“Where the rubber meets the road” is a saying that indicates a critical point of success or failure — in other words, the moment of truth. The logic behind this phrase is instinctual to anyone who has ever driven a vehicle and struggled to maintain traction in rain, snow, mud, or sand. Four tiny rubber-to-road contact patches are the only things that keep your two-ton vehicle under control, and by extension, keep yourself and your loved ones inside the vehicle safe. This is why good tires should be at the top of your priority list for every vehicle you own, especially for those of us who enjoy off-roading, overlanding, and driving through remote and challenging environments. In the city, bad tires might cause you to lose control and get into a fender-bender, but if you’re driving on a treacherous mountain road dozens of miles from civilization, bad tires could leave you stranded in a life-threatening predicament or cause you to slide off the edge of a cliff.
Choosing the Right Tires
So, what makes a tire? As with
