4x4
PRESENTED FREE WITH THE MARCH 2018 ISSUE OF 4X4 MAGAZINE
Tyre Supplement Cover.indd 1
Tyre Guide
30/01/2018 23:18
www.hankooktire.com/uk
Premium aggressive all-terrain for light truck, van & sport utility vehicle Precise & stable cornering, best grip & acceleration under all road conditions
Hankook Tyre UK Ltd Fawsley Drive, Heartlands Business Park Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 8UG Tel: +44 1327 304 100 Fax: +44 1327 304 110
[UK]4x4_RF10_265x338mm.indd 1
Untitled-2 1
2018. 1. 26. ě˜¤í›„ 6:27
29/01/2018 15:46
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Contents 4
Choosing the Right Tyre Expert knowledge on the most important part of any vehicle build. There’s more to think about than just how cool your new tyres are going to look. That’s what most people think about more than anything else… but it pays to do your research!
10
New Trail Blades Spotlight on the latest new additions to Atturo’s UK range – including the spectacular Trail Blade Boss
12
Is Bigger Better? Britain’s off-roaders debate the first question we all ask ourselves when planning a 4x4 build – and come up with an impressively diverse set of answers
14
Don’t Forget the Wheels… Good tyres deserve good wheels. And the latest range of hard alloys from Black Rhino is about as good as they get
16
Tyres at a Glance Round-up of what’s available on the UK market for every kind of 4x4 tyre, with street prices listed in easy-to-read table form
21
Hankook Dynapro Spotlight on Hankook’s indomitable range of all-terrain and mud-terrain choices
22
When Rubber is Not Enough Studding your tyres is just for countries with mega winters, right? Wrong – Best Grip’s Power Studs could make all the difference off-road, too
If you’re looking at this and thinking to yourself that it’s the perfect tyre for the occasional green laner you’re planning, you might want to read the article on page four first…
4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE | 3
Tyre Supplement Contents.indd 3
31/01/2018 00:35
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Choosing the right tyre: it’s at the heart of everything you do with your 4x4 Whether you’re just looking for a good all-round set of rubber or you’re planning on building the greatest off-road machine the world has ever seen, tyre choice is critical. Even on a mildly modified 4x4, the size you settled on will have knock-on effects throughout the rest of the vehicle. Here’s our guide to what you should think about in order to get it right…
T
here are many ways of turning a factory-standard 4x4 into a well-prepared off-road machine. But none of them really matter compared to what is the simplest modification you can make. Your 4x4’s tyres are the key to what it can do off-road. They make more difference than all the other modifications you can make put together. Many of those other modifications, in fact, are there just because you need them to be able to fit the right tyres. And why do you want to fit the right tyres? Simple: it’s because they look cool. Go on, admit it…
Joking apart (and many a true word is spoken in jest), it’s been said that a fully specced-up 4x4 on road-biased tyres would struggle to get any further off-road than an old Fiesta or similar, were it to be fitted with an off-road pattern. Such a statement does make certain assumptions, but the fact is that traction, which is what it’s all about, is achieved exclusively by the four postcard-sized patches of rubber which are the only part of your vehicle that touch the ground. Many people who prep their vehicles for off-road fun do little more than just chuck on a set of tyres that will do the job in the
mud. But there’s a bewildering choice of rubber available, in terms of both size and tread pattern – and, no small thing, price. That’s bad news in that it can be hard to pick out the tyres you really want from the crowd of those you don’t. But it’s good news, too – because it means that whatever your needs, there’s a tyre out there for you. Your choice depends on a wide variety of factors. Do you spend more time on the road than off it? Are your off-road trips crucial, or just good fun? What kind of offroad terrain are your tyres most likely to spend the majority of their time tackling? Do you need a set
of tyres that will be very hardwearing? Have you remembered to divide the answers by the number you first thought of? The problem is that there’s no such thing as a perfect tyre for all conditions. What works in deep mud will be pretty poor in deep sand, for example. It might not be much cop in shallow mud, either; though a tyre that’s ideal in shallow mud might turn out to be worse still in sand. A good sand tyre, meanwhile, might do a fine job on tarmac, but just try getting it anywhere near wet grass… One answer is to own lots of sets of tyres. This is completely
4 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
4-9 Choosing Guide.indd 4
30/01/2018 22:44
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE Left: The Simex Extreme Trekker revolutionised off-roading when it first came to Britain. Until then, few people went beyond 33 inches, and the venerable Firestone SAT was about as aggressive as a road-legal fitment could get, but suddenly everyone was switching to 35s with a savage tread pattern. It’s hardly a coincidence that the market for huge suspension lifts and stronger axle parts boomed at the same time – nor indeed that the number of places you could no longer get to if you stayed on smaller tyres started to get drastically bigger. Since then, the Simex has spawned a host of imitators – this is a Fedima Sirocco, one of the most popular remoulds in the same pattern Opposite: The Isuzu D-Max AT35 is defined by its tyres. In order to fit the rubber that gives it its name, the vehicle was given body and suspension lifts as well as new, wider wheelarches. The drivetrain remains standard – testament to Isuzu’s high standards of build, for sure, though it’s an inescapable truth that when you do this to a vehicle, it will inevitably be operating with these components closer to their designed limits more or all of the time
impracticable for lots of reasons you can think of instantly and lots more that’ll come to you if you ever try to do it, so that leaves you facing one inevitable truth: your choice of tyres is always going to be about making a compromise. Further good news is that since the off-road conditions we face in Britain are almost always defined by the fact that it rains a lot, the kind of tyres normally referred to as ‘mud terrains’ tend to make that compromise very well. They do a decent job on wet grass, in mud that’s not absurdly deep and over the sort of moderate rocks found in parts of the UK. Modern manufacturing technology means they last a great deal better than they once did, too.
If wear rate is higher on your list of priorities, and you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of off-road ability to achieve it, there another level of tyres typically known as ‘all terrains.’ All things being equal, these are more civilised on the road, too. Go back in the other direction, and there’s a whole variety of tyres more extreme than a mud terrain. Some are definitely getting to the point where the notion of compromise is becoming stretched – though even these trade some level of off-road ability to remain usable on the road. Beyond this you have pure off-road tyres which aren’t legal on the public highway. So the choice is enormous – and the right tyre for you is out there.
All you have to do is find it. To help you, we’re going to examine three crucial factors: dimensions, tread pattern and cost. First, however, we’re going to offer you some food for thought on the knock-on effects your choice of tyre may have.
CONSEQUENCES Fitting bigger tyres is great, but as we’ve already suggested it can require you to make a whole host of complementary modifications to cope with them. When your vehicle rolled out of the factory, its steering, braking, cornering, speedo readings, ABS, gearing and diff ratios were all chosen to work with its standard size of tyres.
