Think of tyres like footwear. You don\u2019t wear thongs when running and you don\u2019t wear dress shoes on a hike. The same logic applies to your car. The most appropriate tyres for you are determined by the type of driving you have planned. Unfortunately, changing a pair of shoes requires less effort and time than changing a set of tyres. So, if your travels encompass a variety of terrains, what\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The appropriately named all-terrain tyre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four-wheel drive tyres are sorted into three categories: highway terrain (HT), all terrain (AT) and mud terrain (MT). Let\u2019s briefly look at each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Out of the three options, highway terrain tyres<\/strong> are most like regular passenger car tyres. They prefer bitumen to dirt and are designed for comfort and reduced road noise. The compromise for ride quality is less capability off-road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mud terrain tyres<\/strong> are at the other end of the spectrum. They have a super strong construction for toughness and puncture resistance and their tread pattern consists of deep, blocky trenches. These heavy-duty tyres are designed to grip any surface and will take you from Gibb River Road all the way to the Cape York Tip \u2013 and you may be slightly deafer for it; MTs are designed for grip, not road comfort, and small towns will here you coming a couple of clicks out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All terrain tyres<\/strong>, as you\u2019ve probably guessed, are the Goldilocks option. They are, essentially, a compromise between HTs and MTs, with more grip than the former and more ride comfort than the latter. The tread design will be deeper and wider than an HT\u2019s, lending it more grip and capability off road, but the ride quality on long stretches of highway should still be comfortable and not too noisy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four-wheel drives usually roll off the lot with HTs attached. If that lot was located in a city, chances are that\u2019s where the four-wheel drive will be doing the vast majority of its work, so there\u2019s no need for tyres with chunkier tread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hard-core four-wheel driving enthusiasts, however, will most likely opt for a set of MTs to tackle the rock-hopping, mud-ridden, rutted and sometimes non-existent tracks they have pencilled in. These vehicles will be doing very little city driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All terrain tyres are perfect for those who\u2019ll be using their vehicle for city driving with a little off-road action on the side. A split of 60\/40 (city\/off-road) is a good guide. They\u2019ll give you the grip, toughness, and safety you need while still allowing for a comfortable ride on city streets and highways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ATs are perfect for the increasing number of families that love nothing more than loading the camping gear into the 4WD on the weekend and heading somewhere a little remote, wild and rugged. They may not get you to all the places a set of MTs will, but ATs will competently tackle the vast majority of off-road tracks that sprawl across our vast country. And they\u2019ll get you home quietly and comfortably, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not much in life doesn\u2019t involve compromise. All-terrain tyres can handle a variety of surfaces due to a sturdier construction and a deeper, wider tread pattern than that found on HTs. As a result, they have slightly more rolling resistance and slightly poorer fuel economy. Compared to MTs, however, their fuel economy is very good.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAre all-terrain tyres for me?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are there any disadvantages to all-terrain tyres?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n