Going off-road? Then ensure that your vehicle has the right kind of tyres, says Philip Shane.
Tyres play an important part in the safety, performance and looks of any vehicle both on and off-road. Tyres shoulder the responsibility of having to transmit the power produced by
the engine to the ground as well as bearing the weight of the vehicle and ensuring smooth and safe commuting and performance for the passengers. There are a broad range of brands and numerous types of application specific tyres available in the market to cater to the specific requirements
of various users.
If you are looking for an off-road tyre that looks good, has off-road grip and high resistance to wear, then you should consider Sand/Mud Terrain tyres like the Cooper Discoverer STTs. Built with all the ruggedness one would need for all kinds of off-road terrain, the STTs are strong and heavy. One needs a reasonably well-powered engine to actually utilise the capabilities of these heavy duty tyres.
While off-road, these tyres offer excellent grip and much lower tyre pressure drivability due to strong side walls. They have an aggressive open shoulder tread pattern that extends into the buttress to maximise the tyre's "bite" in soft surface applications such as desert sand. The tread also improves abrasion resistance. These tyres have tapered intermediate rib elements, with integral stone ejectors to help dislodge debris.
The groove design of these tyres clearly indicates that they are not really well suited for on-road applications. The lack of linear grooves and the sheer size of the threads make them quite noisy and a little bouncy on the road. However, the interlocking siped tread blocks and an optimised tread element pitch sequence reduces the on-road noise to levels below those normally expected from this class of tyre. Moreover, they are comparatively lower speed rated than their all-terrain counterparts.
Vibrations at high speeds are transmitted to the steering and this can make highway driving a little unpleasant. These tyres however, provide more grip in both wet and dry conditions on tarmac than sand tyres of comparable size.
For desert driving conditions, these tyres are the first choice for many, but there are many schools of thought when it comes to tyre patterns and best performers.
What it comes down to usually, is the range of application that the vehicle is intended for. For a vehicle that usually spends a lot of time off-road, these tyres are a good choice given their superior features.
Their sand flotation and climb ability are among the top performers in this segment. Their deflation capacity is also quite high. But if you spend a lot of time on-road and occasionally use your vehicle off-road, these tyres need not be your first choice. A more all-terrain multipurpose tyre would be a better choice. Cooper also makes a broad range of all-purpose tyres for 4x4s.
While in wadis
These tyres are good for wadi driving. The superior grip and sidewall tear resistant properties of these tyres
make them very rock- and slippery surface-friendly.
The Armor-Tek3 technology from Cooper used in the STTs makes use of an additional third ply at an angle between the sidewall cords which are the weakest point of a tyre. The additional ply improves the tyre's resistance to nails or other sharp objects which could penetrate the rubber at this point. This angle ply is a unique feature making it 33 per cent stronger than most tyres as far as the sidewalls are concerned and 2.5 times more resistant to tearing, thereby greatly enhancing its off-road durability.
The tarmac and off-road tests for these tyres were conducted on an auto transmission 4800cc Nissan Patrol. In addition to enhancing the looks of the vehicle, these tyres enabled much bigger dune climbs than what was possible with stock tyres. The wheel alignment needs to be done well once these heavy tyres are installed. Engine and suspension modifications can help extract better performance from these power-hungry tyres especially when climbing large dunes.
Once perfectly installed and aligned, these tyres will provide thousands of kilometres of reliable off-road use. These tyres are also competitively priced with respect to other brands in this segment. The design of these tyres is eye-catching and makes the vehicle look aggressive and sporty. A truly great tyre for off-road enthusiasts.
– Available in Dubai at the Renaissance Tyre Trading Center.
– Philip Shane is a Dubai-based motorhead
