While off-road vehicles offer the advantage of being able to choose between town and country, the tires on the latter must meet a few special requirements in order to guarantee total safety for the driver in all circumstances. Here’s everything you need to know about choosing your off-road tires.
Characteristics and Specificities
The first characteristic of 4×4 off-road tires is visual: they are more massive and much wider than car tires.
Their function is certainly similar since they are the only point of contact between the vehicle and the asphalt, but here they must meet specific properties:
– Adapting the vehicle’s centre of gravity: off-road vehicles are raised to ensure that the driver can see and pass obstacles. Their centre of gravity is therefore much higher. In the event of an abrupt change of direction, the stability of the 4×4 can be called into question. The off-road 4×4 tires are designed to stick to the asphalt without crashing, to guarantee good road holding.
– Slowing down heavy vehicles: 4×4s are larger and therefore heavier than regular cars. When braking, depending on the weight and inertia of the vehicle, the stopping distance can quickly become substantial! Off-road 4×4 tires, therefore, respond to much greater constraints. Sometimes twice the size of regular tires, they give you a better grip and improve braking.
– Make four-wheel-drive easier: Most 4×4s have four-wheel drive, unlike road vehicles. On a slippery road, the various electronic sensors allow the vehicle to identify which wheels to use: front or rear. Your four tires are therefore connected to the steering wheel, and if they wear out, you will immediately feel a loss of grip. It is therefore not possible to cheat with off-road 4×4 tires since all four must be in perfect condition.
– Adapting to the roads: off-road vehicles have the particularity of being able to survey both large national roads and small muddy roads full of obstacles in the mountains. Depending on your place of residence, your desires or even your needs, you will use certain types of ground more than others, which is why there are road tires, multi-purpose tires or even crossing tires.
Good to know: whatever you choose, the tires must be installed and checked carefully. Have a professional check the mounting and balancing, tire pressure and alignment.
Prices and Points of Sale for 4×4 Off-Road Tires
To acquire these, you can go to a specialized auto store, visit a few dealer sites or even talk to a professional at a garage.
Larger and more specialized off-road 4×4 tires are also more expensive than passenger tires. If the price varies according to the brand and the range, count a little more than a hundred dollars for the purchase of a tire.
