Tyres are a critical aspect of our 4WD hire vehicles. Not only are they a major factor in ensuring your overall safety, but they are also a key component in the performance and driving experience of our 4WD. The right tyres allow you to take on anything from rough terrain to sandy beaches and lets you enjoy the drive & the holiday – the real reason you hired our vehicle!
We want to make sure each of our 4WD is outfitted for optimum security and reliability on the road. This article talks about the best tyres for our 4WD hire vehicles.
We use A/T3 and S/T Maxx range of Cooper tyres.
All 4WD drivers have an opinion about tyres—generally, most like a particular brand and stick to them. Coopers tyres have performed well for us and are one of the advantages we have over our competitors. Average 4WD vehicle hire companies go for the standard tyres provided by the manufacturer, or they go for an unknown cheaper brand that is usually basic and burn out quicker.
Regardless of the opinion on which is the best brand, most of our clients who hire one of our 4WD cars are impressed with the high quality of the tyres. The benefit for us is happy customers and fewer phone calls from customers out on the road that have blown tyres or have damaged the vehicle because it was stuck when it should not have been.
Some of the advantages we have found in this tyre include:
For more information on the advantages, please check the details here.
Regardless of the brand of your choice, read on to create a good understanding of the best 4WD tyres.
Let’s start first with addressing why 4WD tyres are such an important factor.
Great tyres positively influence your ability to control and handle your vehicle, allowing you to manoeuvre over surfaces and turn and stop to the best of your capacity. In addition, a properly inflated tyre with good traction and long tread life will reduce engine drag, increase fuel efficiency and improve the braking and handling of your 4WD.
When considering road performance, it is good to consider the tyre tread pattern and your needs. If, for example, you choose an aggressive tread pattern often seen in mud tread tyres, consider how much time you will be spending on sealed roads versus in the mud. Aggressive tread patterns are great for off-roading, especially in mud and rocky country; however, block pattern tyres are noisy on the road. They also have a greater roll resistance when driving, which will increase fuel consumption. For the best performance, think about what type of terrain you will be driving in and try not to under or overestimate the amount of tread you will need.
A/T terrains are often a good pick for many 4WD owners; they offer a fair amount of off-road grip and reduce fuel consumption and noise on sealed roads.
Steel belted tyres are a common component in 4WD tyres and are important to consider for the wear and tear of your tyre. Steel plies support the tyre’s tread and create durability for sealed roads, but also allow your tyres to have support and bend while off-roading, giving you better traction and control. In addition, high-quality sidewalls will contribute to a longer tyre life. Strong sidewalls reduce off-road damage and minimise heat build-up at high speeds, preventing premature tyre wear. A high-quality tyre carcass also puts less strain on the suspension and chassis of your vehicle, improving the overall quality of your drive and reducing vehicle wear.
The correct tyre pressure and tread contribute to the optimum braking distance and traction on wet and dry surfaces for your 4WD.
Water dispersion, lug shoulder space and siping are all factors to consider when choosing new tyres. 4WD tyres have become more effective – thanks to computer-aided design to allow for exponential improvements around these elements:
A high-quality tyre will prevent problems on the road, such as tyre punctures, premature tyre wear, and loss of traction – all contributing to your safety on your road and the quality of your drive. Whether on sealed tracks or blazing your way off-road, having the best 4WD tyres that can help you manoeuvre your way through your trek is essential.
The additional benefit is that high-quality tyres wear a lot better than the standard or cheaper options, meaning we would save money or break even with the tyre cost in the long run.
The best 4WD tyres can and should provide the following:
The correct firmness and tread depth are essential in preventing punctures for your 4WD tyre. Premature tyre wear can lead to more tyre punctures.
Thicker Tread depth is one of the best ways to prevent through-tread punctures, as it stops objects from embedding in the tyre casting. Over-flexible tyres can overheat, resulting in more significant tyre wear and puncture probability. Additionally, flexible tyres may not correctly support the weight of your 4WD. Strong tread patterns decrease the chances of punctures.
Finding a quality tyre that will not produce a lot of noise comes down to the tyre’s design, particularly the tread pattern. Pattern noise is a common factor contributing to noise on the road. For example, tread designs of short repetitive patterns commonly generate a ‘whining’ noise. Tyres with the same size pattern around the circumference also create higher noise levels. To find tyres that will provide a quiet ride, look for variations in block sizes on the tread pattern; this prevents air trapping in the tread pattern.
Generally, more noise will result from larger block patterns on treads. Mud terrain tyres can have more noise due to their large block patterns and propensity to kick up mud and gravel off the road. The more variety of shapes you can find on the surface of the tyre, the greater chance you will have for a quieter ride.
There is also an excellent article here, which talks in detail about what to look for in tyres. Feel free to check it out.