Change that, and all these things can be affected; and that’s after you done whatever work is necessary to make them physically fit on your vehicle in the first place. By fitting, here, we don’t mean it’s enough to be able just to mount your new tyres on a set of wheels and shoe-horn them under your vehicle’s wheelarches. They’ve got to be able to move through their whole range of articulation without fouling the bodywork, and you’ve got to be able to steer without them crashing into the chassis or suspension. The most common way of avoiding the former is to fit a suspension lift, possibly in conjunction with a body lift (both have their own knock-on effects,
Tyre height matters at least as much as tread pattern in most real-world off-road situations. The Tata pick-up on the left is running a road-biased tread, but in an 80-profile size whose sidewall height is ideal for off-roading. The Mercedes G-Class to the right is on a mud-terrain tyre, but in a lower-profile 255/55R19 size which most would consider to be far lower than you want for moulding itself to the terrain
4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE | 5
4-9 Choosing Guide.indd 5
30/01/2018 22:44
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Two 35-inch tyre choices, but there's a world of difference between them. To the left, the fitment on the Vitara is 15.5 inches wide, while that on the Lightweight Land Rover to the right is 12.5 inches. Their performance off-road, particualry given the vehicles' relative weights, will be incomparable – while the wider tyres will float more effectively over boggy ground, the narrower ones will be much better at cutting down through surface mud in search of traction on the firmer stuff underneath. If you mainly just reckon the big and beefy look is cool, on the other hand, that’s probably what you’ll go for – and you certainly won’t be the first! too). Trimming back your vehicle’s bodywork is also an option (this is sometimes known as a virtual lift), though you need to be pretty dedicated in order to do this – because unlike with even the most radical suspension lift, there’s no going back. Keeping your steering lock with bigger tyres, meanwhile, can be achieved more simply. You either use wheels with more offset (that is, how far out they position the tyres from the centre of the vehicle), or you achieve the same effect with spacers. Just so long as you don’t stick them so far out that they break the law (or break your wheel bearings).
Fitting taller tyres has an effect on your vehicle’s overall gearing. This means your speedo and trip meter will be inaccurate, but more importantly it’ll mean your engine has to work much harder to achieve the same level of acceleration. In practice, the result will be a vehicle with less get-upand-go – not just on the road, where you might well find that you’re having to change down on hills you’d once have romped up in top, but off-road, where the instant throttle responses and tickover torque you want are hamstrung by over-gearing, even in low box. New overall gear ratios are the answer. Most commonly, people
achieve this in the axle differentials, though on some vehicles it’s as practical to do it via the transfer box. Bear in mind that if you plan to fit locking diffs, that would be a very good time to change ratios, too; not only is it less hassle and expense to open them up just once, but the lockers you choose might not actually prove to be compatible with the ring and pinion you need to get the gearing right. As we mentioned above, there are potential consequences elsewhere too. Taller tyres will alter your vehicle’s steering and cornering, though unless you’ve gone radically larger this is something you should be able to
compensate for by the way you drive. More importantly, though, just as they take more effort to turn, they take more effort to stop. Vehicles come as standard with a wide margin of error built into their brakes which might allow you to bash on regardless, again unless you’re going radically larger, but how do you feel about knowing that that margin of error has now been used up? Converting from drums to discs is never a bad thing (they’re better in mud, too), though it is quite a big job. If you have discs already, fitting larger units or more powerful calipers is an option. Needless to say, this is an area
6 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
4-9 Choosing Guide.indd 6
30/01/2018 22:44
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
33x12.50R15 is one of the most popular sizes for off-road builds, but compared to similarly common choices like 265/75R16 and 35x12.50R16, it’s actually fatter than you really want – unless your vehicle is putting down plenty of weight or you spend a lot of your time in bottomless mud. In each case here, it could certainly be argued that a similarly tall 285/75R16 would make these two vehicles more effective in everyday British conditions in which you don’t want to go tinkering unless you’re a skilled and confident mechanic with the right tools and experience. But don’t hide from it. Brake fade is a very scary thing – and we’ve experienced it in a Discovery with nothing more radical than a +2” lift and 265/75R16 tyres, so don’t think you’re immune because you’re not building a full-on monster truck.
DIMENSIONS Where it’s possible to fit a taller tyre size, doing so will give you the instant advantage of increased ground clearance. It’s a costeffective way of achieving this holy grail, too. In terms of width, however, things are a lot less clear-cut. Tall, skinny tyres are excellent at cutting down through the top layer
of mud to bite into the grippier stuff beneath. But in bottomless mud, marshland or peat bogs, they simply dig their way in; here, a wider tyre will float over the top by exerting less ground pressure. Take it back to terrain with a more slippery top layer, however, and that same lack of ground pressure will have your vehicle slithering around all over the place. Your vehicle’s weight has a bearing on the size of tyre that’ll be most effective, too. The heavier it is, the more effective it will be at pushing the tyre’s tread into the ground to gain traction. Thus a light vehicle on overwide tyres will sit on top of the ground and struggle to get anywhere because it can’t bite in; a heavy vehicle on a very skinny tyre, on the
other hand, could quite feasibly start sinking into soft ground while it’s parked up. So, which to choose? It’s all down to your vehicle, clearly, and the sort of conditions you expect to encounter most frequently. This can be defined by the character of the green lanes in your area, or of your favourite playday site, but there’s a reason why Land Rover used to fit tall, narrow tyres as standard on the Defender. There’s also a reason why it fits fat, sexy tyres on the Discovery and Range Rover Sport. Not many people, even pragmatic off-
road types, can avoid letting their judgement be clouded by the urge to make their vehicle look cool. Some even admit it – but an awful lot of the wide off-road tyres sold in this country are fitted on vehicles which would in truth do better on something narrower.
TREAD As we’ve already said, there’s no such thing as a tyre that’s suitable for every type of terrain. Ask any assembled group of UK off-roaders to name their ideal general-purpose tyre (we’ve done it, many times),
The BFGoodrich All-Terrain is a perennial favourite for trucks which work, rather than play, for a living – as well as on off-roaders that spend most of their lives on the road, such as this epic 10” lifted Ford Ranger which will be featured in next month’s issue of 4x4
4-9 Choosing Guide.indd 7
30/01/2018 22:44
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE How extreme do you want your tyres to be? The appropriately named Ziarelli Brutale looks like it would rip lumps in concrete, and those lugs could certainly hook on to rock ledges or dig through loose ground – but try picturing what would happen if they suddenly found traction while spinning under load, and you might be forgiven for going outside to give your halfshafts a cuddle
and it’s odds on that what you’ll get back is a variety of mud-terrain types. Cooper, Maxxis, General and BFGoodrich are all likely to get mentioned; there are sure to be a few who’ll plump for something a bit more aggressive than these, while others will sing the praises of their favourite brand of remould, but the point is clear. In the UK, if you only buy one set of tyres it’s going to be a compromise between
on-road and off-road use. This will certainly put you at a disadvantage against vehicles shod with the much taller, more aggressive tyres that are de rigeur on serious challenge trucks. Don’t worry, though. You wouldn’t buy a GTi and worry about it not being as fast as a Ferrari, would you? Issues certainly exist in competitive circles about the size and tread of tyres permitted by the regulations, but unless you want to go down that route you should concentrate simply on choosing something that strikes a balance between good manners on tarmac and good traction in mud. Here, it’s imperative not to ignore just how bad a really aggressive mud tyre is on the road. On a compromise tyre, the centre section of the tread is what gives you control on tarmac, while the
outer ‘shoulders’ are shaped to provide grip and expel mud. Note how these tend to get bigger in relation to the centre blocks on the more aggressive tyres; once you get into the realms of really vicious treads, the centre section can disappear altogether. As well as wearing at a terrifying rate when used a lot on road, this kind of tyre will make a tremendous racket at anything above a few miles an hour. They’ll play merry hell with your steering and braking, too. Don’t forget also that not all tyres sold in the UK are actually road-legal; you can use anything you want off-road (this doesn’t include unsurfaced public rights of way, naturally), but as soon as you hit tarmac your tyres have to be correctly E-marked (this is basically a badge on the sidewall confirming that they’ve been approved by the government) – as well of course as being in suitable condition for highway use.
