Get the Right Tyres for Your Terrain

November 27, 2015 - 3 min read

Unfortunately, tyres aren’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. If you’re planning on going off-road, taking your car on-track or heading to a warmer or colder climate, you’ll need to ensure your tyres are up for the job. This guide shares with you everything you need to know.

Are you using the proper tyres for you adventure?


Not many of us take the time to pay much attention to our tyres until we’re stuck on the side of the road changing them. Changing our tyres to suit the type of terrain can not only help avoid this, but also improve the performance and control of your vehicle. To help you sort out the right tyre for your vehicle, we’ve got you covered with a few handy tyre tips.


1. Type of Tyres

Tyres driving in the outback

Whether you’re going on an outback adventure or just driving to and from work everyday, there is specific tyre to suit your driving lifestyle and vehicle:

  • Performance or summer tyres. These are designed for those who have the need for speed. Those who drive faster model cars, such as the ones driven on a race track, will need tyres made of a soft rubber compound that focus on performance and grip.
  • All-rounder tyres. Exactly as the name suggests, all-rounder tyres are well-balanced between grip, performance, longevity, noise and wet weather. These are usually fitted to every factory produced vehicle.
  • Wet weather tyres. Made of a much softer compound than performance tyres, wet weather tyres are designed to heat up quicker during wet conditions to achieve as much traction as possible.
  • Winter tyres. These tyres are made to ‘bite’ into the snow and ice to avoid losing control on the road. These should not be driven on dry roads.
  • All-terrain tyres. These have larger tread block (grooves molded into the tyre) than most tyres and are often fitted for SUVs and light trucks. While the tread is noisier on the road, it does come in handy when driving around the outback and taking your vehicle off-road.
  • Mud tyres have massive tread block specifically designed to only drive on loose mud and dirt.

2. When to Change Your Tyres

Checking when to change your tyres

Driving with worn tyres is not only potentially dangerous, but also whoever is in the car with you and other drivers on the road. No matter what environment you are driving around in, there is minimum tread depth allowed on the tyre before it is deemed unroadworthy.

  • The government minimum tyre tread depth across Australia on ordinary vehicles 1.6mm.
  • In wet wether conditions, tyre tread depth less than 3.0mm will create less traction on the road.
  • In snowy conditions, tyre tread depth below 4.75mm will create limit the tyre’s ability to clear out snow from the tread and less grip on the road.

Most wheels also have indicator bars to help you gauge when the treads are getting a little too low.


3. Picking the Right Tyre for Your Vehicle

Red car with tyres

When replacing your tyres, there often a lot of things to consider other than just the terrain you’ll be driving on. The right brand and size of your tyre for your vehicle is just as important. Most people will replace their vehicles worn-out tyres with the same size that was originally fitted when it was originally released. They may also stick to the mainstream brands as quality is incredibly important when selecting new tyres

While this is a great method that shouldn’t steer you wrong, changing the size or brand of your tyres could also improve the performance of your vehicle. If you’re unsure of the right tyre for your daily driving needs, it’s best to seek professional advice.

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