The content of the article:
- Types of car tires
- The nuances of choosing mud tires, based on the intended soil
- Choosing mud tires by tread
- Selection of tires by diameter
- Mud rubber on asphalt surface
- Manufacturers
The phrase "mud tires" immediately gives rise to associations with drivers who prefer extreme travel on uncharted roads, which have not yet been touched by the technique of road builders.
Romance, of course, is good, but one should not forget that the speed of the car, its cross-country ability, control, as well as the safety of the driver entirely depend on the quality of the tires, on the shape of the tread relief. Therefore, you need to know that mud tires for an SUV are special tires that are allocated in a separate category, and you need to choose them with great care.
In order to understand what mud tires are, let's figure out what kind of tires for cars are.
Types of car tires
When classifying automobile "shoes", three main characteristics are taken into account:
- tread pattern;
- the type of road for which the tires are intended (road soil or surface);
- season of operation.
If we talk separately about the pattern of the treadmill, then they can also be divided into several varieties:
- Directional drawing. The name speaks for itself: it is directed in the direction of the rotation of the wheels. Therefore, on the side surface of such a tire, the direction in which the wheel should rotate is always indicated by arrows.
- Symmetrical pattern. This is a tread in which the pattern of the inner surface of the tire matches the pattern of the outer surface. When installing such a wheel, the direction of rotation of the tire does not need to be taken into account.
- Asymmetric pattern. With such a tread, the pattern on the left side of the wheel is different from the pattern on the right side.
As already mentioned, tires can differ from each other in the type of soil or road surface. Therefore, they are divided into the following categories:
- Road or highway. These tires are used for roads with artificial asphalt or concrete surfaces. You can recognize them by the "NT" marking;
- Universal tires. They have a very large tread pattern, which allows them to operate both on the highway and on natural soil. They are designated by the “AT” marking;
- Mud tires. Designed for complete off-road use. The spacing between the tread studs on these tires is significantly increased, and at the same time they have special lugs. Marking - "M / T".
As for the operating season, everything is much simpler here - even people who are far from driving a car know these tire names: summer tires, winter tires, and also all-season tires.
However, it should be noted that you should not be tempted by an all-season variety of tires, despite the promising name, such tires are not the best choice.
The result of special testing showed that manufacturers were never able to combine the winter and summer options. The all-season rubber tread fails drivers in both summer and winter, so if you decide to save on this type of tire, you run the risk of creating an emergency on the road.
Why mud tires are highlighted in a separate view
Mud tires really do stand out, and there are very good reasons for this. First of all, these tires are unique due to the tread structure, which makes it possible to operate the car in absolute off-road conditions.
At the same time, it must be said that off-road conditions are not unambiguous. The soil can consist of sand, gravel, after all, it can be a swamp or ordinary mud - hence the name of rubber. And for each kind of off-road, separate mud tires are produced.
For example, if some mud tires feel great in "mud baths" and at the same time do not create any special problems for the driver, then on sandy soil they may behave differently.
Therefore, when choosing mud tires for your SUV, please consider the terrain in which you intend to travel, and only then make your final decision.
The nuances of choosing mud tires, based on the intended soil
If the landscape of the area where you intend to travel is sandy or swampy? then hard tires will not be useful to you. In this case, the rubber must be soft enough so that the degree of contact and, accordingly, the adhesion of the wheel to the road is maximized.
With these tires, the car will not get stuck in the sand or swamp, which will allow you to feel comfortable, as well as a sense of security and confidence during the trip.
However, on hard ground, such as gravel or stones, you will need wheels with fairly stiff tires. Such tires, in addition to everything, will also serve as a reliable protection for the rims, protecting them from possible damage.
Choosing mud tires by tread
Consider the tread as the next criterion for an objective choice of mud tires.
When purchasing "shoes" for an SUV, you can't go wrong if you opt for a herringbone tread pattern. This "herringbone" has been considered the most popular among other drawings for many years.
