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Which tire should I choose in the field?

Off Road Tire Selection

Today’s topic is “Which Tire Should I Prefer On The Field?” :

The tire business is a complete mystery, especially for newcomers to the offroad community. After some time passes and gaining enough experience, everyone will follow a truth in their own way. These truths will often differ from each other. I will also try to share my own experiences and observations.

First of all, let’s start by reminding the types of offroad tires we use on vehicles.

AT – All Terrain

MT – Mud Terrain (in mud lands)

XT – eXtreme Terrain (Extreme / extreme terrains)

We can say that there is a general classification of offroad tires called.

When you search for offroad tires on the internet, especially in most of the sales sites, you will see the following numbers when choosing a tire;

50% Asphalt – 50% terrain AT Tire,

20% Asphalt – 80% land, MT Tires,

5% Asphalt – 95% terrain XT Tire.

Especially the new offrod driver can dive into the AT tire so that my car can go everywhere, choose MT tires due to the definition of “mud terrain”, or get XT tires so that I can be the best. If he has the chance, the general purpose and usage style fits the tire he chooses and he continues to use it without any problems.

First of all, it is necessary to start with the correct understanding of what the percentages given above mean. These percentages are related to how long the vehicle to which the tire will be mounted spends on approximately average asphalt and terrain conditions. It has nothing to do with asphalt driving comfort or off-road driving success.

Asphalt conditions are certain, but land conditions are very variable. The dirt roads in the forest are also considered land, the mud you enter up to your waist.

Therefore, we must choose a correct target for ourselves and determine our tire type in line with that target.

I will try to explain some targets and the tire selections made to reach these targets and the results with examples.

Goal : I will go to the field, but I want a smooth ride on asphalt.

Preference: AT Tires will be preferred.

Result : The expectation of a comfortable ride on asphalt is met. If your expectation from off-road driving is dirt road trips, you will be satisfied on the field as well. Unfortunately, your heart breaks a little in offroad driving with more difficult loose, muddy, wet steep ascents and descents. In the snow, you will be flattered this time when you perform higher than the MT’s, which are thought to be more land-racing.

Goal: I want an above-average driving success even in challenging conditions.

Preference: MT Tires will be preferred.

Result : You will feel a slight click on asphalt at speeds below 20 km/h, and you will hear an intense hum from the road at speeds above 80 km/h. In addition, you will no longer be able to reach the speeds you can reach with asphalt tires on the vehicle for driving safety. While your performance on loose ground, rock ground, and steep descents and ascents will be at the level you desire, you will find that contrary to its name, it is not so successful in mud. You will be nervous when you start to realize that you are slipping on asphalt in the rain. In the snow, you will be a little twisted when you fail more than the AT’s, which are considered to have lower terrain capability.

Goal : I want unconditional success in every track on the field. (There is no such thing as unconditional success in the field, but let’s say this is our goal)

Preference: XT Tire will be preferred.

Result : Desired success will be achieved especially in mud tracks. However, if possible, have the track somewhere in the backyard of your house. You will have a lot of blessings on the father of the XT tire when you go 60-70 km, make a maximum of 10 km in the field and come back 60-70 km again. In asphalt driving, rattling and humming will not be missing at any speed level.

Goal : I am looking for a successful ride on every track and a high level of comfort on asphalt.

Preference : ???

Conclusion: There is no tire of the type that will allow us to achieve this goal. There are statements that MT asphalt driving comfort and XT off-road performance can be obtained only for some tires. Let me pronounce one of them, Interco Super Swamper TSL SX.

Even between tires of the same category, there can be significant grip differences. These determinations were made by considering the general tire characteristics. While the performance of MT Tires in snow driving is not stable, the snow performance of a certain brand of MT tire can also be exceptionally high. In this case, we will say that exceptions do not break the rule.

I recommend you to read our previous article about snow driving.

Karda araç kullanma ve yol tutuş

When driving an off-road vehicle, successful off-road driving can sometimes get in the way of everything. In fact, this is a bit of a person’s self-defeat. Please don’t be tempted in the field, and don’t wear sergeant pattern-shaped tires that don’t suit off-road vehicles, just because I’m going to pass through here. It is a tire that does not suit an all-terrain vehicle. They’re not construction machines, they’re all-terrain vehicles. Get a 4×4 tractor or JCB 4CX and if the goal is just a successful drive, you will be much more satisfied.

Conclusion and Suggestions:

When choosing tires, be aware that the discourse AT if 50% Asphalt – 50% terrain, 20% asphalt – 80% terrain MT, 5% asphalt – 95% terrain XT is a hoax and is not directly related to off-road driving success .

When I got my first all-terrain vehicle, the first thing I did was change my tires. I fell for this % error too. I bought a set of AT tires. I didn’t even feel the need to change the spare wheel. My psychology was like this, “I go anywhere, do anything”. Disappointments over time kept my feet on the ground.

Be clear about your expectations before choosing a tire. If possible, test drive a vehicle equipped with the tire type you are aiming for, both on asphalt and off-road so that you do not encounter any surprises later.

The tire set is not 4 pieces, but 5 pieces. Make sure to include your spare tire in the kit.

For off-road vehicles, different tire sets can be installed for summer and winter seasons. E.g; AT in summer MT in winter or MT in summer XT in winter. Considering the economic conditions of our country, this is not possible.

I go one step further and say that a landlord needs 4 vehicles. One that he will use for camping (let’s get this defender) without going on very difficult tracks, one double cabin where he won’t have to worry about where to put my belongings, one that he can use as a hobby car (if possible, get a rubicon), and one that he can use excessively and hurt himself.

By the way, snow tires, which are not in the category of off-road tires, but with surprisingly good off-road performance, created wonders with Kanaga Smyrni and Volkan Dural Subaru, which we went on trips with last year.

Let me put it in the last word , do not buy a vehicle without a middle lock, if possible, choose a vehicle that has a minimum rear lock or can be installed without much expense.

Normally ; Keep in mind that the middle lock + rear lock + MT Tire combination will outperform the middle lock + XT Tire.

Best Regards,

23/03/2020 Süleyman ATILGAN Contact: Facebook & Instagram

You can view other articles professionally prepared by Süleyman Atılgan, which include off-road basic techniques and off-road driving advice, below.

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