Collaborative Post¦ Going out and about with the family is easier on an off-road vehicle. If you think going on a leisurely drive on the road is fun, just wait until you get off of it and drive over obstacles you won’t normally see on a perfectly paved cement! But of course, you need a trusty off-roader for that job. Our reliable 4×4 gets it done and has never failed us no matter where we take it, be it soil, sand, or (knee-deep) water. It’s fun not only for the driver, but also for the passengers, especially when wading through streams or going through rocky obstacles. As one of my kids put it, it’s like going on an extremely slow roller coaster!
Aside from the 4×4 vehicle, it’s also important to have the proper 4WD tyres equipped. I believe this is what really kept our adventures fun and exciting, since we have experienced any tyre-related problems while off-roading. Yep, we’ve had a few times when we got stuck going up a boulder, and few more crossing a body of water. But our wheels and tyres all seemed to be doing good all these times, and I could credit that to a good sense of choosing the right one for the occasion.
Surely, choosing or getting sold the incorrect tyre can be frustrating and financially draining. You do know how much each of these costs, right? You also don’t want to get caught changing your wheels under extreme road conditions. These 4x4s aren’t really the type you can just jack up and quickly swap wheels with. A good example of choosing the right tyre for the occasion is when you regularly drive an off-roader on the road. If you do 90% road driving, a set of All-Terrain tyres would just be a waste of money and good rubber. You sacrifice your tyres performance just because you’re lazy changing them for the specific purpose of daily driving. This results to an uncomfortable, stiff ride, and an extremely diminished lifespan for your all-terrains.
For that reason, I’ve decided to give a quick run-through of the different types of 4WD tyres that you commonly see, and where you can best use them.
ALLTERRAIN (A/T) TYRES
This is the most popular tyre pattern, as it offers a mixed bag of benefits, not only for off-road use but also for casual regular drives. These tyres offer the perfect balance between road and off-road usage. If you’re driving on the road half of the time, then this one’s perfect for your off-roader.
HIGHWAY-TERRAIN (H/T) TYRES
Highway-terrain tyres, as the name suggests, sees regular highway use but with occasional drives off-road. This is suitable for a driver that uses their vehicle mostly on the road but would venture off-road from time to time. The tyres are quiet because of a closed thread pattern but can be driven in the sand without any problem.
MUD-TERRAIN (M/T) TYRES
It’s not hard to imagine where these tyres are commonly used. As the name suggests, these are the tyres for off-roading enthusiasts that only tackle off-road tracks. An aggressive open thread pattern gives great traction in muddy and rocky conditions but would be very noisy on the road.