Going back to public rights of way, something very important to think about is that the more extreme a tyre is, the more damage it will do to the ground. This is all well and good when you’re sending mud flying everywhere at a playday in a quarry or private woodland, but on a green lane it’s irresponsible if not actually criminal. If you need an extreme tyre to get down a lane, you shouldn’t be on that lane – far better, if this is the kind of offroading you favour, to stick with a mud-terrain and be ready to use your winch if the conditions catch you out. That’s what we’ve been doing for the last decade and a half, and we can count the number of times we’ve actually needed our winch on the fingers of one hand. All this points to one obvious fact. Extreme tyres are just that: extreme. They’re very, very effective, but approach with caution or they’ll turn your vehicle
The importance of choosing the right tyre for the job is perfectly illustrated by the Cooper Discoverer Winters we’re currently running on our Nissan Qashqai project vehicle. These are designed specifically to do their best work in cold conditions and, in particular, snow – and they’re so good that despite only having two-wheel drive, the Qashqai grips better on the white stuff than a comparable SUV driven by all four wheels
TYRE SIZES EXPLAINED Nowadays, UK tyres are usually measured in a mixture of metric and imperial sizes. Each part of the list of figures you see on the sidewall relates to a different part of the tyre. Say you see a tyre with ‘275/75R15’ written on it. The first number is a measurement of the width of the tyre in millimetres; the second, after the slash, relates to the height of the sidewall, expressed as a percentage of that width. Thus, on this particular tyre, the sidewall is 206.25mm in height – 75% of 275mm. The final number (after the ‘R’) corresponds to the size of the wheel the tyre’s meant to go on, measured in inches. An older way of expressing tyre sizes, still used by some suppliers, only features two sets of figures – as in 7.50x16. In this approach, the first figure relates to the width of the tyre (measured in inches), while the second figure is the wheel rim size, again in inches. Finally, in what is arguably the clearest convention, are some tyres on which every figure is expressed in inches, for example 31x10.50R15. Such a tyre would be 31 inches tall and 10.5 inches wide, and would fit a 15-inch wheel rim.
8 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
4-9 Choosing Guide.indd 8
30/01/2018 22:45
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Above left: For most of British off-road history, a 7.50x16 tyre was as big as it got. Tyres of this size were commonly seen on Land Rovers, and indeed they were offered as optional equipment on 90s, which came as standard on 205R16s until well into the Defender era Above right: Another kind of Land Rover altogether. What this early Range Rover Sport is demonstrating is that while British off-roaders are used to fitting mud-terrains because mud is what you tend to find around here, for a steady diet of soft sand a vehicle is likely to be best served by a road-biased tread pattern with a wide footprint into something it’s not. Don’t be seduced by their ultra-sexy appearance, either, either; a tyre that looks like it’ll rip lumps out of the tarmac will get lots of admiring glances, but those will turn to smirks at anything above about one mile per hour if they’ve turned your 4x4 passion wagon into something that’s barely drivable.
COST We’ve already mentioned remoulds, and here is one of the great debates in the off-roading game. Is it worth paying more to get longer-lasting new tyres, or better to save money by settling for retreads which, after all, will grip just as well in the mud? Whoever you ask, you’ll get an impassioned personal view on the subject. For every off-roader who speaks in awe of the 60,000 miles he got from a set of new mud tyres, you’ll find another ready to counter with the 30,000 he got from a remould that cost half the price. Equally, for every story you hear of a remould that wore down to nothing in less miles than you get between oil filter changes, you’ll hear another from someone who fitted an expensive set of
premiums only for a rock to rip the sidewalls out of a couple of them first time out. Depending on who you ask, you’ll be told that remoulds are the best thing since sliced bread, or that they’re unreliable to the point of being dangerous; that they’re as quiet and hard-wearing as the new equivalent, or that they’re uniquely noisy and have a lifespan that would scare a mayfly; that their road manners are indistinguishable from those of a new tyre, or that they’re not even properly round (yes, we really have heard someone say that). Where is the truth in all this? Simple: it’s that what you’re hearing is anecdotal evidence, nothing more, and that more often than not it’s based on a single incident, or experience of just one product. We’ve been there. We’ve felt the pain of scrapping a brand new premium tyre thanks to a sidewall cut (ironically, it wasn’t even on a 4x4) – and of a remould coming apart on the motorway. Whose fault was that? In the first case, just bad luck: in the second, ours for using rubbish tyres from a rubbish tyre maker (it was, we hasten to add, many years ago and the company is long gone).
As with your choice of tread pattern, there’s sure to be an element of compromise involved. Do you spend more money for extra qualities you might not need? Do you risk the possible consequences of saving some cash by accepting second-best? And which one of all the tyre dealers telling you their own product is the very best in the world do you decide is the one who’s not trying to take you for a ride? The answer? Tread carefully (boom boom). We’ve concentrated on the debate between new and remould tyres here, but beyond that there are big differences between the prices of various brands which appear to do much the same thing. Shop around and, taking everything into account, spend all the time you need to choose what’s right for you. Don’t forget, after your vehicle itself this is the most important 4x4-related purchase you’ll make: spend what it takes to get it right.
CONCLUSION Just in case the foregoing hasn’t already convinced you that tyre choice is an enormously personal
thing, let’s finish off by spelling it out. There are no hard and fast rules – except that getting it wrong is about the worst thing you could possibly do. Choose with care. Consider the kind of off-road terrain on which you intend or expect to be spending most of your time. Consider the proportion of your time you realistically expect to spend on tarmac, and then at speeds above about 30-40mph. Consider your overall budget. Consider the knock-on effects of your tyre choice on the rest of your vehicle. Then go right back to the start of this article and consider which kind of tyre will make your 4x4 look coolest. That, we’ll vouch, is the one you really want to go for (and all the tyre suppliers we’ve spoken to agree). If that’s the case, well, fine. But do try to think first about whether the rubber you’re lusting after is going to be all fur coat and no knickers. Some of the sexiest looking tyres on the market are also some of the best all-rounders – and, don’t let’s forget, it’s what you do with them that counts. Think with your head, and your heart will surely follow…
There are no hard and fast rules about tyre choice – except that getting it wrong is about the worst thing you could possibly do 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE | 9
4-9 Choosing Guide.indd 9
30/01/2018 22:45
Trail Blade M/T
This is a tire that is a proven winner in short court course off road racing. We run with the big names of the tire industry and win! Atturo uses a specialty crafted aluminum segmented mold to build the Trail Blade M/T. This type of construction creates a higher degree of uniformity throughout the tire. Now with sizing up to 22”.
