Choosing a Tyre for your Suv or 4×4
So, you want to change the tyres on your truck/SUV? The first question you have to ask yourself is, what do I want these tyres to do?
As I see it, there are three basic types of tyre available to you. You can either choose road tyres, all terrain tyres or mud tyres. Within these three basic types there are of course sub sections, such as snow tyres that fall within all three categories. However I shall only cover off the three topline categories.
First, road tyres. Of the three categories, these will give you the best fuel consumption figures because they create the least friction on the road. However, if 90-100% of your driving is on the road then this will be the best choice for you. Also, if a lot of your road driving is normally at speed, say over 65-70 miles per hour, then road tyres should always be your choice.
Your next choice is for an all terrain tyre. These are really a compromise, but not a compromise that reduces quality or safety. The all terrain tyre is just what it says it is. It is designed for the vehicle that spends anywhere between say 60-80% of its time on tarmac. However, because the tread pattern is more agressive than a road tyre, and has better self cleaning qualities than a road tyre, it will perfom in a better manner than a road tyre will, when driving on non tarmac surfaces such as grass, sand and light mud. However, your fuel consumption will be slightly worse when compared to using a road tyre.
The last main category is the mud tyre. This is for the off road enthusiast or for somone that works on rough ground and needs a vehicle to get them there. Such tyres have a very agressive tread pattern. This type of tyre will have excellent self cleaning qualities therefore giving you maximum grip in adverse conditions. You will find that you will be able to drive in wet/deep mud (depth dependant on vehicle ground clearance), loose sand and will be able to get good grip when driving over rock and stone. This type of tyre will give the worst fuel consumption figures of all three of the categories. This mainly because not only does it provide more road friction, but also because generally, SUV/4x4 owners tend to upsize the tyres too, affecting the gearing of the vehicle. In addition, the rubber compound used on these tyres tends to be of a softer quality, which means they wear down more quickly than the other two categories.
Once you have chosen which category you prefer or need, you then have to delve into manufacturers offerings within each category to find the actual tyre you like/require.
