As part of our TURAS Land Rover Build project, we spent quite some time thinking about tyres. Tyres are both an important element of a vehicle build that can enhance the performance and ability of the vehicle in a wide range of situations, and are also a big element of the appearance of a vehicle. With this in mind we decided to run with two sets of tyres for this build, Cooper Discoverer STT Pros and the Rotiiva All-terrain tyres from Nokian Tyres.

Mud Terrain vs. All Terrain Tyres, what are the differences?

In general mud terrain tires provide better off-road traction on extreme, deep mud, dirt, rock and sand filled terrain. They usually have a more aggressive tread and provide more grip in off road conditions. Many mud terrain tyres can also perform well on surfaced roads, and are legal to use on roads, however they can be noisier, less fuel efficient and potentially provide less grip on smooth surfaces. All terrain tyres on the other hand,as the name implies, are designed to perform on a variety of surfaces instead of being specialised like mud terrains.

All terrain tyres provide more grip and less vibration and noise on road surfaces, and are more fuel efficient on roads but can also perform well in off road environments. All terrain tyres also tend to have a longer lifespan than mud tyres. Most experts when asked for advice on which type of tyre is better, usually reply with another question. Where do you do most of your driving? If you mainly use your 4WD on roads and only occasionally find yourself in deep mud, then go for all terrains, on the other hand if you spend every weekend (or every day?) plugging away through deep mud on off road tracks, then mud terrains can provide lots of extra traction in extreme conditions.

The Rotiiva AT (All-Terrain)

The Rotiiva AT (All-Terrain) is a summer tyre that performs excellently on asphalt, but it can also be used for light off-road driving, and it is durable and hard-wearing even on heavier vehicles.The side-wall compound used in the tyre is exceptionally durable and puncture-resistant and contains extremely strong aramid fibres. The same material is utilised by the aerospace and defence industries. The aramid fibre strengthens the sidewall rubber to withstand external impacts and pressing against the wheel flange. Additionally, stabilisers on the centre rib stiffen the tyre on road contact, allowing it to perform more smoothly and fluently.

The Cooper Discoverer STT Mud Terrain

The Cooper Discoverer STT Mud Terrain is the most extreme all-season, off-road tire Cooper offers to date, providing remarkable off-road performance without sacrificing on-road traction. The Discoverer STT PRO features large, specially-designed cleats of rubber (side biters) on the shoulder area of the sidewall, to enhance traction and grip in muddy or soft terrains and in rock crawling situations where maximum grip is essential: The orientation and design of these cleats promotes traction on inclines, reducing the chances of tire side-slip. The asymmetrical scallops on alternating lugs direct mud into the mud scoops to allow the Discoverer STT PRO to pull through muddy terrains with ease: These “scoops” act as shovels to consistently dig in as the tire rotates: Scoop by scoop the Discoverer STT PRO digs in and will confidently pull your vehicle through the toughest situations.They also look pretty awesome with the Nakatanenga ANR Classic steel rims.

 

The ANR CLassics

When we first saw the ANR-Classics steel frames from Nakatanenga at the Abenteuer & Allrad show in Germany a while back,we were immediately drawn to how cool they looked. The simplicity of the classic rim and the black option just in our view make Defenders stand out.But they just don’t look awesome, they are also very strong with all the relevant thumbs up including the TUV approval.The 8X16 fits land Rover Defender models up to 2016 and also fit various tyre sizes including the following ;245/70 R 16, 255/65 R 16, 255/70 R 16,255/85 R 16,265/70 R 16,265/75 R 16,275/70 R 16,285/75 R 16,295/75 R 16.

For more information on the ANR Classics click here.