Which 4×4 tires to travel with: MUD Vs ALL-TERRAIN tires

Mud tires (M/T) or All-terrain tires (A/T)?

To describe 4×4 tires, it’s more accurate to represent them as an off-road / on-road percentage.

• Road tires, called H/T for Highway-Terrain are usually the original tires on your 4×4. They are 80% road and 20% off-road. It is therefore strongly recommended to change them for 4×4 travel.
• An off-road tire, generally called A/T for All-Terrain Tyre, is 50% road and 50% track.
• The “mud” tires, called M/T for Mud Tyre, will be 80% track and 20% road. They generally have 3 plies, whereas A/T tires have only two. The plies are layers of synthetic Kevlar, nylon or polyester fabric covering the entire carcass.

For travel, only A/T and M/T tires are recommended. In addition to the advantage of the plies, the M/T tire has large studs that evacuate mud better, grip rocks better and don’t let gravel get in the way. It’s true that it’s noisier on the road and that its studs are a disadvantage when braking and cornering. The blanks are better protected, reducing the risk of punctures. Then there’s the question of sand: while the M/T’s studs aren’t a real advantage, we’d still choose it for very low-pressure riding thanks to its three-ply design and sturdy sidewalls. In fact, the studs will tend to “dig” into the sand. Remember, our advice is aimed at travelers, not Dakar pilots. We can’t change tires every night. The M/T tire will therefore remain the best tire for all off-road terrain. If your routes are mainly on asphalt roads or well-maintained tracks, consider A/T tires with longer life.

A/T vs M/T tire comparison chart

Ideal 4×4 tire size for travel

Normally, your vehicle will be fitted with 31-inch tires. 32.8″ or 33″ tires are recommended for 4×4 travel.

Larger tires help maintain ground clearance (especially at low pressures). On the road, the car will be 2.5 cm higher with a 33-inch tire (add 5 cm for the lift kit, which will allow you to install larger tires), but in reality, in soft sand or deep mud, tire pressure will be lowered sharply and the tire will “return” to its original size, or come very close to it.

A 33-inch tire on a Toyota Hilux, for example, requires certain modifications: a 4 or 5 cm lift kit and a few blows with a mallet to prevent the wheels from touching. Don’t forget that all your modifications must remain legal and comply with the legislation of your country. Beware also of modifications that could have serious consequences in the event of an accident with your insurer, as you may not be covered.

Above 35 inches, the 4×4 requires a great deal of modification.

How to read a tire size in inches?

Let’s take the example of the tires fitted on our 4×4: 285/75 R16 113 Q

• 285: corresponds to tire width in mm. Here 285mm wide.
• 75 : corresponds to the tire height. C’is a % relationship between sidewall height and tire section width. In our example, the sidewall height is 75% of the tire width. The higher the ratio, the higher the tire height.
• R16 : corresponds to the tire inside diameter in inches (or rim diameter). Here, 16 inches.
• 113: corresponds to the load index. Here, the maximum load the tire can support when inflated to maximum pressure is 1150 kg (index 113).
• Q : corresponds to the speed rating and indicates the maximum speed at which a tire is certified as being able to safely support a load. For a Q index, the maximum speed is 160km/h.

To calculate the size of your tire in inches, you can use this site: https://tiresize.com/converter/

Choosing rims for a 4×4 trip

Avoid “low-profile” rims for off-road use. Your first shock absorbers are your tires. The ratio must be better for the tire than for the rim. We therefore opt for 15″ or 16″ rims, 17″ being the absolute limit. If your car comes standard with 18-inch wheels, you’ve got a real highway 4×4 with nice brake calipers. You’ll be hard pressed to make this a vehicle for overlanding.

Steel or aluminium wheels?

• While steel rims (also known as sheet steel rims) are more fragile, with a hammer and a good hand, they can be repaired fairly easily. They are much less expensive.
• Aluminum rims disperse heat better and are lighter. They can take a fairly heavy shock, but for very violent impacts, they will be irreparable.

If you often ride at very low pressure in mud or sand, look into the “beadlock” system, which will prevent slippage. Beadlock rims lock the tire bead to the rim. Beadlock is recommended for pressures below 8 or 10 psi and only for relatively frequent use. Otherwise, we’ll just be careful to drive in a straight line just long enough to get out of a very soft sand passage, and we’ll be sure to re-inflate the tires right afterwards.

Our choice: Mud tires and steel rims

The choice was easy because we use our 4×4 (Monsieur Le Loup) for exploration: we often don’t know the condition of the track before we go, so it’s better to be prepared for the worst! We’ve bought 4 MUD tires and have no regrets so far! Already 7000km of track in Kyrgyzstan, no punctures and above all, it goes everywhere!

The noise difference between A/T and M/T is audible, but you soon get used to it. We have steel rims and they do the job very well!

Finally, as regards tire size, we have 285/75R16 (equivalent to 32.8 inches) and the 4×4 is raised by 5cm.

Victor & Olivia – OunTravela