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The Land Rover tyres are the single most important part of
the vehicle when off road driving because they are the contact point that
transfers the drive from the 4x4 vehicle to the ground. There are many types of
tyres with different tread patterns suitable for 4x4 off road driving so choosing a suitable tyre is not as easy as it used to be, the main points to look out for
are:
Speed, Budget, Load, Road surfaces, looks.
Speed is not such a concern to the regular person but if you
regularly do high speeds (110+) with a heavy vehicle then you must study the tyre
specifications carefully. Usually as the speed rating increased the load rating decreases.
Cross ply tyres are significantly cheaper than radials, they usually
have a low speed rating, a high load rating and are extremely tough. They do not have a
very good expected mileage and are the worst on tar.
These tyres are used mainly for slow hard work :- serious off roading with heavy loads,
largely an industrial type tyre.
Generally, the more aggressive the tyre tread, the worse the on-road
handling gets and the better the off-road handling gets. You must decided what percentage
on and off roading you are going to do and what level and tyre of 4x4
terrain it will be like mud, snow, rocks sand etc.
Sand generally requires a wider, smoother tread with as few knobs
and bumps as possible.
Mud on the other hand wants lots of knobs and lots of open spaces between. Modern tyre
design concentrates on a good self-cleaning action. Rocks require a strong tyre
with good sidewall protection. See below for some examples of some popular 4x4
tyres suitable for Land Rovers.
Once you have decided on the right
tyre for your vehicle you should also make sure that
you use the optimum
tyre pressures for off road driving.
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