ITP TERRA HOOK TIRES

Testing traditional trail traction

On Sep 10, 2019

By the staff of Dirt Wheels

**ITP sent us their Terra Hook 32-inch-tall tires on a nice set of their offset Cyclone wheels for the test. We are beyond happy with how they work out in the trails.**

ITP TERRA HOOK TIRES

UTVs keep changing quickly. When 26-inch-tall tires were the norm, we knew exactly what fit each machine for your favorite terrain, but now there are UTVs with 32-inch-tall desert tires running 15-inch rims with more power and suspension than most need. People are purchasing these desert machines and taking them into the woods and rocks.

Fortunately, the rubber industry keeps sending new offerings our way, and ITP gave us a set of its all-new Terra Hook tires to test. Terra Hooks are made for these sport rigs to tackle trails away from the wide-open desert.

TERRA HOOK

This tire starts with an eight-ply radial-constructed carcass. The steel belts pancaked inside the layers of rubber are reinforced to enhance traction and offer a strong layer to aid in resistance to punctures. The Terra Hook has protruding shoulder lugs that retain the round profile of the tire but assist with traction in ruts, rocks, and more.

Traction from the top of the tire is gained through alternating tread blocks that are spaced far enough apart to allow the tire to flex and reduce mud packing up between them.

ITP claims that the tire is designed with a balanced tread-to-void ratio. The lugs aren’t overly aggressive or large, and as we said before, the tire has a round profile so your machine will slide through corners easier. The Terra Hook will come in nine popular sizes with pricing ranging from $155.45–$203.12.

**This 8-ply-rated radial tire has a round profile with reasonably spaced-out lugs. The Terra Hook flexes through terrain to offer great grip.**

ITP TERRA HOOK TIRES

GRAB TRACTION

We started this tire test by spending a few hours in our 2019 Polaris RZR XP Turbo S Velocity with its stock ITP Coyote tires. We enjoy the Coyote tires for desert riding, but we also know their weaknesses in soft sand or rutted terrain, with rocks and slick surfaces included. Then we mounted up the new rubber and drove the same routes.

Our Terra Hooks came mounted on ITP’s attractive Cyclone wheels that widened the stance of our RZR by a few inches. That may have aided in some of the improved feel of the new tires. They are a great combination!

The Terra Hook is impressive. It remains somewhat light in weight, so they don’t drag down your machine’s performance. While sliding quickly through corners, we didn’t feel them try to catch and upset the RZR. Instead, they helped keep control of our Polaris and pulled us out of turns quickly—so well, in fact, that we felt like we were driving a rally car at times, sawing through each bend with tires churning dirt in a drift.

When we went through slick and muddy ruts, the Hook’s shoulder lugs kept us clawing through them with momentum. The carcass allowed the tire to flex and grip over rocks and roots, even when they were slick. We kept the tire pressure at 16 psi for our 32-inch-tall offerings.

Our only gripe we have about the tire is that we feel they may get punctured somewhat easily if you take them through the desert due to the spacing of the lugs. These weren’t designed to tackle the wide-open-style terrain, but we drove similar stretches to get too tight trails and didn’t have a flat.

Go to www.itptires.com to view their impressive lineup of wheels and tires for ATVs and UTVs. You can call (800) 827-1001 to get a bit more information from their customer service line, or check their website to find an ITP dealer near you!

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