UTQG Ratings Awareness
The Uniform Tyre Quality Grading (UTQG) are the markings placed on your tyre’s sidewall. They indicate treadwear, traction and temperature to help you compare tyres and choose the best one for you and your needs. UTQG is not mandatory on all tyres in Australia, but certain brands, such as Cooper Tyres, do hold this rating.
It is a good idea to see if the tyre brand you are after is also available in the USA, and then you can check their UTQG ratings to take a more informed decision.
Treadwear indicates the time it takes for a tyre to wear down. Treadwear ratings are based on road tests where the test tyres are run in a vehicle convoy alongside a standardised course monitoring control tyre. Manufacturers then assign ratings after the test based on the observations made compared to the standardised control tyre. For example, the control tyre is given a grade of 100, and all tyres are compared to this grade. For instance, if a tyre receives a rate of 300, it will take three times longer for this tyre to wear out than the control tyre.
This rating indicates how heat is created and dissipated in the tyre’s carcass. Knowing the temperature grade of your tyre can be important, especially when you are driving long distances in hot weather. If a tyre becomes too hot for an extended time, it can lead to tyre deterioration and eventually could cause a tyre blowout. The temperature rating indicates how well a tyre resists heat and is graded from highest to lowest in A, B or C, respectively.
Traction grades are based on the tyres’ straight-line wet traction as the tyre skids across a test surface. The traction rating of UTQG does not consider dry braking, dry cornering, wet cornering or hydroplane resistance. Traction grades are evaluated by having the tyres adjusted to the axle of a skid trailer and monitoring the coefficient of friction after braking at 64 km/h. The treadwear tyre ratings span from AA – the highest performing tyres to A, B, and C grades, respectively.
If you spend most of your time driving on sealed roads and only head out off-roading for the occasional adventure, you may want to consider high-terrain tyres. HT tyres will ensure a comfortable ride and good traction in wet weather. However, HT tyres can accumulate mud build-up and have less grip than other tyres when going off-road.
If you spend equal amounts of time on and off the road, then you should consider finding the best 4WD all-terrain tyres. AT tyres offer smooth driving on motorways with good off-road traction. AT tyres have tread voids that debris can escape from to prevent build-up and loss of traction.
If you spend very little time on sealed roads, mud-terrain tyres can be an excellent option. MT tyres provide some of the highest traction in extremely muddy conditions. However, if you aren’t spending most of your time, off-road MT tyres won’t be the most comfortable tyre as they can be noisy and kick up debris on sealed roads.
The best 4WD tryes for sand driving are All-Terrain Tyres. Despite what some may think, Mud Terrain Tyres are not ideal as they have a wider tread pattern (designed to remove mud from the tyre to help give you traction); however, these patterns will dig into the sand. All-Terrain Tyres don’t dig into the sand but rather “float”. The reinforced side walls of a good quality All-Terrain Tyre will also allow for safer driving when you reduce the tyre pressure.
Here is a good article about All-terrain tyres with reviews for most of the popular ones.
It is always best to check all road conditions before travelling and ensure you have everything you need for various road conditions. Generally, all-terrain tyres are a good start for 4WD.
FleetCrew uses the best 4WD all-terrain tyres for our hire vehicles.
| A/T TYRES | Puncture Resistance | Traction | Tread Pattern |
| Cooper Tyres | Super tensile steel belts.
Smaller gauge sipes – reducing stone drilling and stone retention. Chemically bonded silica improves cut and chip resistance |
Chemically bonded silica tread compound provides improved wet and dry traction with less friction.
Smaller gauge sipes in tread elements – giving more control and stability3D sipes for increased traction |
Stronger steel belts to support the tread3D sips.
Interlocking tread elements reduce squirm and increase stability. Broken centre rib for improved soft surface traction |
| Bridgestone | Light truck construction in most sizes hence made for load-carrying purposes. | Aggressive tread pattern | Optimised steel belts to support tread. Under tread compound for good heat durability and resistance |
| BFGoodrich | Heavy gauge steel belts to reduce punctures | Innovative tread blocks and interactive siping for enhanced traction | High void tread – fights against gravel and repels stone. Super sidewall traction bars and wider shoulder grooves for better traction on and off-road |
Try out our 4WD hire Fleet to experience for yourself the benefits of driving with a high-quality 4WD tyre. Contact us to learn more about the tyres and vehicles available for you to use!
If you have an enquiry or would like more information then please fill in the enquiry form and we will get back to you asap during business hours.
If you are seeking a quote for a particular vehicle/s, please visit our Get A Quote page or if want to further information, please visit our FAQs page.
Providing 4WD Hire Vehicles in QLD and the Eastern States
Monday – Friday: 7.30am – 5.00pm
