Back in the day, there were not a lot of options for tires. Tires were simply composed of rubber materials, specialized for rolling. But with the progression of science, and thanks to experimentation, different types of tires came into being.
One of these is of course mud tires. They’re actual beasts of a tire, specialized for rolling over muddy and challenging terrains. If you’ve seen some vehicles featuring aggressive designs, they’re most likely mud tires. In this guide, we’ll have some useful insights on what mud tires are and how they work.
First of all, let’s discuss the general features of a mud tire.
Mud tires feature larger and deeper tread blocks. They help in increased traction and stability over muddy terrains. When navigating through mud, the deeper tread blocks bite into the mud and provide traction.
The tire design also includes large, widely spaced lugs that extend deep into the tire’s surface. This tread pattern helps in channeling mud away from the tire-ground contact, allowing the tire to hold the surface with a good grip.
Apart from the big tread blocks, there are also wide gaps between them. This enhances the aggressive looks of mud tires. But they also serve another purpose than just looks. The self-cleaning mechanism of mud tires is thanks to the aggressive pattern of large tread blocks coupled with wide gaps.
Moreover, sipping is another factor of great consideration in the construction of a mud terrain tire. Siping involves the creation of small grooves or cuts in the tread blocks of the tire. This contributes to tire versatility across different surfaces. In muddy conditions, siping allows the tread blocks to conform to the irregularities of the terrain, enhancing traction. On wet or icy surfaces, the presence of siping helps channel water away from the tire. Thereby, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and maintaining contact with the road or trail.
Since mud tires are made to roll over uneven and challenging off-road terrains, they must be sturdy enough too. To achieve this cause, mud tires often come with a 3-ply sidewall, constructed with durable material. The rugged terrain often includes sharp rocks, tree roots, and other potential hazards that could cause punctures or damage to the tire’s sidewalls. Reinforced sidewalls act as a protective barrier, enhancing the tire’s resistance against cuts, abrasions, and punctures.
The aggressive tread pattern also continues to the sidewalls. This further allows for better traction, even when the vehicle is running at an angle. Furthermore, mud tires are also bigger and heavier than most tires. This helps in preventing the vehicle from rolling over on uneven terrains.
A typical mud tire specializes in two things; traction, and self-cleaning. The details of these mechanisms are as under.
This has mostly been explained in the previous section. Overall, the tread pattern, and lug design are constructed for the primary cause of traction. When driving over mud and uneven terrains, there’s always a risk of losing control or rolling over. Thanks to the larger and more spaced-out lug pattern, the tire grips the terrain with an increased surface.
Furthermore, the design aims to prevent slippage and wheel spin, allowing the tire to efficiently propel the vehicle forward. Some tires also include silica-induced materials in their structure. This helps in maintaining traction over wet surfaces.
It is one of the most distinctive features of a mud terrain tire. The wider gaps between the tread blocks allow mud, debris, and rocks to fall off as the tire rolls. The centrifugal force pushes the mud out of the voids between the lugs. In addition to this, mud tires also feature stone and mud ejectors.
These mud and stone ejectors are designed in the tire’s tread voids to help eject any mud or debris that would otherwise lodge in the void spaces. This will compromise the tire’s traction. The stone ejectors also make sure that any sharp stones from the void spaces are successfully ejected to avoid punctures.
Apart from all the advantages, there are also certain disadvantages associated with mud tires. These include:
The aggressive tread pattern of mud terrain tires generates more rolling resistance over paved roads. Resistance creates noise. Moreover, to overcome this resistance, there’s a compromise on fuel average. The larger spaces between tread blocks are also responsible for increased air displacement, which also makes noise.
Mud tires feature smoother materials than most tires. This smooth rubbery material gives optimized off-terrain performance, however, it wears out quickly on paved roads. Hence mud tires are not good for daily driving over paved roads. The mud tires only last from 20,000 to 40,000 miles, which is significantly lower than other tires. However, if proper care and maintenance is given, the mud tire may last up to 60,000. In this case, professionals recommend rotating the tires every 6,000 miles.
What are mud tires designed for?
As the name implies, mud tires are the best tires for mudding. They are best suited for navigating through uneven, muddy, and extreme off-road terrains.
How do mud tires achieve better traction?
Mud tires have larger and deeper tread blocks with wide gaps between them. This design allows the tire to grip the terrain more effectively, preventing slippage, and wheel spin. The aggressive lug pattern bites into the mud, enhancing traction.
Why do mud tires have reinforced sidewalls?
The reinforced sidewalls help the tire in overall strength. Mud tires are more prone to chips, cuts, and punctures than most tires.
How long do mud tires last?
A typical mud tire can last from 20,00 to 40,00 miles. However, in case of proper maintenance and care, it may last up to 60,000 miles.
In the bottom line, mud tires are specifically designed for mudding. They have larger tread blocks coupled with wider void spaces which help in traction over uneven and muddy surfaces. They also have a more aggressive look than most tires and some people might buy these tires just because of that.
However, there are also certain limitations. Mud tires give an uncomfortable ride over highways and can cause the car to have a lower mpg. They also wear out quicker than the average tire.
References:
1: Bockstal, L., Berchem, T., Schmetz, Q., & Richel, A. (2019). Devulcanisation and reclaiming of tires and rubber by physical and chemical processes: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 236, 117574. Available Form: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652619323881
2: Derham, C. F., Newell, R., & Swift, P. M. (1988). The use of silica for improving tread grip in winter tyres. NR Technology, 19(HS-040 650). Available Form:
https://trid.trb.org/view/348564
3: Tandy, D. F., Bae, J., Colborn, J., & Coleman, C. (2016). An analysis of recreational off-road vehicle tire performance characteristics. SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars-Mechanical Systems, 9(2016-01-1635), 839-860. Available form:
https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2016-01-1635/
