What do you need to know about 4WD Tyres
All-Terrain 4WD tyres are designed to suit vehicles that work equally well on and off-road. As such they’re great tyres for a real workhorse of a 4WD that needs to be able to make the run into town as readily as towing the boat to the beach or running fencing gear up to the back paddock.
All-Terrain tyres are more robust than Highway 4WD tyres and have better road-holding properties than Mud-Terrain tyres. These really are the all-rounder tyre able to tackle both environments without excluding the other.
As they are all-rounders, these tyres are not suited to particularly wet or soft off-road conditions (as a Mud-Terrain tyre would be), nor are they designed for the stresses that a Performance 4WD tyre may incur. Rather, All-Terrain 4WD tyres are intended for general-purpose use and are best suited to those who don’t need highly-specialised tyres for their vehicles.
Things to consider when you’re looking to buy an All-Terrain tyre include:
How often do you off-road?
If you’re only going off-road occasionally (e.g. once a month) you may find a Highway 4WD tyre will suit your needs better.
How rough are your roads?
When you’re heading off the bitumen are you still travelling regularly maintained dirt roads? Or are you forging your own trail? You may need a more specialized tyre if conditions really are tough.
Remember that while All-Terrain tyres are designed for on and off-road use, they have less traction on the bitumen than a Highway tyre and will need greater stopping distances, especially in wet conditions.
All-Terrain tyres will also have reduced fuel economy and a higher noise factor on the road when compared to a dedicated Highway tyre.