Falken Tires On Falken Wheels

Using a symmetric five-rib tread pattern and rigid block design, the WildPeak A/T provides very nice handling through corners and while straight line tracking.

Using a symmetric five-rib tread pattern and rigid block design, the WildPeak A/T provides

Recently, we installed a set of Falken wheels and tires on our Dodge tow-and-chase truck that represents a recent addition to Falken’s growing light truck and SUV lineup. The tires are the WildPeak A/T in a new 37x13.5R18 size and the wheels are the 18x9 ORC 952 in the machined-and-black color scheme. This is the first set of all-terrain tires this truck has run in over five years, and so far—compared to the previous mud-terrains—we are enjoying the quiet and smooth ride coming off a semi-aggressive tread. There is a large continuous center rib block with large channels on both sides that not only gives the tire excellent water displacement qualities at the contact patch, it also makes for great lateral traction and contributes to the smooth ride.

Though WildPeak is a rather soft tire, it has shown minimal wear on our three test vehicles. It can handle an extremely large load, has a very thick sidewall, and is heavier than its all-terrain brethren. That makes it a great choice for today’s fullsize diesel HD trucks, but perhaps not for an underpowered rig.

To complete the package with a set of matching wheels, we tracked down one of the newest wheels to hit the off-road market: the Falken ORC 952. With a 3,600-pound load rating, it can handle a little more than the tire is rated for, giving us a proper wheel-and-tire package.

Off-road, the WildPeak A/Ts have yet to leave us wishing for our previous mud-terrains. Located in Southern California, this truck mostly encounters hard dirt, sand, and rocks. Mud is a rare occasion. The ribs that encircle these tires make the tread less susceptible to damage due to aggressive on and off-road driving, compared to mud-terrain tires that have larger voids and more exposed blocks. There is no doubt that in some off-road conditions, like mud, deep snow, or slow-speed crawling, mud-terrains can’t be beat. So far, all around, we feel like the smooth and quiet ride along with better steering feel is worth the tradeoff.

Specifications as Tested

Make/model: Falken WildPeak A/T
Mounted on: Falken ORC 952 Machine/black 18x9
Size on sidewall: 37x13.5R18
Load range: D
Max load (tire): 3,525 pounds
Max load (wheel): 3,600 pounds
Tire hardness: 58
Tread depth: 18/32
Plies in tread: eight
Weight of tire: 87 pounds
Measured diameter unloaded: 36.75 inches
Measured width unloaded: 13.75 inches
Measured tread width: 11.50 inches
Available sizes: 30 to 37 inches tall
Available For: 15- to 24-inch wheels