4WD Tyres

Four Wheel Drive Tyres

Logically a 4WD vehicle is going to need 4WD tyres, but what are the main differences between the normal tyre and the 4WD tyre?

4WD tyres are manufactured differently. The various manufacturers all have 4WD options available, as they have used the same top of the range technology for normal tyres and added the necessary specifications for a 4WD tyre to create a high performance option for four wheel drive vehicles. 4WD tyres are bigger than normal tyres, not only because the vehicle specifications are for a larger tyre, but they need to be able to handle the terrain of off road driving which is what they are designed for.

The 4WD tyre has a deeper tread; this allows the tyre to gain greater traction on rough terrain than normal tyres. 4WD vehicles are created for rock climbing, off road driving, rough terrains and other adverse driving conditions. Where the 4WD tyres do have a problem, is on normal tarred roads that are wet, there is less traction as their tread does not allow for them to have the necessary grip!

4WD vehicles have a higher load capacity than normal vehicles, therefore their tyres need to be able to handle the extra loads, the tyres of a vehicle are important in load bearing as you do not want the tyre to burst under the pressure of excessive load.

Motorists who have both passenger and 4WD vehicles do not necessarily have the same opinion regarding manufacturers for both types of tyre. A motorist who prefers the Bridgestone range of tyres for his luxury family vehicle will not necessarily purchase the Bridgestone 4WD tyres for his 4WD vehicle.

It is important to note that when you need to change a 4WD tyre, you cannot do just one tyre, you have to replace all four. The reason for this is that you need to have the same make of tyre on the vehicle for best performance.

It might be tempting to purchase a lower quality tyre to save some money, but you should remember that even the 4WD tyres are priced according to quality and performance.

When you are purchasing your 4WD tyres remember to think about what type of driving you do the most. There are combination 4WD tyres which have been manufactured to handle both normal roads and off road terrains, perhaps this would be the best option if you use your 4WD vehicle for going to work every day and then going into the outback over weekends.

All tyre purchases should be done with a lot of research and consideration, not only does budget play a major role as well as the preference across manufacturers, but what do you use your vehicle for and where do you drive the most could be deciding factors in the type of tyre you purchase.