Trail Blade BOSS
Atturo Tire releases the fourth tire in its Trail Blade series with the most intimidating tire design to date – the Trail Blade BOSS. The tread is designed from the Quartermaster QSA-1 BOSS HOG knife, a blade made for heavy-duty, hard core use. Alternating shoulder blocks follow the outline of the knife handle tread. The tread’s high void ratio provides superior grip across the varied terrain. Smaller center tread blocks are linked for stability from the high abrasion abuse of rocks. Available in 37.12.50R17. Off-road use only.
Atturo Tyre UK (Silverline International Ltd) Nelson Lane, Warwick CV34 5JB United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 1 926 496 668 E: info@atturo.co.uk Web: www.atturo.co.uk
Atturo
page2
2/18/14
2:28 PM
Page 1
Silverline International Ltd Nelson Lane Warwick UK CV34 5JB P: +44 (0) 1 926 496 668 e: info@atturo.co.uk Browser: www.atturo.co.uk
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Are Bigger Tyres Better? In an article originally published by Total Off-Road magazine in June 2014, Britain’s off-roaders debate the big question regarding tyres: the bigger the better. Or not? Simon Boughey
Yes! The bigger the better. The bigger the tyres, the smaller the obstacles. Just so long as your truck can turn them! Bigger tyres look better too.
Gareth Pitt
Bigger. Two words: ‘Road Presence’.
Steve Ridley
I like a big, fat, wide tyre on a wheel with a big dish. It’s all in the looks to me!
Matt Lewis
It’s a tough one, this. I’ve used and run with both but for grip, and ease of ability to find the grip, bigger does win. On soft ground, what you don’t want iz to be digging down in an attempt to find grip because you’ll just bog yourself down. Nice big, wide rubber, on the other hand, will spread the weight and keep your truck moving forward rather than down.
Nick French
Generally a few sizes up from the manufacturer’s fitted size is always a good way of getting more ground clearance. But it will need upgrades to the driveline to keep the speeds in check and stop things from snapping. If you also go too wide, you end up floating on the mud rather than cutting through it. Really, it depends on the role you have set out for the truck and the terrain you’re driving.
Chris Savage
Not all the time. I mean you need to go up in size a wee bit for axle clearance, but too much and you start to foul bodywork – whereupon you get into the realms of spending lots of money on stopping this from happening, or hacking away at your arches with a grinder.
But maximum tyre size really does depend on the motor. You’ve got to think about whether your engine has the power to turn the wheels, and whether the gearing will stand up to the torture of your big new knobbly tyres.
Stuart Payne
Jason Brian
Unless it’s trailered everywhere, you need to find the balance of holding motorway speeds and holding your own off-road. My 285/75R16 General Grabbers work perfectly for me (most of the time), though I could do with some better mud tyres for pay and play days and wet grass!
Don’t forget the carnage they leave behind. Making life more difficult for smaller trucks wearing smaller tyres who come along behind them.
Stephen Hawkins
And remember the legalities of having the tyre covered by the bodywork to be road-legal. Plenty of the vehicles you see with outsize tyres risk being ticketed every time they go on the road.
Steve Blackman
I’ve only gone to a slightly larger diameter than stock. But I’ve deliberately kept to narrow, opentread Insa Saharas on my Suzuki, because I spend a lot of time on mud and prefer a narrow tyre to dig through the loose stuff on this light vehicle. The Suzuki gets around okay in mud and only occasionally suffers where other vehicles have left deeper ruts. I run more boring BFGoodrich AT/KOs on my 4x4 camper. These are basically stock size, but I find them good for the harsh desert and dirt trails of North Africa – on that vehicle, I don’t want to be raising the centre of gravity, so I don’t want a suspension lift and larger tyres – plus the gearing is already quite high on it, and I don’t want to make it any higher by fitting largerdiameter tyres.
Shane Thompson
I have 315/75R16 muds on my new-shape L200. They are just the right size for a good mix of offroad and everyday use.
My 235/85s have never done me wrong. Wide enough to get traction and self-clean, yet narrow enough to dig through most soft crusts.
Paul Longden
Phillip Stewart-Forshaw I run 255/85R16 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains. They’re great on and off-road, but do hinder performance somewhat!
Nigel Pinfield
I run 31” – a great all-round size. I’d like 35”, but it means a diff change and a lot of expense. But if I get an L200, I’ll make it 2wd, Baja style. I’ll run 35” tyres, change the rear diff and fit the engine with a supercharger.
Anthony Bagnall
I think 265/75R16 are big enough for standard trucks, both on-road and off. And I have tried them all.
Andy Carr-Smith
I run 33x12.50R15 Cooper STTs on my Shogun. They help give it the added ground clearance without the bigger modifications to run, say, 35s. I find them great on-road, and they’re actually quite quiet. At the normal off-road sites I go to, Buildwas and Coney Green, they cope well enough – even though the two sites have completely different types of mud. I do agree with Gareth Pitt, though. If it’s road presence you’re after then yes, the bigger the better. You can’t help but mutter
‘Jeez’ if you see something rolling down the road on enormous MT-type tyres.
Chris A Martin
The best set-up is a nice set of 33x12.50s – anything bigger will just ruin your overall gear ratios. ‘The bigger the better’ is a good rule. But in everyday life on the roads, anything bigger than a 33 simply looks impractical.
Peter Skelcher
It’s 37” all the way for me, though my truck is off-road only.
Neil Wood
I competed in King of the Valleys with 35-inch tyres, and the other trucks were running 37 and 40-inch. On the rock steps, I was stuck and overtaken, even though I run front and rear lockers. The extra two inches made the world of difference.
John Snowy Snowden
I think 35s are a good size for the better-equipped truck, but also for on-road/green lanes and playday fun. 265/75s are a good size as well. It’s swings and roundabouts at the end of the day.
Will Smith
I run 35x10.50x16 Simex Extreme Trekker IIs, which are perfect for the majority of off-road use and the challenge stuff I do. But if I were to have an on-road and off-road truck, I’d say 265/75 – so around 31”. You’re risking standard diffs big-time on anything bigger!
Ian Redway
I’ve got a choice of tyres for my Range Rover Classic. For everyday road use, I run it on 35x12.50R15 Cooper STTs, as they have good road manners and still look good on the vehicle. They are also ideal for the work I do, and for green laning as they are kinder to the terrain than more aggressive tyres.
12 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
1.5 Tyre Debate AK.indd 12
30/01/2018 13:20
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE If I’m going off-road in mud and rock, and on more challenging terrain, I run it on 36x12.50 Simex Extremes as they give far better traction. But as Simex cost so much now, I think the next set of tyres I buy are going to be 37x12.50 Maxxis Trepadors.
Peter Stuart Woods
I run on 31-inch tyres at the moment and normally drive in mud. I think when these tyres wear out, I will go with 33s. Or should I try 35s? Mmmm, can’t make my mind up…!
Sam Merrell
It always pleases me to be able to sneak down the tightest lanes in my vehicle where other, more narrow-mindedly lifted trucks could not fit.
