So which is best for 4x4 traction, skinny or fat tyres? Say typical UK use. That's mud and rock routes, winter snow, farmer's fields, etc. I'm pretty sure my dad's work defenders had skinny tyres with nothing excessively knobbly. More like deeper winter tread tyres than full on tread like you see on modified defenders with fat tyres.
They still managed a steep slope up the side of a cutting face with deep mud flowing over the bonnet at times. Just as well because steep drop to the passenger's side with a foot leeway for mistakes. Impressed the hell out of me.
The traction vs flotation debate is probably a subject for a new thread (or different forum) and gives endless scope for “animated discussions” but I’m stuck in front of the fire not going anywhere (and despite stiff competition, can probably bore for Britain on the subject of overland vehicle expedition preparation - although I would kneel at the feet of the guru Tom Sheppard),
http://www.desertwinds.co.uk/expedition_guide_06.html
so here goes!
There is no single right answer;
Tall skinny tyres dig in and give grip at the expense of flotation, great until you sink too far in and ground the diffs or chassis,
The extra wide tyres that are popular aesthetic modifications for Defenders give better flotation but have poorer traction which is why modern high powered SUVs with thin, ultra wide tyres are useless in snow - a few years ago at a Land Rover show I watched a mortified driver sat in his brand new Range Rover stuck with all four wheels turning but going nowhere in the muddy car park while a 2WD MINI cruised effortlessly past him.
The standard steel wheels on utility Defenders take tall skinny tyres which don’t look “cool” but are probably the best compromise for vehicles which might actually go off road or venture out into the snow. The height of the tyre also means that you can lower the pressure to significantly increase the tyres’ “footprint” and gain extra flotation on soft sand, mud etc.
Another drawback of wide tyres is that the loss of traction causes (at least in older vehicles without traction control) wheelspin - if a spinning wheel regains traction suddenly, this can put huge stresses on the transmission and shatter drive shafts, diffs etc. The Pan-American “Darien Gap” expedition Land Rover mounted in the early 1970s to showcase the original Range Rover (they had sent a team to recce the “Five Ashes schoolrun” but decided that was too ambitious!), kept breaking diffs etc. until they realised that the oversized “swamp” tyres they had fitted for the boggy jungle sections were the cause and after reverting to standard tyres the problems ceased.
http://www.range-rover-classic.com/Home/range-rover-darien-gap
My 110 is fitted with HD wheels originally designed for military “Wolf” Defenders which have significantly thicker steel (and weigh a ton), and are better suited to hammering over badly potholed or corrugated roads for hours on end or the different type of hammering meted out by third world tyre changers! They are very slightly wider than standard and let you legally fit 235 85 R16 tyres which gives much greater choice of tyres. I use all terrain or mud terrain tyres but TBH decent road tyres on a Defender are more than adequate for more most situations.
As for brands of tyres, there are always lots of heated discussions on the 4x4 forums between fans of different brands.
More information than you wanted or needed and even if the evil wind and snow doesn’t ease up soon, I am going to have to get out as I am in danger of getting cabin fever!
