To find the best possible tire for your Dodge Ram 3500, you’ll want something that’ll fit your lifestyle.
Make no mistake — your original tires are already designed and engineered to give you a quality ride. But if you prefer to tailor-fit your driving experience exclusively for YOU, there’s absolutely no shame in upgrading your ride!
If so, then we have the best tires for the Dodge Ram 3500. And, we list one tire for different situations, such as environmental variables, convenience, and budget.
So there’s something for everyone here.
Let’s dive right in!
The 5 Best Tires for Dodge Ram 3500
Here is a table showing the best tires for the Dodge Ram 3500.
| Best for Convenience: | Firestone Transforce HT |
| Best for Rain and Snow: | Bridgestone Blizzak LT |
| Best for Budget: | Kumho Crugen HT51 |
| Best Moderately Priced: | Firestone Transforce AT2 |
| Best High-Tier: | Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
To show you how each tire performs, let’s review them one by one.
Best for Convenience: Firestone Transforce HT
Dodge Ram trucks usually come with Firestone tires. For ‘convenient’ tires, we picked the stock tires that were originally installed when you first purchased your truck.
Now, original equipment tires are always reliable. It works optimally for the rest of us out there and is usually designed to be the jack of all trades — good with pretty much everything, rain or shine.
But this becomes a problem if you lead a specific lifestyle. If your routine heavily involves driving in rain or snow, for example, then it may be best to switch out your original tires.
Otherwise, if you’re a corporate kinda person who usually drives on pavements, the Firestone Transforce HT can do all the work for you.
Best for Rain and Snow: Bridgestone Blizzak LT
Bridgestone’s Blizzak LT tires are one of the top-tier snow tires out there. And it will offer excellent performance and traction, not to mention its look, to your Dodge Ram 3500.
The engineering behind the Blizzak LT is what sets it apart from all the other brands. This tire has deep sipes, making way for god-tier traction against winter slush and wet roads. It also allows for tighter turns and brakes, making your winter-driving experience extra safe.
If you encounter heavy snow a lot, there’s hardly any other that can top the Bridgestone Blizzak LT.
Best for Budget: Kumho Crugen HT51
On a budget?
Then the Kumho Crugen HT51 is the most reasonably priced tire for your Dodge Ram 3500.
Sure, the tires for this vehicle don’t come cheap. But if you’re looking for the cheapest, quality tire, then consider this one.
The Kumho Crugen HT51 delivers a healthy mix of all-terrain and highway characteristics. This means a smooth, comfortable ride on pavements, and an adequate grip off-road.
It’s the perfect option if you occasionally go out once in a while for a little adventure.
Best Moderately Priced: Firestone Transforce AT/2
Here’s another all-terrain tire that you can look into.
The Firestone Transforce AT/2 is a brilliant all-around tire that works perfectly well for those living on rougher roads.
You’ll also experience a smooth on-road ride thanks to its rib down the center. So if you’re looking for a nice, quiet, comfortable cruise, this one does the job.
Best for High-Tier: Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Michelin is a top-tier brand. Its tires are some of the best ones in the industry. All-season Michelin tires like the Defender LTX M/S are no exception.
The Defender LTX M/S is a durable, all-purpose tire with a whopping treadwear rating of 800 (the average is about 400). If you invest in these tires, you won’t have to switch them out as often, which allows you to save up more money in the long run.
If you’re looking for the whole package, this one takes the cake!
Dodge Ram 3500 Tire Sizing Guide
Newer Ram 3500 trucks come with four tire sizes:
- LT235/80R17
- LT265/70R17
- LT275/70R18
- LT285/60R20
Older models dating from 1994-2003 come in three tire sizes:
- LT225/75/16
- LT245/75/16
- LT235/85/16
Your tire sizes will depend on the rim of your Ram. To date, there are nine trims available, with some being obsolete:
- Tradesman
- Big Horn
- Laramie
- Limited Longhorn
- Limited
- Lonestar
- Outdoorsman
- ST
- SLT
When to Switch Out Your Tires
On average, all-season tires usually last for about three to four years.
The average tread wear falls under the 200-500 rating, which is about 50,000 – 60,000 miles. People on average drive 15,000 miles per year or more, so it’s safe to say that you should start checking for new tires after a couple of seasons.
How can you tell when it’s time to replace your tires? Take a look at some of the signs:
- You’re experiencing rougher rides than usual
- Tires are noisier than before
- Treads are getting lower (use the penny test)
- You see bubblings on your tires
- Tire treads are uneven
- You’re experiencing odd, constant vibrations in your vehicle
- You are past your treadwear warranty
How to Pick Tires for Your Dodge Ram 3500
There are three major factors you need to consider when choosing the right tire for your Ram truck:
- Quality
- Budget
- Lifestyle
Quality
Choosing a quality tire will always pay off in the long run. You can measure this through UTQG, which stands for Uniform Tire Quality Grading.
UTQG is a universal rating system that grades tires according to three characteristics:
- Treadwear
- Traction
- Temperature
Treadwear means how durable the tire is. The higher the treadwear, the longer your tire will last. On average, most tires fall under the 200-500 treadwear rating.
Traction is how well your tires grip a surface. There are four traction ratings, with AA being the highest:
- AA
- A
- B
- C
The higher the traction grade, the stronger the grip of your tire. This makes for a safer, more comfortable ride.
Temperature is how heat-resistant your tires are. Tires are constantly subject to friction, therefore they are exposed to heat whenever in motion.
Heat resistance is graded A, B, or C, with A being the highest and most resistant to heat.
Budget
How much are you able to shell out for new tires?
The Dodge Ram is essentially a truck, meaning your tires are bigger than normal. This means you’ll have to invest more money into your tires than the average person who owns, say, a Honda Civic.
That said, Hankook and Kumho tires are pretty great for the Rams if you’re a bit tight on budget.
Lifestyle
How often do you drive off-road? In-pavement? How often does it snow where you are?
These are some of the questions to keep in mind when buying tires. If your lifestyle requires something more than just your regular all-season tires, it might be good to consider switching out your stock tires for something more specialized and equipped for the season (especially winter, when it’s slippery!)
Conclusion
To summarize, here are the best tires for your Dodge Ram 3500:
| Best for Convenience: | Firestone Transforce HT |
| Best for Rain and Snow: | Bridgestone Blizzak LT |
| Best for Budget: | Kumho Crugen HT51 |
| Best Moderately Priced: | Firestone Transforce AT2 |
| Best High-Tier: | Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
Remember, the best tires are the ones that specifically cater to your lifestyle. Also, when buying, assess according to your budget, lifestyle, and quality of the tire.
Choose the one that can go through it all with you!