Mud tyres regular car

Gaothead

Well-Known Member
I cant justify a 4x4 but would putting chunky tyres on my Zafira be an idea? What would be effective and good value?
Thanks
 
More traction, but no more ground clearance; both can get you stuck so benefit depends if you are just just trying to negotiate slippery fields or fairly even tracks or aiming to do more.
 
Put mud and snow tyres on my berlingo van not been stuck yet but then again I only stick to farm tracks and forestry roads certainly helped in the snow last winter goodridge is the name of tyre think they was around £65 each hope this helps ATB TWM
 
I wouldn't bother, lack of ground clearance means you'll belly out. You can get the old vitaras for next to nothing, spares are cheap and plentiful
 
Could be worth looking at the General GT AT tyre. I wanted something with a little more grip for my Rav and with it being little more than a toy 4x4 there wasn't many options. As it turns out, the General's are excellent on wet grass and in moderate terrain. Don't know if they would look a bit ott on your Zafira though.
 
Snow tyres on my Picasso all year round; used for everything from runs to London to rough forest & farm tracks & feeding pheasant. If I'm sensible I get away with it.
 
I have lived in Zaffies for nearly 10 years and would not advise it. Very little clearance between front underspoiler and road so unless you are on the smoothest of off road highly likely to hit it.

Also own an old Vitara and that is brilliant, so as prev suggested get one with decent tyres will go anywhere within reason.

D
 
ATRs are about as savage as you want to go unless you like being driven mad by the moterway nois of proper off road tyres but a sliping diff will reduce you to 1 wheel drive so the added benifit will be marginal

I run a Rav4 as a compromise between road car for work and stalking wagon and with ATRs on that it is surprisingly good

And I am compairing it against my previous 3 jeeps and a Shogun LWB so it had a lot to live up too

The fact it also does 45mpg makes it a properly versitile thing.

ATB

Mark
 
Does anyone here actually run a low car with knobbly tyres as their daily drive?

No?

I do.
my car is actually lower than spec by 40-50mm
granted its a 4 wheel drive but it goes everywhere I need it to
forestry roads, wet fields, mud tracks etc etc

Ground clearance is always going to be an issue with a standard chassis vehicle, no-one goes paddling around in deep stuff unless they like waiting, but most stuff that stops normal road chassis cars is traction.
Winter or mud/snow tyres transform their ability

choose your path carefully and you can navigate all sorts

I took an Audi A6 up here last month, just needed a spotter out of the car to navigate the big bits, clearance wasn't the issue, traction was, but only briefly:




I am running Nokian WR G2 winter tyres on the S4 and Dunlop Wintersport 3D on the A6

Numerous pairs of part worn winter tyres on eBay for anything from £50-£200 a pair
plenty of new ones too
 
Please remember to let your insurance company know you winter/mud tyres on its classed as a modification on a road car !!!!!!
 
Please remember to let your insurance company know you winter/mud tyres on its classed as a modification on a road car !!!!!!

Even if they are road legal?......I wouldnt pay any policy to an insurance company who said that,you wouldnt be insured if you wanted to claim,they would just wriggle!!
 
Just get winter tyres. Mud tyres are noisy and hurt your mpg, plus as mentioned the car is simply not designed to make the most of them. They will howl over 50mph. I have some on a l200 and can't wait to go to a AT tyre instead.
 
I cant justify a 4x4 but would putting chunky tyres on my Zafira be an idea? What would be effective and good value?
Thanks

This is probably simple - do you find yourself in situations where you are losing traction on the sort of ground where AT type tyres are designed to give you more traction? If so, then fitting AT tyres would give you more traction, which makes them more effective under those particular circumstances, but only you can say if it offers good value or not.
 
Winter tyres are the way to go, with a set of chains for when it's really slippery and yes chains work well on mud, indeed in the old days chains were more often used on muddy roads than snow. Driver and a bit of though always help as well ie don't try and start uphill and keep momentum going
 
Mud tyres on a car or car derived van will just mean a longer walk to get help by a 4X4 and tow rope.
 
Go for a cheaper tyre, try an Insa turbo ranger if they do your size. I have them on my freelander at £80 a corner. So should be cheaper for smaller wheel.
 
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