Andy Fleming
If you’re going to get down and dirty, you need plenty of tyre. But again, it depends what you’re using the vehicle for. It’s certainly no good having a Special Track
tread if you’re using it for tarmac only – different tread patterns suit different jobs. Regarding size, bigger is always better. Well, so the Mrs says…
Fiona McKenzie
I would rather stick to 235/85R16 or 265/75R16 on my old Land Rover 90 or my current Discovery than go any bigger.
Greg
Inadequate drivelines lead others to expose their smalls. A decent drivline allows the big stuff out!
Tall and thin works well, but tall and fat looks better… But tall is only good if you have the gears or power to turn them and the drivetrain to keep them turning. And no matter what, the tyre height must be at least twice the rim diameter.
Stewart Pickering
Richard Wattam
I believe it all depends on how inadequate one may be feeling.
Roger Neal
I have been out with guys on 35-inch MTs. These are great on rock and give extra height under the diffs, and they look sexy. But I have seen them struggle on wet grass and mud, where narrow tyres have done better. Also in ruts, they can cause issues if they are wider than the rut itself. For the cost of the wider tyre and the extra work needed to run them, I wouldn’t bother. I use my vehicle mainly for green lanes and as a daily driver.
Bigger will have advantages, obviously. But if you go too big then the extra weight that comes with the big, super-strong axles you’ll need will cancel out the advantage you get. There’s also a knock-on effect because when you add more weight, you need more power to push the extra weight and turn the bigger tyres you’ve fitted. That then adds up to more strain on the driveline and yes, you guessed it, even more weight.
So in a nutshell, the bigger the rubber the more expensive it gets and the deeper you get stuck. I personally wouldn’t go above 35s, and would look at other ways of getting clearance.
Juls X Pajun
I feel that the majority of the UK’s off-roaders still haven’t got the idea of how to use big rubber off-road. Looking at videos on YouTube you’ll see UK off-roaders with big tyres – 33s, 35s or even 37s, running them at pressures of around 32psi – and the tyres are slipping like mad. Have a look at the Americans and you’ll see them running anything up to 45 inches or even more – but not fully inflated. Instead, the tyres are run almost flat, and as they pass over a rock they wrap themselves around it, giving maximum grip. Of course, these guys do have crawler gears as well, which also help a lot. Big is beautiful – but you do need to understand what you are doing and how to apply it.
4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE | 13
1.5 Tyre Debate AK.indd 13
30/01/2018 13:20
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Treat your vehicle’s tyres to the wheels they deserve! THE BEST TYRES IN THE WORLD won’t be much use if you don’t have a set of wheels to put them on. And in off-road use, it helps to have the best wheels in the world, too. And the Black Rhino range of hard alloys, available in the UK via XS4x4, are about as good as they get. Here’s a selction of what’s currently available for a wide range of vehicles, with prices ranging from £267 to £475 per wheel including VAT:
Zion 5
Cyclone Sizes: 20”, 22”, 24” Fitments: Jeep JK, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200 Sizes: 17”, 18”, 20” Fitments (5-stud): Jeep JK, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Renegade, Subaru XV, VW Amarok
Zion 6
Kunene Sizes: 20”, 22”, 24” Fitments: Jeep JK, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200
Sizes: 20”, 22” Fitments (6-stud): Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara
Roku
Safari
Timbavati
Rotorua
Sizes: 17”, 18”, 20” Fitments: Jeep JK, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200.Nissan Navara
Sizes: 20”, 22”, 24” Fitments: Jeep JK, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200
Sizes: 20”, 22”, 24” Fitments: Toyota Land Cruiser (6-stud), Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200
Sizes: 17”, 18”, 19” Fitments: Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200.Nissan Navara
14 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Symbiotic AD.indd 14
30/01/2018 16:31
Symbiotic AD.indd 15
30/01/2018 13:31
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE Maker
Brand
Rim sizes
Price range
Type
£52.35-£112.89 £68.30-£105.89 £74.51-£100.38 £62.58-£275.89 £74.10-£204.58 £70.86-£81.79 £154.12-£166.00 £41.32-£73.95 £41.15-£104.00 £77.65-£217.95 £52.45-£79.85 £82.01 £77.45-£154.49 £73.25-£118.79 £67.00-£134.74 £102.84-£116.06 £52.15-£126.58 £96.32-£97.45 £52.15-£150.10 £78.14-£152.95 £67.80-£205.55 £110.00-£184.00 £52.15-£95.98 £39.53-£148.49 £73.86-£184.97 £89.02-£155.15 £76.25-£150.96 £69.00-£105.95 £52.00-£77 £76.99 £61.47-£140.30 £57.29-£144 £74.04-£137.78 £44.20-£112.82 £47.30-£172.58 £71.56-£162.67 £96.20-£176.12 £76.79-£119.88 £56.67-£71.81 £61.35-£77.00 £75.60-£96.01 £65.82-£132.97 £86.00-£158.00 £64.26-£85.00 £66.25-£127.80 £61.40-£104.90 £63.96-£ £76.38-£80.27 £45.76-£62.59 £53.71-£82.00 £49.85-£136.49 £73.80-£85.86 £55.02-£92.22 £43.55-£133.00 £87.35-£89.50
Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV
Notes
Part 1: New Tyres SUV tyres Atturo BFGoodrich BFGoodrich Bridgestone Continental Continental Continental Continental Continental Continental Continental Continental Cooper Cooper Cooper Davanti Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Falken Falken Federal Federal Federal Firestone General Tire Goodyear Goodyear Goodyear Goodyear Goodyear Goodyear GT Radial GT Radial GT Radial Hankook Hankook Kumho Kumho Kumho Kumho Kumho Kumho Kumho Kumho Marshal Marshal Matador Maxxis
AZ850 G-Grip SUV Urban Terrain T/A Dueler H/P Sport CrossContact ATR ContiCrossContact LX2 Conti4x4SportContact ContiPremiumContact 5 ContiEcoContact 5 ContiCrossContact LX Sport ContiCrossContact AT ContiTracSUV Discoverer SRX Discoverer H/T Discoverer M+S Sport DX740 Sport Maxx RT 2 SP Grandtrek ST1 SP Sportmaxx GT Grandtrek Touring A/S SP Wintersport 4D SP Quattromaxx Sport Maxx RT SP Sport 01 SP Sport 9000 Azenis FK510 SUV Azenis FK453CC Couragia F/X Couragia XUV MS357 H/T Destination HP Grabber GT Vector 4Seasons SUV Gen-2 EfficientGrip Excellence Eagle F1 Asymmetric SUV EfficientGrip SUV Wrangler HP All Weather Champiro HPY SUV Savero SUV Savero HT Plus Dynapro HP Ventus S1evo2 SUV 798 Crugen HP91 Crugen KL33 Ecsta X3 KL17 KH15 KL16 Road Venture APT KL51 Solus KL21 Matrac X3-KL17 Road Venture APT-KL51 MP47 Hectorra 3 Bravo Series HT-770
