Despite the abundance of crossovers, real SUVs have always been, are and will be relevant in Russia. Some purchase them for everyday use. But most people buy in order to have an “evil” cross-country jeep, for which they are equipped with a winch and power bumpers. Well, and, of course, the integral attribute of each "jeeper" is mud tires. What is she like? What does mud rubber look like? Photos, varieties and features - further in our article.
Characteristic
Mud tires are a special type of car tire. The main objective of such rubber is to increase throughput. A car with such wheels ideally overcomes fords and country dirt roads. However, it is worth noting that on flat asphalt, mud rubber significantly changes its characteristics.
With it, the car becomes noisy and unstable at speed. Therefore, such wheels are not installed on ordinary civilian SUVs. As for the season of use, rubber can be designed for a certain type of coating or be universal. The types of such tires for SUVs we will consider below.
Varieties
There are several types of tires:
What are their features, pros and cons? We will consider each of them separately.
NT
This is a universal type of car tire. It can be used both on the ground and on smooth asphalt. This rubber is a tire with a standard pattern and is suitable not only for SUVs, but also for crossovers. On such wheels you can move at speeds up to 180 kilometers per hour.
Among the features worth noting:
- High speed index.
- Good grip.
- Resistance to the effect of aquaplaning.
But as the operating experience shows, this rubber does not give such characteristics of patency as its analogues. Therefore, for off-road enthusiasts, such a tire is not suitable. It can be used if you need to overcome a long distance on the track.
AT
This is a rubber with a rough tread and more suitable for off-road. The speed index of such a tire is less. You can move at speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour. On the road, it is noisier than the previous one, however, it copes well with sand and other loose surfaces.
Wheels of the AT series correspond to the type of tires 50 x 50, that is, they are universal and suitable for both asphalt and dirt. Among the quality manufacturers it is worth noting:
- Hankuk.
- Bridgestone.
- Dunlop.
- Yokohama
However, there are AT tires with an emphasis on off-road (60 to 40). Such tires are made by Goodyear, Goodrich, Maxus and Mickey Thompson. They have slightly better grip characteristics than the first.
MT
This is a car tire with a powerful tread and pronounced lugs. Such rubber is ideal not only for dirt, but also for clay, as well as sand. Among the distinguishing features of tires are wide and deep grooves on the tread.
However, this rubber is not intended for driving on asphalt. On such a coating, it wears out quickly and becomes unusable. Along with this, it makes a huge noise.
Designated Varieties
It should be noted that MT tires are not always universal and can be specifically designed for:
- clay surface;
- different soil;
- ride on a stone surface.
Some models have stud holes. This decision is aimed at increasing traction and vehicle patency in difficult areas as a whole.
Disadvantages of MT tires
Of course, such mud rubber significantly increases the permeability characteristics compared to AT. But it is worthwhile to understand that MT wheels have a tractor tread. Because of this, rubber cannot boast of stiffness and emits strong vibrations at speeds above 50 kilometers per hour on asphalt. Also, due to stiffness, the wheels quickly wear on a flat surface. This rubber is also afraid of cuts on sharp stones.
Subtleties of choice
When purchasing mud tires at the UAZ "Patriot" or any other SUV, it is important to choose the right size for it. Wheels AT and MT have a high profile, therefore, with poor selection, the tire will touch the arch and self-destruct.
Choose mud tires on the Niva
Domestic cars of the Lada 4x4 series already have a good cross from the factory. There are lots of examples when a Niva drives on standard rubber where American sophisticated off-road cars go dirty over the ears. But the owners of "Niv" is not enough, and many are finalizing the design of the factory "Lada". So, the first in the list of tuning is rubber. By installing the right tires on the VAZ, you can significantly increase the already good passability of the car.
When choosing, you first need to determine the type of wheels. So, if off-road trips are not frequent, and you wind up more than half a mile on asphalt, it is worth considering AT rubber. But in the case of professional preparation of an off-road jeep, it is worth focusing on MT wheels. With such a profile and lugs, the machine will perfectly cope with dirt and other obstacles.
Now about the sizes. The standard disk sizes for the Niva are 15 and 16 inches. In the first case, mud rubber should have a width of 235 millimeters and a 75th profile. If you choose a 16-inch model, here the dimensions are slightly different. So, mud tires on Chevrolet Niva have a standard size 225/75.
Manufacturers of off-road rubber for Niva
As for manufacturers and models, they can be different:
- I-569 The Bear.
- "Cordant Offroad."
- "Hancock Danpro RT03".
- "Federal Kougaria."
The first option is the most budgetary. Such rubber has a standard size 235/75 and is mounted on 15-inch wheels without a suspension lift. However, the front arches need to be further developed. Rubber "Bear" can be installed both on the Chevrolet Niva, and on the classic VAZ-2121. Also note that such rubber is all-weather and shows excellent performance not only in dirt, but also on a snowy surface.
Cordiant Off Road is a good alternative to the more expensive Goodrich tires. Such mud rubber rises on 16-inch wheels and increases ground clearance by 30 millimeters.
“Hankuk RT03” is also a good model of mud tires. However, if the previous models get up without alterations, then here you can not do without a suspension lift. The owners say that for installation you need to make at least a 50 mm elevator for the Niva. But at the same time, such a tire significantly increases cross-country ability. Also, this mud rubber for an SUV does not wear out very much on the asphalt, like its analogues.
"Federal Kougaria" are the most "passable" among others, as the reviews say. The wheels are distinguished by a large tread pattern and powerful dirt hooks. The rubber itself is quite elastic and soft. The size of the wheels is 205/80 R16. When installing, it is not required to make an elevator, but you need to “saw” the arches. Also note that such a tire is unsuitable for asphalt - its resource is not more than 30 thousand kilometers.
Tires for UAZ
Mud tires on UAZ should also be selected correctly. On what type of tires will be installed depends on the behavior of the car on the road in the future. Similar to the previous case, you first need to determine the type: AT or MT. Next, you need to build on size. On the "Patriot" discs are installed in the size of 16 or 18 inches. Experts say that it is better to put a mud tire on small disks, because in the end the size of the wheel itself will increase significantly (due to its high profile). You can try installing mud tires on 18-inch wheels. But in this case, it is necessary to produce a suspension lift and cut arches.
As for the size, it can be different in the range from 235/75 to 265/70. These are the dimensions of 16-inch tires. If you decide to use 18-inch wheels, you need to look for tires in the range from 245/65 to 275/60.
If you can not determine the diameter, experienced drivers are advised to do the following: have two sets. For summer, put 18-inch tires on the UAZ, and 16-inch tires for winter. In this case, the cross-country ability of the car will always be maximum. But also note that for ice you do not need to take too wide a tire. Its size should not exceed 255, and better - 245.
Conclusion
So, we found out what mud rubber is and what types it happens. To say which particular species will be the best is difficult. After all, each variety has its own characteristics and is created for different purposes. If most of the run is carried out on asphalt terrain, you should pay attention to AT off-road tires. If you are thoroughly preparing the car for off-road driving, you should definitely buy MT. But in this case, moving along an asphalt road will be uncomfortable.