In this series, we’ll cover everything that you, as an offroad driver, need to know about 4×4 tyres, including how and why they work, types & specifications, tyre pressure & driving techniques, keeping it legal, and tyre maintenance & repair.
The most important vehicle component for performance is tyres, be that vehicle a Formula 1 car, motocross bike, or your recreational 4×4.
The reason is that vehicle performance is dictated by grip, and grip is dictated by tyres. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a blown V8 or $10,000 worth of suspension…if your tyres don’t grip, you’re going nowhere. And tyres are expensive too. A decent set will cost you at least $2000, and you may need to be replacing them every two to three years.
There’s no other consumable that costs you more or has such an effect on your car’s capability. 4×4 tyres have to deal with a wider range of terrains than any other tyre application, everything from dry bitumen, sand, rocks, wet bitumen and more, as well as handle physically rougher conditions and heavier loads than any other car tyre.
4×4 tyre tech
Tyres have changed over the years, too, with huge advances in performance across the board: grip, puncture resistance and wear. We’ve seen the standard rim size go from 15 inches to 16, and now 17 with 20s common. Tyre construction has moved from simple bands of steel, leather or rubber attached to wooden wheels to the early pneumatic tyres, then from cross-ply to radial construction and within that.
Tyres are surprisingly complex, too, made of substances like rubber, carbon and silicon, which wear over time and quickly change characteristics according to factors like temperature, pressure, stress and load. Unlike, say, two steel cogs, which will always give you a given ratio and vary their result very little as conditions change. Formula 1 engineers admit they don’t know everything about tyres, so us recreational 4×4 people can’t expect to fully understand the science either. Nevertheless, we do know a lot. So in this series, we’ll cover everything you, as an offroad driver, need to know about 4×4 tyres.
How and why tyres work
Before you specify a tyre or choose a model, you’ll need to understand how and why tyres work. What is grip, how do tyres grip, and how do different driving situations affect the tyres? Does grip work differently on different types of surfaces? Why do tyres even have tread? And what are the parts of a tyre? What are the differences between two plies, and four? Is more always better? Click the button below to learn how and why 4×4 tyres work.
Types of tyres & specifications
Let’s take a look at all those numbers and demystify sizes, age, speed and load ratings. There’s also tread pattern and constructions to consider too. Then you need to consider the merits of wider tyres, taller tyres and high vs low profile. The Instagram #look is as much rubber as possible, but is that the best solution for you? And what, if anything, are you giving up with huge tyres? Click the button below to learn more about types of 4×4 tyres and specifications.
Tyre pressures & driving techniques
More than any other vehicle, a 4×4’s tyre pressures vary and choosing the right pressure is critical to successfully and safely navigate different terrain. But why, exactly? And by how much, and when? Is lowering always the best idea, the harder the going, the lower the pressure? Does it make a difference if you’re driving a Jimny or a Canter, all-terrain or mud-terrain, or rugged terrain? Do we still need to bother with innertubes, and how many tyres do we need to take outback? Click the button below to learn more about tyre pressures and driving techniques.
Tyre regulations – keeping it legal
What’s the tallest 4×4 tyre you can run? Widest? Do you need to adhere to speed and load rating? What about the wheels, do they matter? Do you need to follow the placard, and what even is the placard? You know you can’t fit just any tyre, but what can you fit? Can you and/or should you mix tyres? Or replace all on AWDs? There is no easy answer, but we’ll explain it all, and take a look at where regulations might go in the future. Hint – not good news for offroad drivers. Click the button below to learn more about tyre regulations and keeping it legal.
Choosing a tyre, maintenance and repair
Bringing everything we’ve learned, we’ll now be able to choose a 4×4 tyre for any given situation and then get the best from it over its life, including rotation techniques, how long that life should be, and whether or not running two sets of tyres makes sense. Spoiler – there is no perfect tyre, so it’s a matter of choosing your compromise.
4×4 tyre buyers guide
Spend a lot of time driving on rocks or through mud? Check out our Mud-Terrain Tyre Buyers’ Guide (content is coming soon).
Need an all-rounder of jack-of-all-trades tyre for your 4×4? Check out our All-Terrain Tyre Buyers Guide (content is coming soon)