18,19,20,21,22 16,17,18 15,16,17,18 16,17,18,19,20,21 15,16,17,18,19,20 15,16,17,18,19,20 19,20 14,15,16,17 13,14,15,16,171,8,19,20 16,17,18,19,20,21,22 15,16,17, 16 16,17,18,19,20 15,16,17 16,17,18,19 16,17,18 16,17,18,19 16,17 16,17,18,19,20,21 16,17,18,19,20 16,17,18,20 16,17,18,19,20,21,22 16,17,18,19,20 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 16,17,18,19 17,18,19,20,21,22 17,18,19,20,22 17,18,19,20,21.22 15,16,17,18 16 15,16,17,18,19,20 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 14,15,16,17,18 15,16,17,18 16,17,18,19,20 18,19,20,21 16,17,18,19 16,17,18,19 17,18,19 16,17,18 15,16,17 16,17,18 17,18,19,20,21,22 15,16,17 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 16,17,18,19 16 16,17,18 15,16 15,16,17,18 16,17,18,20 16,17,18,19 15,16,17,18 14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 15,16,17
80/20 bias
Runflat Runflat Runflat
16 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
5pp Tyre Tables AK PAGE NOS.indd 16
30/01/2018 13:40
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE Maker
Brand
Rim sizes
Price range
Type
Michelin Michelin Michelin Nexen Nexen Nexen Nexen Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Pirelli Radar Roadstone Roadstone Roadstone Silverstone Toyo Toyo Yokohama Yokohama
CrossClimate SUV Latitude Sport 3 Primacy 4 CP521 N’fera RU1 Roadian 541 Roadian 542 Line SUV zLine SUV Rotiiva HT Scorpion Verde All Season Rivera Pro 2 Nfera RU1 Roadian HP Roadian HT Estiva X5 Open Country U/T Proxes CF2 SUV Geolandar H/T G056 Geolandar SUV
16,17,18,19 17,18,19,20,21 16,17,18 16,17 17,18,19,20 16 17,18 15,16,17,18,19 17,18,19,20,21,22 16,17,18 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 15,16 17,18,19,20 16,17,18,19,20,22 15,16,17,18,20 15,16,17,18 16,17,18,19 15,16,17,18 15,16,17,18,20 15,16,17,18,19,20
£95.30-£171.19 £107.55-£220.95 £62.82-£95.30 £67.00-£90.00 £64.00-£100 £66.80 £71.05-£71.90 £65.68-£116.95 £87.45-£172.70 £103.00-£140.90 £87.00-£158.15 £28.76-£34.66 £71.40-£102.13 £76.00-£145.00 £63.54-£90.59 £45.00-£81.00 £50.00-£119.38 £55.95-£81.53 £67.90-£133.21 £71.12-£133.21
Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV
AZ800 ZX7 G-Force Sport Comp ContiCrossContact UHP ContiSportContact 5 Zeon 4XS Sport DX640 Ventus ST Dynapro HP2 S Pro Roadian HP Roadian HT P Zero P Zero Rosso Scorpion Zero Asimetrico Scorpion Zero All Season Dimax AS8 RS 500 Enduro SUV Proxes T1 Sport SUV Proxes S/T Advan Sport V105 BluEarth RV-02 Advan S.T. Parada Spec-X
15,16,17,18,20,22,24 16,17,18,19,20,21 16 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 17,1819,20,21,22 16,17,18,19,20,21 17,18,19,20,21,22 17,18,19,20,22 15,16,17,18,19 17,18,19,20 16,17,18,19,20,22 15,16,17,18 17,18,19,20,21,22 18,19,20 17,18,19,20,22 17,18,19,20,22 15,16,17,18,19,20,22 16,17,18 17,18,19 17,18,19,20,23 17,18,19,20,21,22 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 15,16,17,18,19 17,19,20 22
£51.30-£152.90 £57.36-£156.53 £195.10 £79.85-£280.77 £73.95-£242.15 £63.00-£160.19 £89.60-£123.12 £90.84-£170.78 £54.02-£116.80 £68.46-£108.38 £54.90-£92.20 £56.40-££91.00 £62.15-£202.80 £101.02-132.88 £1103.80-£150.05 £117.10-£253.40 £35.00-£75.89 £41.90-£83.29 £82.86-£102.27 £71.95-£220.81 £84.09-£130.95 £52.84-£222.90 £88.74-£127.87 £73.62-£131.65 £77.84
Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV
AW730 Ice G-Force Winter 2 SUV Winter Slalom KSI Blizzak DM-V2 Blizzak LM-80 EVO WinterContact TS 860 S WinterContact TS 850 P
19 16,18 16 16,17 15,16,17,18,19,20 18,19,20 16,17,18,19,20,21
£82.81 £50-£140.10 £94.91 £84.28-£86.81 £71.80-£195.74 £165.00-£215 £47.90-£248.48
Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV
Notes
Performance SUV tyres Atturo Avon BFGoodrich Continental Continental Cooper Davanti Tyres Hankook Hankook Maxxis Nexen Nexen Pirelli Pirelli Pirelli Pirelli Radar Radar Runway Toyo Toyo Yokohama Yokohama Yokohama Yokohama
Winter tyres Atturo BFGoodrich BFGoodrich Bridgestone Bridgestone Continental Continental
Winter Winter Winter Winter, studdable Winter Winter Winter
4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE | 17
5pp Tyre Tables AK PAGE NOS.indd 17
30/01/2018 13:40
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE Maker
Brand
Rim sizes
Price range
Type
Notes
Continental Continental Cooper Cooper Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Dunlop Falken Falken Falken Falken Federal Firestone Firestone General Tire Goodyear Goodyear Goodyear GT Radial Hankook Kumho Michelin Michelin Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Pirelli Pirelli Radar Radar Radar Roadstone Runway
ContiCrossContact Winter Conti4x4WinterContact Discoverer Winter WeatherMaster WSC Winter Sport 5 SUV SP Wintersport 3D SP Wintersport M3 Grandtrek WT M3 Eurowinter HS01 SUV Eurowinter HS449 Landair SL S112 Landair AT T-110 Himalaya SUV Destination Winter Winterhawk 3 Snow Grabber(Studdable) UltraGrip 8 Performance UltraGrip Performance SUV Gen-1 UltrGrip+ SUV Savero WT Winter I’cept evo2 SUV Izen KC15 Latitude Alpin Alpin 5 Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV WR SUV 3 Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV Hakkapeliitta 8 SUV Hakkapeliitta LT2 Weatherproof SUV Scorpion Winter Scorpion Ice & Snow Dimax 4 Season RW 5 RW 5 Ice SUV Winguard SUV Enduro HT2
15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 17,18 16,17,18,21 14,15,16,17,18,19 15,16,17,18,19 16,17,18,19,20,21 16,17,18,19,20 18,19,20 16,17,18,19 16,17,18,19,20 15,16,17 15,16 16,17,18,19,20 16,17,18 15,16,17,18 15,16 15,16,17,18,20 16,17,18,19 16,17,18,20 15,16,17 16,17,18,19,20,21 16,17,18,19,20 16,17,18,19,20,21 15,16,17,20 16,17,18,19,20,21,22 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 16,17,18,19,20 16,17,18,20 16,17,18,19 16,17,18,19,20,21,22 17,18,19,20,21 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 15,16,17,18 15,16,17,18 15,16,17 16
