‘Get a Grip This Season’

When it comes to replacing tyres, making the right choice is essential.  Some tyres are designed to maximise on road handling as well as performance and others are designed to gain maximum traction over certain surfaces such as mud, sand and snow. Whatever your job or enthusiasm whether it be gamekeeping, land management, conservation and shooting amongst many other countryside pursuits, there is a tyre for you and your vehicle.

Look after your tyres and they will look after you

Taking care of your tyres and noticing anything out of the ordinary is key to preserving the life of your tyres and more importantly you and your vehicle.

• Always check your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure, once per week is recommended and the best time to carry out the check is when the tyres are cold
• Make sure you regularly check for foreign objects such as stones in the tread blocks, if you allow them to become embedded, they may work into the casing and cause the tyre to deflate
• Check for uneven wear of your tyre this could indicate a problem with the steering geometry of your vehicle. Symptoms of uneven wear can accompany anomalies such as the vehicle pulling to one side
• When off-roading it is very important to check your tyres for bulges and cuts

Choosing the right tyre for the right job is critical

Dave Dineen, 4×4 and SUV tyre specialist advises “choice is essential for many different reasons, including environmental impact. Farmers are used to changing their tractor tyres for the conditions of service and the same methodology should be applied when selecting 4×4 tyres. Standard road going tyres will struggle to grip off-road and are likely to slip and slide, risking damage to both vehicle and land’’

There are many off and on road tyre sizes that may work with your vehicle, within those sizes there are also many different types of 4×4 tyre. Whilst some differences in tyres are cosmetic others have been engineered to maximise your vehicles’ performance in specific ways.

The General Tire All-terrain Grabber AT3 allows precise steering, ensuring short braking distances on and off road. The deep tread provides additional grip when the vehicle is travelling over muddy roads or slippery grassland.

If your need is a little more for extreme off-road driving is General Tire’s Grabber X3 designed with DURAGEN technology, this tyre is robust with reinforced sidewalls offering strong protection in the harshest conditions.

A good point to note is that some All-terrain tyres carry the 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol(3PM SF); the snowflake pictogram indicates the tyre has been conceived for snow usage and the tyre has met all the requirements defined during the testing phase. A credible example is Falken Tyre’s WildPeak A/T AT3WA which has attracted fantastic reviews regarding performance from both professional drivers and 4×4/working vehicle owners.

The AT3WA combines durable off-road ability and rugged terrain driving without compromising on-road driving, representing a true All-Terrain performance tyre, which has been engineered for any adventure, at any time and in any weather.

An exciting addition to the All-season portfolio is the BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A engineered to explore, this on-road tyre is always trail ready. A rugged, tough and dependable option for CUV, SUV and pick-ups; giving all year-round adventure with great performance in all weather. Featuring a serrated shoulder design optimised for soft soil traction in light off-road situations and 3PMSF certified for winter power and grip; built for light off-road situations.

Working with BASC to bring you the right tyres for your vehicle

BASC Members can take advantage of discounts on a range of tyre patterns to suit their needs, more information and technical support can be found on the BASC website in the members benefits section

For non-BASC members help and advice is available on a dedicated website as well as access to a digital 4×4 Guide packed with plenty of information to assist you