How to choose your next set of 4WD tyres
Purchasing tyres for your 4WD is not only a costly exercise but can also be a very confusing one as well. We all have mates that know best and are always forthcoming with advice, good or bad and who are also very quick to give you a hard time if you listened to someone else who got it wrong.
There are many factors to consider when purchasing 4WD tyres. The main factor to consider is ‘what is the tyre and pattern that will handle the worst situation you will be in?’ You really do not want to buy just a passenger rated highway 4WD tyre because although it is quiet and comfortable on your daily drive to work down the highway, when you’re out wheeling on the weekend, you’re forever getting punctures because the case construction just isn’t up to the rigors of bush driving. There’s nothing worse than having your mates forever recovering you from situations because your tyres are not aggressive enough for the places you are going, you will soon get sick of it, and their banter.
There are several patterns available in today’s market. What you need to do is work out what is best for you. If your vehicle is just a daily driver and your weekends consist of running the kids around to sporting fields and maybe the odd weekend getaway up the beach a Highway Terrain pattern would be recommended, but make sure it is Light Truck (LT) construction. On the other hand if you are planning that once a year trip to the outback you should upgrade to an All Terrain as this will handle the gravel roads much better as the pattern is less likely to produce chipping of the tread and the case construction is normally stronger than the average Highway Terrain tyre.
The Aggressive All Terrain pattern, such as the all-new ATZ P3, is the new breed of All Terrain, the pattern gives the user the best of all worlds, great traction off road, stronger case construction (with Mickey Thompson’s unique PowerPly Carcass Construction) and great on road ability as well as good wear characteristics. This pattern is great for the person that spends most weekends in the bush or even on the beach but is still tame enough to be driven down the bitumen daily without the expense of the big stereo system to cover the noise usually associated with aggressive tread patterns.
The Mud Terrain pattern is still a very popular tread pattern for the off road enthusiast. It has the strongest carcass construction, most aggressive pattern and is a tyre that will take you to nearly every place this great country can offer. Today’s Mud Terrains like the MTZP3 and Claw TTC are far removed from the tyres of the past, they now have better on road abilities due to tread compound changes that allow the tyre to wear better and also grip better on wet road surfaces. They are also quieter than the patterns of the past due to new designs that break up the harmonics of the tread block on road.
Mickey Thompson Tires have a deep history in the tyre industry as innovators in tyre development. An example of such innovation is the PowerPly carcass construction found in the Mickey Thompson ATZP3, MTZP3 and Claw TTC.
To get the right advice why not ask the people that live and breathe 4WDriving by calling 1300 MICKEY and ask the tough questions, they will have the answer for you. Or click here to see our entire range of legendary tyres.