£52.37-£237.70 £148.10-£160.47 £74.75-£164.13 £52.40-£95.20 £61.74-£118.00 £52.15-£296.00 £53.04-£186.70 £116.91-£230.81 £64.30-£117.79 £32.21-£131.21 £97.00-£143.29 £52.35-£63.37 £84.90-£171.84 £64.87-£106.84 £42.10-£87.45 £52.50-£61.14 £46.95-£146.98 £79.95-£202.85 £87.74-£96.20 £58.18-£72.42 £73.60-£174.68 £58.42-£114.44 £117-£249.50 £81.08-£131.95 £112.90-£212.51 £74.03-£210.07 £103.69-£201.23 £90.32-£225.36 £133.90-£272.30 £85.00-£154.00 £78.30-£246.00 £70.02-£194.63 £39.40-£82.00 £37.00-£64.00 £39.60-£94.10 £40.74-£54.50 £119.58
Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV
Winter Winter
16,17,18 15,16,17,18 16,17 14,15 15,16,17,18 16,17,18 15,16,17,18,19 15,16,17,18 15,16,17,18,20 15,16,17 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 15,16,17,18 16 15,16,17,18,19,20 15,16,17,18,19,20 15,16,17,18 15,16 15,16,17,18,20 15,16 15,16,17
£106.61-£119.59 £101-£150.00 £107.91-£121.80 £75.10-£156 £71.30-£110.90 £67.59-£97.00 £68.70-£124.45 £69.50-£102.95 £69.50-£149.55 £70.74-£81.94 £67.05-£229.00 £66.90-£130.70 £91.20 £81.87-£125 £85.90-£127.45 £104.34-£117.85 £70.55-£170.30 £74.04-£145 £75.00-£88.00 £71.45-£105.92
All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain Off-Road Off-Road All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain
Winter Winter Winter, runflat Winter, runflat Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter, studdable Winter Winter Winter, studdable Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter, studdable Winter Winter Winter, studdable Winter, studdable Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter Winter
All-Terrain tyres Atturo BFGoodrich BFGoodrich BFGoodrich Bridgestone Continental Continental Cooper Cooper Dunlop Dunlop Falken Federal General Tire General Tire General Tire General Tire General Tire General Tire Goodyear
Trail Blade A/T All Terrain T/A KO2 Long Trail T/A Tour Radial T/A Dueler A/T 001 ContiCrossContact LX Conti4x4Contact Discoverer AT3 Sport Discoverer A/T3 Grandtrek AT3 Grandtrek AT2 Wildpeak A/T Couragia A/T Grabber AT3 Grabber AT Grabber AT2 Grabber HTS Grabber HTS60 Grabber TR Wrangler AT/SA+
40/60 bias 40/60 bias
20/80 bias 30/70 bias
18 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
5pp Tyre Tables AK PAGE NOS.indd 18
30/01/2018 13:40
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE Maker
Brand
Rim sizes
Price range
Type
Goodyear GT Radial Hankook Kumho Marshal Matador Matador Maxxis Maxxis Maxxis Michelin Mickey Thompson Nexen Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Nokian Tyres Pirelli Radar Roadstone Runway Toyo Yokohama
Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure Adventuro A/T Dynapro AT-m (RF10) Road Venture AT KL78 Road Venture AT-KL78 MP72 Izzarda A/T 2 MP82 Conquerra 2 Bravo Series AT-771 Bravo Series MA-751 Marauder II MA-S2 Latitude Cross Baja STZ Roadian AT Rockproof Rotiiva AT Rotiiva AT Plus Scorpion ATR Renegade A/T5 Roadian AT Enduro AT2 Open Country A/T plus Geolandar A/T G015
15,16,17,18 15,16,17 15,16,17 15,16,17 15,16 15,16,17,18,19 15,16,17,18 15,16,17 15,16 16,17,18,20 15,16,17,18 16 14,15,16 17 15,16,17,18,20 16,17,18,20 14,15,16,17,18,19,22 15,16,17 14,15,16 15 15,16 15,16,17,18,20
£62.78-£135.70 £96.53-£123.69 £58.45-£84.70 £55.18-£88.28 £105.40-£124.63 £85.10-£141.00 £66.90-£115.16 £65.49-£83.88 £64.91-£78.84 £75.80-£133.76 £72.45-£102.79 £226.54 £49.95-£135.44 £143.80 £81.50-£167.00 £92.50-£168.30 £82.80-£292.00 £63.00-£82.00 £56.00-£61.30 £78.77 £34.20-£72.02 £63.72-£165.98
All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All terrain All terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain
17 22 17 16 15,16,17,18 15,16,17,18,20 15,16,17,18,20 15,16,17,18 15,16,17,19 15,16 15,17,19 16 15,16 15,16,17 14,15,16,17 15,16,17,18 15,16,17 17 15,16,17,18,20 15,16 16 15,16,17,18,20,22 15,16 15,16 15,16 15,16,17,18
£276.29-£ £230.40 £353.90 £91.90 £105.88-£171.43 £108.41-£230.07 £109.19-£218.15 £91.90 £104.16-£131.96 £103.00-£140.13 £71.68-£120.36 £104.10 £99.15-£129.95 £109.00-£141.38 £66.95-£130.06 £86.75-£159.35 £66.95-£130.06 £104.31 £99.65-£163.56 £52.46-£56.40 £86.20 £87.40-£121.60 £86.00-£97.00 £144.23-£149.19 £98.00-£108.11 £64.97-£102.83
Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Off-Road Off-Road Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Off-Road Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Off-Road Mud Terrain Off-Road Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Off-Road Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain
Notes
40/60 bias 20/80 bias
Mud-Terrain tyres Atturo Atturo Atturo Avon BFGoodrich Cooper Cooper Federal General Tire General Tire Goodyear Goodyear GT Radial Hankook Kumho Kumho Marshal Maxxis Maxxis Nexen Radar Radar Silverstone Silverstone Silverstone Toyo
Trail Blade M/T Trail Blade X/T Trail Blade BOSS Rangemaster Mud Terrain T/A KM2 Discoverer S/T MAXX P.O.R Discoverer STT Pro Couragia M/T Grabber X3 Grabber MT Wrangler DuraTrac Wrangler MT/R Adventuro M/T Dynapro MT (RT03) Road Venture MT KL71 Road Venture MT51 Road Venture MT-KL71 Bighorn MT-762 Bighorn MT-764 Roadian MT Renegade R5 Renegade R7 MT-117EX MT-117 xtreme MT-117 sport Open Country M/T
70/30 bias 85/15
80/20 bias
4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE | 19
5pp Tyre Tables AK PAGE NOS.indd 19
30/01/2018 13:40
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE Maker
Brand
Rim sizes
Price range
Type
Notes
Part 2: Remoulds SUV tyres Insa Turbo Insa Turbo Insa Turbo Insa Turbo Malatesta
EcoDrive HP Mountain Sagra 4x4 Kondor M 80
16,17 15,16, 15,16 15 16
£69.79-£70.80 £60.39-£64.70 £69.99-£71.21 £77.79 £80.50
Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV
50/50 bias 30/70 bias 30/70 bias 10/90 bias
Thermic Kougar Kobra Trac Kobra Trac NT Kobra Trac NT1
15,16,17 15,16 16 15,16,17 15,16
£37.00-£43.90 £96.57-£112.99 £112.40 £73.99-£83.99 £71.99-£104.30
Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV Road SUV
winter winter winter winter winter
15,16,17 16 15,16,17,18 15 15,16 15,16 15,16,17,18,19 16 17,18 15 16
£68.43-£83.87 £89.99 £62.60-£84.56 £44.00 £51.60-£68.4 £54.95-£58.80 £71.99-£99.91 £71.60 £53.42-££62.10 £79.40 £106.30
All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain All Terrain
50/50 bias
£63.83-£97.82 £95.85-£102.94 £89.95 £66.61-£75.69 £111.00 £88.95 £81.95 £73.05-£76.39 £127.40 £66.50-£77.63 £70.80 £60.39-£66.50 £69.60-£70.80 £68.40-£92.40 £55 £84.99-£93.99 £88.99-£93.99 £71.99 £62.64 £56.03-£69.83 £123.90
Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain Mud Terrain
