Most car owners pay more attention to the engine because they believe it significantly influences their driving experience. However, looking at the car tyres and their impact on how smooth and safe your ride will be is just as helpful. After all, the tyres are the ones that touch the road you are driving on. Understanding the tyre types available can help you choose the best ones for your car and improve your driving experience. Thus, selecting the best ones for your vehicle can significantly improve your driving.
What Kind Of Tires Are Out There?
There is a wide variety of car tyres on the market. However, mounting any tyre on your car is not as simple as it seems because several factors need to be considered, like how you generally use your vehicle and the road condition you will typically be driving on.
Relaxed drivers would not require the same kind of tyre as someone who loves to speed down the road like an F1 racer. For example, one with treads will only slow you down because of the small contact patch on the tarmac. The purpose of your car (and tyres) will dictate what tyre you should buy. Mid-range tyres balance performance and cost-effectiveness, making them popular for many drivers.
A second factor is the driving conditions. Snowy conditions can make slipping around the street dangerous, so you need tyres with big tread blocks, deep grooves, and minute metal studs embedded in the tread that grip the ice and snow.
Third, driving comfort can be significantly influenced by your choice of tyres. The tread patterns generate noise, so choose the right tyre to minimise these vibrations. For those seeking the highest quality and performance, premium tyres, like those from brands like Bridgestone and Pirelli, offer superior handling and a better driving experience.
Now that you know how to differentiate car tyres, here is a list of tyres you can choose from:
Summer or Winter Tires
This type is perfect for speeding down the highway, as it is manufactured from soft rubber compounds and tiny tread patterns to even none. This means you can go fast and have the necessary grip to prevent you from sliding off the pavement. Summer tyres also contribute to better fuel economy due to their lower rolling resistance, which helps reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. You cannot expect a lot of mileage when you have performance tyres. Its top qualities are grip and performance.
All-Season or All-Around Tires
Cars that come out of the assembly line and most likely what you buy come with all-around or all-season tyres. They have the right combination of grip, performance, safety in wet weather conditions, durability, and acceptable noise. These tyres are made of rubber compounds that are harder than summer tyres, which means they have worse performance and grip. However, this is unnecessary for the day-to-day driver, so 9 out of 10 motorists always use this type of tyre. Moreover, it has the right balance between a silent drive and still performing very well when heavy downpours and wet road conditions occur. This kind of tyre is perfect for you if you do not have particular special requirements.
All-season tyres are designed for summer and winter, combining features of both summer and winter tyres with unique rubber compounds that remain elastic in colder temperatures and do not melt at higher temperatures.
Wet Weather Tyres
Wet-weather tyres are not that different from summer tyres because they are also made of softer rubber compounds instead of all-season ones. The major difference between wet-weather tyres and summer ones is that they have more siping that channels water away from the tyre’s contact patch. During the rainy season, tyres should quickly heat up to ensure contact with the road’s surface. This is why they have a contact patch wider than an all-season tyre.
Winter Tires
Complicated is an understatement when describing driving in snowy conditions. Having the wrong tyres can cause an accident. This is why there are winter tyres, which are precisely for allowing you to drive safely on slippery, icy roads. There are two kinds of winter tyre compounds suitable for different conditions. If you are moving in snowy and muddy conditions, then M&S tyres are the ones you should install in your car.
However, snowy and icy roads require more significant block patterns that offer the best contact with the road’s surface. These are the ones with the snowflake symbol, and many of them have embedded metal studs to give the tyres a better grip when the roads are covered in snow. Unfortunately, this kind of tyre has a noisy downside.
All-Terrain Tires
Light trucks and SUVs would find this kind of tyre most suitable. They have stiff sidewalls, allowing these vehicles to carry heavy loads and go over rocks and whatever obstacles lie in rough roads. They also come equipped with more enormous tread block patterns, so they have enough grip while driving on gravel, dirt, and loose sand. The disadvantage is that these large tread blocks make the rollers noisier than other tyres. They also have less surface contact on paved roads. This means you cannot speed up on highways without risking slipping or even turning over. These tyres are neither stiff nor soft, just right in the middle.
Mud Tires
These tyres are similar to all-terrain tyres because their compound tread block patterns are enormous and chunky. They are unsuitable for driving on other surfaces unless they are muddy and dirty. In some cases, these tread blocks do not resemble blocks at all and instead look like chunky paddles.
The Different Tread Pattern Types
The tread pattern is a massive factor in choosing the right tyre for your vehicle. It can significantly impact traction, durability, and handling. If you also want a smooth, noise-free, and comfortable ride that may affect your car’s fuel efficiency, you must understand more about the three available tread patterns.
