WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUD TYRES AND ALL TERRAIN TYRES?

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUD TYRES AND ALL TERRAIN TYRES?

Are you trying to decide whether mud tyres or all-terrain tyres are best for your 4WD?

Well, there are two questions you need to ask yourself before exploring the difference between mud tyres and all-terrain tyres, and which one is right for you:

  1. Where are you going?
  2. How often are you going?

You see, both types of tyres have their pros and cons, but at the end of the day, you need the best tyre for your circumstances. So, let’s consider the differences between mud tyres and all-terrain tyres.

Disclaimer – there can be significant variations depending on the brand of the tyre so this information is of a general nature, which means you can’t have a crack at us if things don’t go to plan based on the information in this article.

Mud terrain tyres

MTs are built stronger with firmer sidewalls and have a large chunky tread pattern with widely spaced lugs that can eject debris easily when spinning.

All-terrain tyres

ATs have only small spaces between the tyre treads and gives a good performance in most conditions.

 

  1. Where Are You Going?
Surface Type Mud Tyres (MT)
All-Terrain Tyres (AT)
Bitumen Okay, longer stopping distance, can be the noisy and shorter life span Good grip, quieter, greater longevity
Gravel Good Good
Sand Good (note tyre pressure) Good (note tyre pressure)
Mud Exactly what the MT was designed for… A+ (shock) Poor (can’t get rid of mud/debris in the tread grooves resulting in little-to-no traction)
Rocks Good (depending on the size and nature of the rocky surface) Okay

In case, you are looking to buy some tyres and rim packages online or in store, check out our License Plate to Vehicle Recognition functionality that will allow you to search for your car tyres with ease.

 

  1. How Often Are You Going?

The other important consideration is how often you are going off-road. If it’s only a couple of times a year, then the option for you is tracking down the best all-terrain tyres, as they will last longer and are suitable for most conditions and surfaces. If you’re fanatical about getting your rig into tricky situations, including mud, on a frequent basis, then mud tyres are for you.

It’s important to note that mud tyres will cause you to use more fuel under normal operating circumstances (especially on the bitumen). Essentially, it takes more power to push each of those big lugs in the tread along the road compared to a smoother transition between the tyre and the ground that you’d get with a set of all-terrain tyres.

At the end of the day, both mud tyres and all-terrain tyres are going to get you to where you want to go. But when deciding between the two, your ultimate choice comes down to where you’ll be driving, and how often.

Don’t forget to check out our blog on the importance of inspecting your 4WD on a daily basis and do share some examples of when each tyre has (or hasn’t) worked well for you.

Still have questions? Feel free to visit the Perth 4WD custom store TWD4x4 or contact us on any of our social medias. We also stock high quality and economical bull bars, suspensions, roller shutters and other 4WD accessories for a range of vehicles including the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Landcruiser’s and more.

Harry is our Sydney-based 4×4 expert, he knows everything there is to know about 4WD’s and loves testing out new products.

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