70/30 bias 90/10 bias
Winter tyres Malatesta Malatesta Malatesta Malatesta Malatesta
All-Terrain tyres Fedima Fedima Insa Turbo Kingpin Kingpin Kingpin Malatesta Malatesta Nortenha Nortenha Nortenha
Fronteira Town&Country Ranger All Terrain Technic Tracker XPC Koala MPC 4x4 AT1 Hunter Camtrac
50/50 bias
winter
Mud-Terrain and Extreme Off-Road tyres Fedima Fedima Fedima Fedima Fedima Fedima Fedima Insa Turbo Insa Turbo Insa Turbo Insa Turbo Insa Turbo Kingpin Kingpin Kingpin Malatesta Malatesta Malatesta Nortenha Nortenha Nortenha
F/Mud Sirocco Maxi-Grip Extreme Extreme Evolution Partner Maxima Special Track Sahara Competicion Dakar Traction Track Sahara Amazon Extreme Hilander Kaiman Kamel MT NX Trac 4x4 MTK2 Grab Plus
15,16,17 15,16 16 15,16, 16 16 16 15,16 16 14,15,16,17 16 15,16 15,16 15,16 16 15,16 16,17 15 16 17,19 16
80/20 bias
95/5 bias 80/20 bias 80/20 bias 70/30 bias 80/20 bias
90/10 bias 90/10 bias 80/20 bias
20 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
5pp Tyre Tables AK PAGE NOS.indd 20
30/01/2018 13:40
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Hankook’s Dynapro family: performance both on and off-road
AS THE MARKET FOR 4X4 VEHICLES of every kind continues to increase, Hankook offers tyres specifically tailored to the driving demands of this ever more popular field – the Hankook Dynapro family. This family includes the Dynapro AT-m all-terrain and the Dnyapro MT mud-terrain. The AT-m RF10 is a tyre for both on and off-road that is
capable of dealing with a wide range of driving conditions and is as comfortable on road as it is capable off-road. The wraparound tread gives the tyre a rugged appearance and helps guard against cuts and impact breaks. It also increases traction, especially in muddy and snowy conditions, and the deep two-step kerf sipes extend the tread life and improve performance on wet roads. The stone ejectors in the tread’s centre and shoulder grooves help prevent damage from stones, and scallop grooves between the tread
blocks increase the tyre’s ‘biting’ edge to enhance offroad traction. The block edge has a zig-zag indentation which provides exceptional grip in wet, dry and icy conditions, and the footprint has been enlarged to decrease uneven wear and improve grip in all conditions. The Dynapro MT RT03 is designed primarily for off-road use, with a 20/80 bias in favour of off-road driving. The V-shaped centre block bites
into the surface no matter the conditions for superior traction; while the sharp tapered edge of the V improves the ability to dig into soft ground, the outer grooves have been widened and shaped to keep out dirt and provide the greatest grip. A side protection block from the tread to the centre of the sidewall shields against protruding objects and also improves traction in soft dirt. The tyre tread has also been muffled by applying a computer simulation which creates a ‘chaos’ tyre arrangement with six different pitches. As with the RF10, this tyre also has an enlarged footprint and stone ejectors. The Dynapro AT-m RF10 is available in thirty dimensions, from 15-19” (series 85 to 55) and tread widths of 195285mm. The the Dynapro MT RT03, meanwhile, is available in 24 sizes, from 15-18” (series 85 to 60) and tread widths of 215-325mm. Want to know more about the Hankook Dynapro family? Pay a visit to www. hankooktire.com/uk – whether it’s the ATm or the MT you’re interested in, it’s all there!
4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE | 21
5pp Tyre Tables AK PAGE NOS.indd 21
30/01/2018 17:12
4x4 2018 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
Still need more grip? Studding your tyres could be the answer!
STUDDING YOUR TYRES is commonly associated with driving on ice. But in really serious off-road conditions, when you’re working in forestry or out on the moors, studs can make the difference between staying safely in control and wasting valuable hours winching your way around.
Available in the UK from Supatracks, Best Grip’s tungsten carbide cored studs screw directly into the tread of any tyre, new or used. The incredibly hard core is both durable and extremely effective in providing enhanced grip when in challenging terrain – whether it is ice, snow, timber or rock – and will make the difference every time. Light in weight, the studs largely keep the tyres in balance and allow you to drive at ‘normal’ speeds across country. They’re quick and easy to install or remove using a cordless drill – the tyre doesn’t have to be removed from the rim, or even from the vehicle itself. Best Grip studs are unique and carry a worldwide patent. This is for several reasons. First, the screw thread is a wide-flanked helix, and this winds its way into the tyre material rather than boring down as with the ore common standard
machine thread. This vastly greater support ensures that the studs are retained better – and when they’re removed, leave a simple slot in the tyre. Second, the tungsten carbide is in the form of a rod, which is socketed into the threaded carrier and then micro-brazed into place – unlike others, where it is merely attached to the top. Third, the method of driving the stud into place uses slots in the side of the stud along with a special adapter. This ensures that even if the stud is ground flush with the tyre surface, it is still possible to use the adapter and withdraw it in the normal way. Best Grip studs are available in a range of 26 types. They can be used on
bikes, cars, 4x4s and truck up to 44 tons – so whatever you use off-road, they’ll have the right spec for you. To find out more, contact Supatracks on 0141 611 5010 or visit www.supatracks.com.
Best grip power studs – designed for the job, tungsten carbide cored Any tyre, new or used, For ice, snow, mud, rock or timber SALES@SUPATRACKS.COM · 0141 611 5010 supatracks.com
22 | 4x4 WHEEL AND TYRE GUIDE
22 Supatracks.indd 12
30/01/2018 15:16
It doesn’t matter when – or where. Earn the title ‘Driver Enough’ when you drive on our tyres. #DriverEnough BFGoodrich.co.uk
700433 297x210mm.indd 1
13/07/2017 14:19
Atturo Jeep ad
21/2/17
11:41
Page 1
Atturo Tyre UK (Silverline International Ltd) Nelson Lane, Warwick CV34 5JB United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 1 926 496 668 E: info@atturo.co.uk Web: www.atturo.co.uk YOU DON'T DRIVE IT, YOU LIVE IT