Get it Right With Goodyear

It is received wisdom that the vast majority of 4×4 vehicles never leave the tarmac, let alone spend weekends up to their axles in mud, yet image is still very important. Drivers like their vehicles to look as though they could tackle Mt. Everest on a winter’s day, even if their most taxing journey is the school run.

Tyres play an important part in this image creation – aggressive, knobbly tyres certainly look the part but, says Goodyear, fitting these tyres just for their looks can be counter-productive. While many 4×4 drivers want their vehicles to look tough and rugged, they actually want on-road performance similar to that of an ordinary saloon car.

Travelling on tarmac for any length of time with an out-and-out off-road tyre is not a pleasant experience – such tyres are noisy, the ride is less comfortable and handling can be adversely affected. Tread wear is noticeably worse too.

It is important, says Goodyear, to take a little time to consider just what you want from your 4×4 before choosing the right tyre to suit. Tyre manufacturers – and Goodyear is no exception – have produced a range of tyres for 4×4 vehicles, designed to cope with all requirements, from the urban runabout to the serious off-roader, or those vehicles for which off-road driving is a daily fact of working life.

At one end of the scale is the 4×4 that rarely, if ever, leaves the road. This is by far the biggest segment and the driving requirements are the same as any other on-road vehicle; safety (naturally), plus a comfortable ride with the minimum of tyre noise.

For these motorists, Goodyear has the Wrangler HP all-weather tyre, which is designed to give 4×4 vehicles good stability and precise handling on the road while also supplying the grip they need should they venture off it. The tyre is standard fit on the Land Rover Discovery3. The Wrangler HP has been designed to perform both on and off-road in all weather conditions. To the untrained eye, the tyre looks little different from the kind of thing you’d find on a conventional family car but there are numerous features included in its make up to ensure it is adaptable to a range of different surfaces. The HP is a dual compound tyre, which means that two different types of rubber are used on different areas of its surface. The tread centre is a softer compound for enhanced grip off-road and in wet or icy on-road conditions. On low grip surfaces, the load is transferred to this centre section where the sticky rubber gives better lateral stability and traction.

The shoulder blocks either side of the centre section, meanwhile, are comprised of a firmer compound which gives the tyre greater stiffness for precise handling and stability on dry roads and at higher speeds. Elsewhere, the Wrangler HP features deep, wide grooves to help disperse water and pronounced shoulder notches for improved grip in muddy off-road conditions.

Wrangler AT/R and MT/R

Drivers who go off road more often, yet who do most of their driving on tarmac, would be better off with Goodyear’s Wrangler AT/R. This has a more aggressive tread pattern than the Wrangler HP and can cope with all but the very worst terrain and conditions.
On-road performance has not been neglected, with irregular-shaped tread blocks to reduce vibrations and to provide optimum tread life and handling characteristics.

The Wrangler AT/R is the tyre of choice for those who regularly travel on unmade roads, or country tracks and farmland and is a compromise between the Wrangler HP and a serious off-road tyre, such as the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R.

This is an out-and-out off-road tyre with an open tread pattern. The wide grooves on the tyre are tapered to aid tread cleaning in mud or snow, while hi-tensile steel belts beneath the tread and in the sidewalls protect against punctures. The tread continues down the sides of the tyre in the form of jutting shoulder lugs which give lateral grip in deep mud and feature thin channels to help water dispersion.

The Wrangler MT/R is the official tyre for the 2006 Land Rover G4 Challenge; one of the toughest challenges around. In a four-week series of gruelling tests, competitors start from Bangkok and journey into Laos, experiencing some of the globe’s wildest terrain. They then travel across the world to Rio de Janeiro before completing the adventure on the high plains of Bolivia – a true test of character and machinery, not to mention the tyres.

So, whatever your 4×4 requirements, there is a Goodyear tyre to meet them and it is a good idea for the tyre supplier to talk it over with the customer to make sure that he gets the tyre that best matches his driving style. After all, happy customers come back, unhappy ones don’t.