Terrain Contact A/T
Ride Quality:9 Noise Comfort:9 Handling:8 Traction:6
The Continental Terrain Contact A/T are a bit weird, because they only offer off-road capabilities when truly necessary. They fare really well on the road, topping the comfort and breaking charts. However, their off-road capabilities are somewhat lacking, meaning that they don’t really like mud or rocks.
They move decently on gravel and dirt, but if mud, rocks, and ice come into play then their performance decrease quite a bit. For someone who drives rarely off the road, or for someone who lives in an area without rain, the Continental Terrain Contact is their best bet. Not only that, but they also have a 60,000 miles warranty.
Pros
Cons
Best Winter Tires for the Dodge RAM 2500
1.General Tire General Grabber Arctic LT
Ride Quality:7 Noise Comfort:6 Handling:8 Traction:9
The General Tire General Grabber Arctic LT are one of the cheapest winter tires, while keeping quite the performance standard. They are relatively comfortable for a winter tire, but their snow capability is really good. They can tackle 12 inches of snow without a hitch, all while giving you the ability to stud them. This means that they can also perform good in the ice.
A big downside is that they don’t have a mileage treadwear warranty. Their performance without snow isn’t really that great either, but you are buying a winter tire for heavy winters full of snow, not for rainy and mushy ones.
Pros
Cons
2.Cooper Discover Snow Claw
Ride Quality:8 Noise Comfort:7 Handling:9 Traction:9
The Cooper Discover Snow Claws are a bit more all-rounded and not as extreme. They also fare very well in heavy snow, being mounted on snowplows. They are also studdable, so they can also perform really well on the ice. Their advantage is that they’re a bit more composed on dry winter roads.
Their ability in the wet isn’t that bad either. Some people say that on winter roads without snow nor ice they feel very similar to a typical “all-season” tire. Cooper also don’t offer a mileage warranty either, just a regular treadwear one.
Pros
Cons
3.Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3
Ride Quality:7 Noise Comfort:7 Handling:10 Traction:10
The Nokian Hakkapelitta LT3 are designed for tough winters or watery and rainy ones. Their tread pattern is designed with water and slush evacuation in mind, very similarly looking to tires which perform best in wet roads. This makes them suitable on a variety of conditions in the winter.
They are also claimed to be very durable while also giving you the ability to add studs to them. As such, they are strong contenders for traction and handling in the winter, but their driving characteristics on cold dry days leaves a bit to be desired.Pros
Cons
Best Mud Tires for the Dodge RAM 2500
1.Toyo Tires Open Country M/T
Ride Quality:5 Noise Comfort:6 Handling:10 Traction:10
Toyo produced a very rugged tire with the Open Country. It performs really well on a variety of conditions, so traction and handling aren’t particularly an issue. Its biggest asset is its durability and how tough the sidewall is, given the 3-ply sidewall. This in turn makes them very good for rock crawling.
They also have grooves for stone ejection. Overall, they are good performers on anything regarding rock crawling. They don’t get any mileage warranty, just a regular warranty until 3/32” of tread.
Pros
Cons
2.BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM3
Ride Quality:7 Noise Comfort:6 Handling:9 Traction:9
The BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM3 is one of the best tires at its task. It also performs quite decently in the snow, surprisingly, and you can use it in a pinch if you so desire. Mud performance is fantastic, and it isn’t a slouch for rock-climbing either.
The caveat is that the tread is quite soft, softer than expected. At 10,000 miles of abuse in tough conditions the tread is mostly halfway gone. This, however, makes them quite comfortable indeed. They also don’t get any mileage warranty.
Pros
Cons
3.Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ P3
Ride Quality:5 Noise Comfort:4 Handling:10 Traction:9
The Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ P3 have quite an interesting design. Their tread blocks run along the sidewall of the tire, providing it with extra grip in soft gravel, sand, and mud. It also gains features that both the other tires have, such as stone ejectors or a 3-ply sidewall. They aren’t that soft or quiet, but they perform really well on a variety of conditions.
There’s no mileage warranty to speak of, sadly. However, the tires proved themselves to be decently robust and solid. A variety of people got to a few tens of thousands of miles with their own ones.
Pros
Cons
Best Tires for the Dodge RAM 2500: Buying Guide
Touring and Hauling Tires for the Dodge RAM 2500 are the best choice in most cases
This a highly subjective topic, mostly depending on what you, as an end user, need. There are many tires available, with many strengths and weaknesses. So, your job as a buyer and owner, is to purchase the tire which isn’t hampered by its weaknesses while using its strengths as the biggest asset.
One such caveat is how often I am even hauling stuff around. Do you regularly need to move bricks or planks across thousands of miles on the highway at cruising speeds? Then purchase a tire with good rolling resistances with a decent mileage warranty. You already are driving a lot, it’s in your best interest to manage wear.
You don’t even carry stuff all that often, but you regularly drive across a variety of conditions, from dirt, to gravel, up to regular highway-type asphalt? Then your best bet is to look at an all-terrain tire, capable of driving across many road types without a hitch.
If hauling isn’t your thing, and neither is off-roading, then you can get a comfortable all-season tire to satisfy all your comfort needs. By doing so, you are protected from harsh weather, all while keeping the cabin nice and quiet, and the drive soft and composed.
If you must haul loads in difficult conditions full of dirt and muck constantly, consider picking an all-terrain tire with a few mud tire characteristics. As such, you get everything from both worlds.
That’s how most people pick their truck tire, and how you should also do it. Manufacturers, by default, pick a tire best suited at everything, so each customer is satisfied with their purchase and the truck’s capabilities. But when tested, many will see that said segment could, in fact, be better, so they pick a tire best catered to their needs.
Mud Tires for the Dodge RAM 2500 are suited only for those who truly need them
Mud tires are a different breed of tires altogether. Their job isn’t to be soft and quiet, or composed with a bunch of asphalt traction. Their job is to guarantee you that you won’t be stuck in the mud. Their job is to aid you pushing the beaten path, however rocky, muddy, or mushy it may be.
Your best bet is picking a mud tire, again, slightly suited to your own needs. If you’re driving solely off the road, then picking a rugged tire with good treadwear characteristics is your best bet. You don’t want to keep switching up tires because the gravel around your parts just eat at the tread blocks.
If you’re driving on asphalt too, then picking a tire which won’t ruin your back or your passenger’s backs is your best choice. Sure, driving in the mud is key, but if half the time is spent off the highway, then it’s also in your best interest to get a softer tire. The highway driving will offset that softness, and in the end, you will reach a similar amount of mileage, maybe even more.
Also, do not consider that mud tires are just as good in the snow and ice as winter tires. Sure, they can probably plow through snow and mush, but the rubber compound inside the tire is completely different. The rubber is much softer on winter tires, along with the fact that winter tires are studdable if icy roads are a cause for concern. A mud tire in freezing temperatures will behave like ice skates on ice, the rubber hardening itself significantly from the temperature.
