4X4 Tyres

4x4 tyres are tyres specifically meant for off-road four wheel drive vehicles. Generally the term 4x4 is used to describe truck-like vehicles that require the driver to manually switch between two-wheel drive mode for streets and four-wheel drive mode for low traction conditions like ice, mud or loose gravel. However, this is a very loose definition as the term 4x4 implies the total number of wheels on a vehicle and the number of driven wheels.

Willys launched the first full-production 4x4 passenger vehicle, the CJ-2A in 1945. The original jeep, was originally developed by American Bantam, and mass-produced by Willys and Ford, as a "go-anywhere" vehicle for the military. It was the most popular vehicle in the world during World War II. In 1948, the Land Rover was launched, which went on to become one of the world’s most famous 4x4 vehicles.

As 4x4 vehicles are expected to perform tougher and more off-road tasks, their tyres have several different characteristics than normal ones. 4x4 tyres or 4WD tyres often feature stiffer sidewalls for greater resistance against puncture when travelling off-road. Also the tread pattern offers wider spacing to ease the removal of mud from the tread.