The herringbone pattern does not lose its relevance precisely because it creates conditions for maximum vehicle stability and, accordingly, provides a fairly high reliability in driving an SUV.
In order to be convinced of the above, remember the good old agricultural tractors "Kirovets" and "Belarus". If you look closely at the wheels of these "hard workers", you can easily recognize the same "Christmas tree". It is she who allows these tractors to drive where it seems impossible to drive at all.
By the way, washing such wheels will not be difficult, because tires with a herringbone pattern tend to clean themselves while driving.
Selection of tires by diameter
Experienced aces among the off-road conquerors have always been very contemptuous of tires that are less than 32 inches in diameter. Moreover, even those 32 inches, which they consider to be a child's tire size, may not be suitable for all SUVs.
For example, for such famous SUVs as the Suzuki Samurai or Escudo, 30-inch tires can only fit with an increase in ground clearance (ground clearance). In this case, it is advisable to install body arch extensions. But even under such conditions, wheels with a diameter of no more than 31 inches can fit on the listed car models.
Therefore, keep in mind that it is not always possible to select the so-called "tractor" tires for an ordinary SUV. In addition, the inch marking of both the width of the tire and its diameter does not always correspond to reality - the true dimensions can often differ from the indicated ones.
These differences can even reach one inch, usually in the direction of decreasing, although it happens the other way around. This circumstance can only mean one thing: when buying tires, unobtrusively but persistently force the seller to indicate the real size of those tires that you have chosen.
Attention: never forget that mud tires are a summer range! If you hear anywhere about the all-season nature of these tires, know that this is just a myth. In winter, such rubber is not capable of braking or holding the car in the lateral direction. In winter, use only non-mud tires such as spikes or Velcro.
Mud rubber on asphalt surface
Fans of extreme off-roading need to know that, having “put on” your all-terrain vehicle in mud tires, you will have to avoid an asphalt road. Mud tire manufacturers do not recommend driving these tires on city streets and highways for the following reasons:
- wet asphalt significantly increases the braking distance of a car “shod” in mud tires, of course, with all the corresponding consequences;
- the tread of mud tires has a high, too protruding relief, which “breaks down” when cornering and makes it difficult to control the machine;
- driving on asphalt on mud tires generates a lot of noise, starting at a speed of 80 km / h.
That is, mud tires should be used only for their intended purpose and nothing else. In urban conditions, you cannot ride on such rubber.
Mud tire manufacturers
Consider a few of the most famous off-road rubber companies.
Company Bridgestone manufactures some of the most popular SUV mud tires. The relatively low price does not in any way affect the rather high-quality adhesion of these tires to the road surface. But, nevertheless, if you happen to be a lover of the most real auto extreme, the products of this company are not your choice. Professionals will never buy such rubber.
Kumho Road Venture. According to the same professionals, the price for the products of this company is also not too high, the tires themselves are rather weak, but they are quite suitable for driving on simple country roads. And the exterior of these tires is quite impressive.
Cooper Discoverer. Both amateurs and professionals find such tires quite acceptable for providing road drive. In the tread of this rubber there are special grooves that adhere to the ground efficiently and do not allow dirt to stick to the wheels in large quantities. And the price of these tires, of course, will be higher.
BFGoodrich Mud Terrain. Goodrich has been at the forefront of mud tire manufacturers for some time. However, competitors gradually made themselves felt, pushing this company out of the leading positions. But at the same time, the rubber itself did not get worse. Therefore, the tires of this company are chosen by many motorists, guided by the relatively low cost and good quality.
Yokohama Geolandar. This rubber is highly valued by both professionals and amateurs. Great performance, excellent quality and, accordingly, quite a high price - there is nothing more to add to the description of these tires. The vast majority of car enthusiasts who own off-road vehicles consider these tires to be the best of all mud tires.
Of the listed companies, there is something to choose from - it's obvious. But at the same time, remember that if you are an off-road lover, then you better buy tires with the recommended "name". Extreme people do not like saving, so do not spare money for your own safety and for the good condition of your iron friend. Good luck and safe road!