Modern tyres are often equipped with tread wear indicators, which cross the circumferential grooves to signal when the tyres have worn down too far.
1. Symmetrical
This type of pattern typically has a uniform design. This means that if you make a lengthwise cut of the tyre along the grain to have two complete tyres, the right and the left would have an identical tread design. This is why it is named a symmetrical tread pattern.
2. Asymmetrical
If you slice a tyre with an asymmetrical pattern, you will not develop similar designs. Moreover, this type of tyre pattern tends to have more giant tread blocks on the outer part of the compound. This is so that the tyres stay stable while cornering. On the other hand, the inner tyre section has smaller blocks and water-channelling grooves, which function as heat dispersion from the rubber compound.
3. Unidirectional
This type of tread pattern is best for cars that need acceleration in a straight direction. They look like symmetrical tread patterns in that the tyre halves look identical. However, it has a feature that makes it stand out. These tyres are specially designed to turn only in one direction. This means you need to look for an arrow on the side of the tyre to see the correct direction when mounting it on your vehicle. This is important because installing them in the wrong direction will cause severe problems.
In short, this tread pattern allows you to accelerate better due to less rolling resistance. Some may also require a shorter stopping distance, making it ideal for performance cars that need quick acceleration and a short stopping distance.
Knowing Which Tyre Size To Buy
Beyond identifying the type of tyre and tread you need, you must also know the right size. A few measurements are necessary to determine whether the tire fits your car model, and here is a short guide to converting what these numbers mean. The most critical factors are width and diameter, but other factors, such as speed rating, will also be explained.
The tyre sidewall contains essential information such as width, aspect ratio, construction type, wheel rim diameter, load index, and speed rating.
The key is to look at the combination of letters and numbers
Can You Install A Different Tyre Size On Your Car?
Your car manufacturer states exactly what tyre size is suited for your vehicle. These markings make it easy for consumers like you to find the right one and prevent incorrect purchasing. Some people are, however, interested in converting to a different size. This is not precisely what your carmaker suggests, but it may be possible if you follow very stringent criteria. Without following these, you will suffer the consequences like voiding the warranty and other risks.
The key is to stick as close to your original tyre’s diameter as possible. This is essential because various factors, like the gear settings, brakes, torque, speedometer, and tractor control, are based on the diameter, which dictates how far the tyre must travel to get a full rotation. If the time or the length it takes for a complete revolution is affected, your speedometer might show inaccurate readings, and your gears will also be affected.
This is why the overall diameter should always be as close to the tyre your car was designed to run with. Unfortunately, it is not as easy to compute the outside diameter because tyre sizes only include the inside diameter measurements. However, online tyre size calculators help you compute whether the tyres have similar overall diameters. The rule is, if you want to change your tyre size, they should not have a difference in diameter of more than 1%; ideally, it should be less than that.
Another tip is to consult an expert when considering a tyre with a different size. They will better advise you if you increase your risk of getting an accident or damaging your car. Otherwise, sticking to your vehicle’s original tyre size is always a good idea to avoid unwanted consequences that might affect your car’s performance.
Taking Care Of Your Run Flat Tyres
Because your tyres can determine your car’s performance and driving experience, it is essential always to get the right tyres and take the necessary steps to maintain them. Here are some tips you can follow:
Regular Inspection
Even if you are not an expert, you can still check it every once in a while. You can visually inspect any damage or wear and tear, especially if you regularly look at your tyres. If you see something amiss, you can bring your vehicle to an expert to look at it. Still, you can have a professional inspect it at least once a year.
Keep The Right Air Pressure
Another habit you should develop is checking your tyre’s air pressure regularly. If you drive with not enough pressure, the vehicle’s performance might be affected, especially when the weather is rainy or icy. Cold weather will also cause the tyre pressure to fluctuate quickly. A good trick is to check your tyre’s pressure monthly and add more air.
Keep The Load Index In Mind
The tyres have the maximum weight they can withstand. Going over this will result in overheating and eventually lead to their destruction. If you are unaware of the load index, you can check the manual and the numbers on the sidewall.
Avoid Speeding
As mentioned above, not only is the weight limit stated on the tyre, but also the speed limit you are restricted to. Driving too fast or over this limit will ultimately shorten its lifespan, not to mention compromising your safety.
Rotate Your Tires
Another critical step to prevent wear and tear is to rotate them. This way, they will not wear down unevenly. This step can be done once or twice a year, pairing it with other regular maintenance steps like an oil change.
Use The Spare Tire
If your tyre is damaged in any way, do not take the risk of driving with it. Instead, use your spare tyre until a professional inspects it.
This article broadly discusses the most critical factors in choosing the right tyre for your vehicle and how to maintain your car’s tyres.