The Right Tire for the the Desert Sand.

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Dave
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Having a read of this months Australian 4x4Action magazine and there is a good comparison test of both tire size and tread type over various terrains. In Australia there are so many types of terrain from mud to sand and everything in between that a lot of research goes into tire choice before purchase. Some kind of compromise must always be made.

For most of us in the UAE the majority of our off roading is in soft sand, and occasionally up into the rocky mountainous terrain. Which begs the question. Why do so many off roaders put Mud Terrains on their 4x4's? I know it's good to experiment between all the brands out there and different All Terrain and "Aggressive" All Terrain Tires available, but Mud Terrain really should not feature. I myself briefly tried them out. Noisy on the road, difficult to balance, and very good at digging holes in the sand requiring me to pull out my shovel!

I guess its it's good we are all individual and have our own opinions on what works best. But a brief review of the Tire Test I have just read suggests Mud Terrain have little use on soft sand. All Terrains work well, and a more aggressive All Terrain (e.g. ST Maxx) work best. Also, tire diameter plays a part. The test compares 31 inch tire against 33 inch tires. The larger size wins as it gives the bigger foot print, hence better floatation for a given tire pressure.

If anyone is looking at investing in new rubber, think carefully what you want out of the tire and what best performs to your needs before spending your hard earned cash. Sure, Mud Terrains look great on your 4x4, but it seems they are not the best option here in the sands of the UAE!
Dave
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[URL="http://[IMG]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah301/Davidmhoran/image.jpg1_zpstznbi7hk.jpg[/IMG]"]http://[/URL][IMG]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah301/Davidmhoran/image.jpg1_zpstznbi7hk.jpg[/IMG]
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Red Baron
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Saw this on ramy 4x4 instagram and thought of sharing this here since [MENTION=8472]Dave[/MENTION] talked about the tires and tire pressure for anyone who is looking to buy the EZ deflator.

https://instagram.com/p/9XxGHQlKdE/
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matts
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Morning All,

I will add to this my small amount of personal experience of the 3 tyres I have used on my jeep. They are all all terrain tyres, The BF Goodrich AT KO, The Cooper AT3 and the Yokohama Geolander ATS.

Quietest on Road

1. AT3 by far
2. Geolander
3. BFG AT KO

Best Ride Comfort on Road

1. Geolander
2. AT3 (Close Second)
3. BFG AT KO

Couple of comments on this one. The BFG were a load range E tyres in a 315/70r17 size and as a result were quite stiff. The ride was terrible, the heavier the vehicle the less this will be true, but the 2dr jeep got bounced around by them. I am told (no personal experience) that the new KO2 is better in this regard. With AT3s I found the Jeep was pulled more by ruts in the road that with the Yokos.

Best in the sand I cant really say as im a better driver now than I was when I had the BFGs. Between the AT3 and the Yoko I find I have to deflate the Yoko a little more but I’m running a 33in instead of a 35in tyre now so as Dave pointed out that might be down to the diameter and resulting smaller footprint. Also there are lots of people here with far more experience than me for recommendations in the sand so please defer to them for that.

Just remember to check the load rating of the tyre, especially if you have a light vehicle. They go in this order from softest to stiffest (P, C, D, E, F…) anything from C upwards will probably have LT infront of it.

Mud Terrains do look cool though! Do I care about looking cool? That I suppose is the question.

Matt out!
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