Off-roading 101 – The Beginner’s Guide to Investing In Off-Road Tires.
Off-road tires are one of the greatest inventions ever for people who like to take the path less taken, get off the beaten track and take the rugged terrain. Fortunately, you can top up your knowledge about off-road tires with this helpful article.
Before you begin off-roading – understand your terrain first.
There’s a big difference between sandy deserts, wild forests, and mountainous terrain… and vehicles should have different tires based on the kind of terrain they’re going to encounter. That’s why the first step in installing the best off-road tires has absolutely nothing to do with the tires themselves and everything to do with the intentions of the person driving the car.
Once you’ve determined the terrain that you plan to drive on, make your next move.
Next – determine the tire size
Large tires can make a vehicle look imposing… but remember, the real goal of large off-road tires is to lift the vehicle higher off the ground. This helps the bottom of the car avoid damage from branches, rocks and anything else that it might be driving over. This should be a major consideration for off-road trips, so take a good look at the basic tire size of the vehicle.
You will also not go wrong if you increase the tire size by an inch or two if the vehicle itself permits. Under no circumstances should you reduce the size of the tires if you’re going off-road.
Here are the four important things to consider while buying off-road tires.
1. PERFORMANCE
When buying off-road tires, proper skid-steer tire selection can increase efficiency and value. The biggest elements to consider will always be environment, operator and application. Aligning tire choice with these three will always reduce accelerated tire wear. Beyond this, regular tire inspections and rotating tires around the machine itself will have an additional impact on tire life and safety.
2. PRICE
In off-road tires as it is in all-season or regular tires, purchase price alone isn’t a good indicator of your actual operating cost. Very rarely is the cheapest tire the best tire, and at the same time the most expensive tire is often not the best tire either. Tires that come as factory fit most often feature an off-road tread. Typically, featuring less tread rubber, lighter weight and hence a less expensive price tag. So make sure you go to a trusted dealer to get the most optimum combination of performance and value in your off-road tires.
3. TRACTION
Traction is one of the most important performance metrics when you are considering off-road. In off-road conditions, you want a deeper tread depth that all-season tires use for city roads. While driving on sand, mud and gravel, a stronger side wall and self-cleaning tread pattern will aid traction and provide sufficient damage protection.
Tires with more rubber are going to last longer. Another important characteristic is the ply rating. The higher the ply rating, typically the fewer issues you will have when transitioning to different applications where loads can increase.
4. COST VS. VALUE
Investing in a more premium tire with more tread depth often yields longer life. The right way to determine tire wear life is by considering the tread compound’s resistance to wear. This is directly influenced by the amount of rubber on the tread. A tire with more rubber in the tread, for instance more tread depth and less grooves, will account for more kilometers than the same tire with the same tread compound but less tread depth and/or more grooves.
CHOOSE WISELY!
Premium off-road tires are constructed from premium rubber compounds that are specifically engineered to deliver a higher performance in terms of load, damage resistance, heat build-up, grip and tire life.
Many standard range tires may be cheaper because they use a lower grade of rubber compounds. But for the untrained eye, it can be hard to distinguish between a premium and a standard tire. That’s why you need the counsel of a tyre specialist life Tyre Gator to help you.
