If you’ve got a light truck or SUV that’s equipped with four-wheel-drive (4WD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD), the best way to get the performance you really need from it is with a set of durable, premium-brand all-terrain tires. All-season tires and highway-terrain tires are fine on the pavement, but they’re not a good fit for rough terrain, deep mud or the other conditions that all-terrain tires are designed for. All-terrain tires like the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T have the kind of durability and versatile traction you need for those situations, while still balancing those rugged design qualities with performance on the pavement that’s smooth and composed. Let’s get in there and get a closer look at this tire, with this BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T tire review:

Features and Benefits

Here are some of the design features and innovations that make the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T an exceptional value and a standout performer in the world of all-terrain tires:

• Advanced tread compound is engineered for durability, great wear properties, and enhanced grip in wet or snowy conditions
• Aggressive all-terrain tread features staggered tread blocks and wide grooves that easily shed mud, gravel, and debris to ensure there’s always a clear section of the tread to dig in as the wheel turns
• Notched shoulder tread blocks are reinforced for durability, improved cornering ability and handling, and extend down onto the sidewall for better lateral grip
• Internal design details include polyester casing with a high-tensile steel belt package and a nylon cap ply for improved durability and stability
• Tread pitch is tuned with finite element analysis computer simulation software, helping to neutralize certain frequencies and overtones and ensure a ride that’s quiet on the highway
• Covered by a 55,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty
• Tread footprint is redesigned to be fatter and more square, putting more rubber in contact with the road for improved weight distribution, traction, handling properties
• Dense network of sipes multiplies surface area and traction with hundreds of hair-thin biting edges to slice through snow, slush, standing water
• Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified for severe winter service
• Wide range of sizes from 16” to 22”, for a variety of vehicle fitments

Pros and Cons

With the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T, this is a tire where the Pros definitely outweigh the Cons:

PROS:

• Long tread wear with generous limited manufacturer’s tread life coverage of 55,000 miles
• 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake certified for severe winter service
• Casing and heavy-duty tread formulation resists cuts, punctures, scuffs
• Performance on the street is surprisingly composed and civilized
• Affordable price point

CONS:

• Can generate pattern noise on some pavement surfaces
• Not good in deeper mud
• Not good for aired-down rock crawling

SimpleTire’s view on BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T tires

Here at the SimpleTire team, we’ve been pretty impressed with everything from the BlackHawk lineup so far, and the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T is no exception.

Are you familiar with SimpleScore? SimpleScore is the proprietary rating system that was developed by the SimpleTire team to give you an easy overview of any tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We look at the tire’s technical details, manufacturer’s information, specs, customer reviews, and other data points, and then we process all that to a 1-10 numerical score for the categories of traction, handling, and durability, along with an overall average SimpleScore number. For the General Grabber A/T Sport, the SimpleScore ratings break down this way:

BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T:

• Traction: 7.6
• Handling: 7.9
• Longevity: 7.5
• Overall average SimpleScore: 7.7

Those are some pretty solid numbers, and the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T looks even better when you remember that the SimpleTire price on this tire starts at $117.99/tire.

BlackHawk built this tire to last, with its heavy-duty construction, high-tensile steel belt package, 10-ply rating, and damage-resistant tread formulation, which was more than enough to warrant a 55,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty.

That all adds up to a tire that’s tough and competent for difficult off-road conditions as well as performance on pavement that’s refined and civilized. The staggered all-terrain tread blocks and grooves deliver consistent, reliable grip on or off the pavement. Slotted tread blocks that extend from the shoulder onto the sidewall enhance lateral grip and control in unforgiving terrain and soft surfaces as well as on the highway.

Ride quality is pretty forgiving with this tire, although it can be a bit firm (but still controlled) on rougher pavement surfaces. The steering response is precise and light with straight-line stability at highway speed that’s solid and nailed down with little need for constant tweaks and correction (the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T has an R speed rating, for up to 106 mph). In the corners or on curvy roads and onramps, the Ridgecrawler A/T exhibits few vices and shows handling that’s a good complement to a light truck’s handling properties, although it might not be up to what you’d expect from a performance tire.

With the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification (a rating that certifies that a tire meets or exceeds the Rubber Manufacturer Association’s requirement for traction in deeper snow and winter weather), the Blackhawk is confident in winter conditions, adding to its versatility. Its durable, damage-resistant tread compound is designed to stay flexible and go on providing snow and slush traction even in subfreezing weather. All in all, it’s our take here at the SimpleTire team that the Ridgecrawler A/T is a tire that strikes a good balance of quality, value, and performance either on or off the pavement, and its aggressive look is a great addition to the style of about any light truck or SUV.

Vehicles the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T is a good replacement tire for

While the BlackHawk Ridgecrawler A/T isn’t featured as OEM on any vehicles, it would make a great aftermarket replacement tire on light trucks and SUVs such as:

• Ford Explorer
• Ford Escape
• Ford Freestyle
• Jeep Wrangler
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Ford Bronco
• Ford Ranger
• Ford Maverick
• Ford Expedition
• Jeep Compass
• Chevrolet Traverse
• Buick Rainier
• Nissan Murano
• Nissan Pathfinder
• Toyota RAV4
• Toyota 4Runner
• Honda CR-V
• Honda Ridgeline
• Honda Pilot
• Chevrolet Trailblazer
• Chevrolet Equinox
• GMC Acadian
• Dodge Durango
• RAM 1500
• Chevrolet Tahoe
• GMC Yukon
• Kia Sorento
• Kia Telluride
• Kia Sportage
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Hyundai Tucson
• Hyundai Palisade
• Hyundai Santa Cruz
• Volkswagen Tiguan
• Volkswagen Atlas
• Volkswagen Taos
• Mazda CX-5
• Mazda CX-3
• Mazda CX-9
• Mazda CX-50