Complimenting Your Work Truck: Silverado Tires

Before slapping a set of aftermarket tires on a Silverado, it’s a good idea to know the factory tires sizes. This gives one a good reference point for selecting an appropriate tire size. 

Factory tire sizes are well within the limits of the factory wheel well and suspension but understanding those factory sizes does give you a reference point to stay close to. 

Below is a chart consisting of the factory tire sizes for Silverado’s ranging from 1999-2019:

Factory tire options for Silverado’s ranges from all-terrains to all season and this can prove to be problematic for those with a specific use for their truck in mind. 

All-terrain tires a fairly capable but are designed to work on a multitude of surfaces without homing in on any particular one. Changing tire tread types and sizes will work to increase performance and ground clearance, which are both desirable traits on a wide spectrum of applications. 

When it comes to tread types there are a wide variety of options available to Silverados. Most Silverado owners will generally reach for upgrades that make their truck capable of handling off-road. Whether it’s for work or for play, there are tire types designed specifically for these sort of conditions. 

Mud: Mud oriented tires are of softer construction with deep and wide tread patterns. The design is meant for the treads to work like fingers that sink into the mud to help propel the car forward.

All-Terrain: All-terrain tires are stiff tires that have a tight tread pattern but have enough space between them to grab onto softer terrains. These are tires that are meant to work on a variety of trucks. This is the best all-around tire option for Silverado owners that use their truck for general purpose and work.  

Sand: Sand and mud tires share a lot in common in design, but they have two different concepts in mind. A mud tire is meant to sink down into the mud for traction. A sand tire’s tread is meant to work as paddles that work to keep the Silverado on top of the sand so it doesn’t sink and stick. 

Snow: Snow tires are a lot like an all-terrain tire but are made of a harder compound. These tires may even use studs to help break up and bite into snow and ice to prevent from slipping and sliding. 

A particular set of tires can be the defining factor when making a Silverado a truck with a dedicated purpose. Sand, mud, and snow tires are designed to perform extremely well in specific environments. 

They can be used temporarily on other surfaces but this will generally result in poor performance and excessive tire wear. This is why many people will opt to own several dedicated tire sets for their Silverados. It can be a pain to switch every time they are needed but ultimately can save thousands of dollars in the long run. If you elect to have several tire sets on hand, it's wise to have them mounted on additional wheel sets as well to make for easier swapping.

The concept of airing down is something many off-roaders practice. This is done to maximize traction. Mud and sand tires often have a contact patch that extends to the sidewall of the tire. When the tire is fully inflated, this can be mistaken as an appearance based design. In reality, this is done so that when the tire is aired down the truck has a wider contact patch.

Airing down also loosens the tire up. When full of air the stiff nature of the tire will keep it moving at the same rate as the tire; this means that it’s easy for the tire to slip and lose what traction it has. Lower air pressure allows for the contact patch to stay stationary momentarily as the wheel rotates allowing it to maintain traction for a longer period of time.  

Benefits of Airing Down:

• Wider Contact Patch
• Side Wall

When you slap a trailer on the back of a Silverado, it can be hard on the mechanical parts as well as the tires. Selecting the right tires for towing should fall back to the design of the tire. Mud, sand, and any other sort of recreational tire should be avoided. 

Instead, a good travel tire with sturdy sidewalls and tread appropriate for the highway should be selected. All-terrain tires will work well but light truck tires for a Silverado will be the best choice as they are designed for the stresses specific to hauling a truck and cargo down the highway.