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Choosing Off-Road Tires According to Expected Terrains

Thu, 21 May 2009 12:36:02 +0000

For the average shopper, choosing their off-road tires will depend on the brand. The obvious choice for many shoppers is the brand rated highly by some of the industry’s top publications, like your JD Powers and Associates. Though this can work and can give the shopper dependable set of off-road tires, still the best suggestion to heed is this – consider the kind of terrain first when shopping for these specific types of tires.

Choosing the tires based on the expected terrain can make a huge difference when shopping. In fact this can spell the difference between sweet driving behind the steering wheel or inconveniences and lots of off-road misadventures.

Are you going for a muddy terrain? Is your next company trip is for camping in one of the best-kept secrets of the state where mud is given then what you need to look out for are tires that are narrow. And these tires should have lugs that are spaced just right so that these lugs will effectively protect the frame and the forks from mud.

You don’t want the frames and the forks get covered in mud- this can affect vehicle speed and even undermine vehicle stability. If the next office or family adventure is located in plains and you expect less rough and more on softer areas with rocks that are loose with soft dirt then the suggestion is to go for the wider tires that feature broader knobs. These features allow the SUV or the truck to have better stability and will ensure that the driver gets to keep better traction.

Look out for the tread, which should be thick and stable. Getting these can give the service vehicle a firmer base of support.For the hardcore off-roaders who plans to take the hardest off-road route the road where the surface will be hard-packed, the best choice are the off-road tires that are designed to have close spacing in between the hard knobs.

It is a suggestion too, to make sure that the knob is around two times the width at its base and its height should be around that measurement as well. If you happen to get tire knobs that are too tall, then this can affect the vehicles’ performance when cornering.

This may seem like shopping for too much since off-road tires are already designed to meet tough conditions, but there is nothing wrong in taking a step further and refining the search.

Off road Mud tires

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:13:01 +0000

Considering off road travelling and can’t decide on which type of off road tires to use? why not equip your vehicle with mud tires. Off road mud tires are very practical for a rough terrain. Its often said that driving in mud is like a cross between ice skating and walking through quicksand. The type of mud across the world will vary however. Mud driving usually invovles off road journeys as well as off road racing. Among the obstacles that the driver has to put up with are pebbles and stone. Also one needs to consider the type of mud that he or she is dealing with. Hence the need to address specific mud conditions.

For example slick mud with a hard bottom layer is best approached with narrow mud tires since a narrow mud terrain tire can cut through the top layer to find traction on the hard surface below. When a wide mud terrain tire encounters the same mud in this situation, it tends to float or “hydroplane” on the slick top layer without reaching the hard surface below. The best mud tires are those that offer maximum clearance and traction.

Some mud tires produce noise, in part because of how they were treaded. However the given the nature of the terrain on which such tires are used it comes to nothing more than a minor pain in the back. One distinct advantage of mud tires is that they perform well, not just on mud terrains, but also on rocky or deeply snowy tracks. Conversely there are a poor choice for a rainy track and can be quite hazardous. It is important to note that tread designs, apart from possible noise pollution, are what make or break a mud tire. These treads can vary widely from one manufacturer to the next. If a tire is poorly designed for mud it will not self-clean and eventually get clogged up and packed with mud in voids, making it a tire with zero traction.

A very useful tip when encountering mud for the first time is to check it out on foot first and get a closer look at the mud type to try and find a solid base. This can be done by inserting a long object. If vehicles have driven though the mud before it would be a good idea to check out any tire ruts. The aim of this to establish a solid base, because that base will allow to get traction on it. There are various reputable manufacturers of mud tires. Mickey Thompson produces top-notch brands.

Earthmover Off Road Tires

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:44:53 +0000

What are earthmover tires? and how do they differ from regular off road tires? Earthmover tires are giant, low-speed off road tires of standard construction. They can either be directionally treaded or non-directionally treaded. They are commonly used in commercial vehicles for off-road services. Such services involve underground mining and wheel loaders working in open pits and quarries. Earthmover tires are generally resistant to punctures, tears and cracks and provide excellent traction and stability over a diverse array of challenging terrain including mud and gravel. Manufacturers of earthmover tires include famous brands like Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin and Firestone. XZSL Stabil’X from Michelin is an earthmover tire with a thick and non-directional tread pattern.

Last year the Tire Industry Association released a new training service for the earthmover and off road markets. The service is better known as Basic Earthmover Tire Service and aims at encouraging technician education in earthmover tire assembly and retreading. Due to their sheer size repairing and replacing earthmover tires is a difficult process. The service is delivered in a series of 15 modules and at the end of the course successful trainees are awarded a TIA certificate of completion.

The working capacity of an earthmover tire is usually calculated using a system known as Ton mile per hour. The system calculates the working capacity based on how much load the tire is made to handle and the average speed for the day. Excessive loads or speeds can cause tire failure due to heat degradation. However it has been suggested that the formula breaks down when tires are loaded 20% above their capacity or on hauls of more than 20 miles. Rock cuts are major tire killers . Poor operator behavior can further contribute to premature tire failure if the operator is not aware of the road structure.

Several manufactures have come up with earthmover tire management systems. The most notable ones are MEMS, the Michelin Earthmover Management System and TotalTyreLogic by OTR tires. TotalTyreLogic, better known as the “cradle to grave” system uses a central database and a GPS system to provide customers with information such as site surveys and onsite inspections for continuous monitoring of tire wear and tear. MEMS is a real-time, four-component system that provides critical information such as internal air pressure and tire temperature while vehicles are in service. The system features enhancement tools that alert the customers when tires are operating outside of their designated specifications. Advantages of such systems include reduced costs, increased safety and increased productivity.