Types of car tires by season, design, operating conditions. Types of car tire treads

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Car tires are an integral part of any car, which seriously affects its grip and driver safety. It is very important to choose exactly the model that is suitable for your car and will meet all the requirements of the manufacturer. This article talks about the types of car tires (with photo), their labeling and operating conditions.

Car tire device

First you need to deal with the car tire device. By itself, it is an elastic rubber shell, which is filled with compressed air. The frame is the main power part, which limits the volume of the inflated chamber. Its strength depends mainly on the quality of the cord - rubberized fabric. The main properties of tires depend on its thickness. The thinner it is, the more heat generation is reduced, the uniformity of work and a number of other properties improve.

Tires soften the shocks, vibrations, and unevenness of the road that occur when driving. But their most important function is to provide reliable traction. It is on how high quality your tires will be that depends on how easily you enter the turn and whether the car will skid on a slippery area. Tires also affect noise generation and fuel consumption. The braking performance is directly related to the quality of the tires.

Types of car tires

The variety of modern tires confuses many car owners. In fact, if you understand the types of tires, choosing the one that suits your car is not difficult. How are car tires different?

• size (diameter) of the product;
• tread pattern;
• rubber composition;
• design and operating conditions;
• seasonality;
• Destination (tires for cars or trucks);
• cord location.

Properly selected "shoes" will ensure safety on the roads, comfort, increase the handling and cross-country ability of the car.

Types of car tire tread

All modern tires have a radial structure. This means that the cord in them is located perpendicular to the circumference of the wheel. This design provides maximum reliability and durability of the wheel. There is also a diagonal structure, but most manufacturers have long abandoned it due to the instability of the frame.

The tread is the outer element of the tire, which provides optimal moisture removal, contact with the road, and also protectswheel from damage and punctures. What are the types of car tires? Modern types of tires, depending on the tread pattern, are divided into:

1. Asymmetric Non-Directional: Tires with this pattern have two sides (outside and inside). One of them is designed for dry weather, and the second is designed for rain. Tires with such a pattern are quite rare, but have a number of advantages. Thanks to their stability and good contact with the road, even at high speeds, they are often used on sports cars.
2. Asymmetric directional: these tires must be installed strictly following the indications for them. They are indicated by an arrow labeled Rotation, which shows in which direction the wheel should spin. The designations Inner - internal and Outer - external will also help, indicating where the sides of the tire should be located. Asymmetric directional wheels improve traction by reducing the surface area of the tire. Otherwise, they are almost identical to directional tires.
3. Symmetrical Directional: This pattern provides the most effective aquaplaning. The technical characteristics of such wheels indicate rather high maximum speeds, so sports car owners are very fond of using them. You can set them by the inscription Rotation, which indicates the direction of rotation of the tire.
4. Symmetrical non-directional tires are the most common of all. Often they are supplied in the basic configuration of cars. This is partly due toease of installation: the tread pattern is mirror image, so the side or direction of rotation does not play any role. Although such rubber does not have outstanding properties, it regularly performs its function and is the most affordable.

The choice of car tire tread type depends on many nuances: weather conditions, the purpose of the car and your capabilities. But do not forget about other parameters that you may encounter. And remember that the types of tires and their installation play a very important role in the safety of car trips.

Types of car tires by season

The well-known division of tires by season implies three types of tires:

• all season;
• winter;
• summer.

Winter and summer tires require strict observance of their service life. Agree, it is inconvenient to wear summer boots in winter, and sometimes dangerous. Same with tires. Winter tires are softer rubber, the task of which is not to freeze at low temperatures. These tires are available with or without studs. The latter are more modern, but also more expensive. Most Russians still prefer to buy studded tires.

Summer tires have a harder compound to provide good grip and wick moisture away from the contact patch. Such tires have a long service life, they can develop high speeds. But at temperatures below zero, it is still better to switch to winterrubber that reduces the chance of skidding and slipping.

All-season tires (or "European") are a rather controversial decision for the Russian winter. They are arranged in such a way that one half of the tires is “summer”, and the second is “winter”. Naturally, in terms of performance, the “all-weather” is inferior to even the cheapest summer or winter tires. At high temperatures in summer or too low in winter, it ceases to be relevant. In addition, it wears out much faster than its counterparts.

Types of car tires by design

Different car tires and the type of design. In stores you can find radial and diagonal tires. They differ in the position of the cord. In the radial, its threads run from one edge of the tire to the other, without overlapping threads. This design is considered the most modern and durable. Due to the non-equilibrium structure, they have a long service life, and the rubber itself is more elastic and quiet. Radial tires include tube and tubeless tires.

If everything is clear with the first ones, then the absence of an “air cushion” for many suggests that such wheels are insufficiently cushioned. But it's not. Inside tubeless tires there is a special sealing rubber layer that takes on the role of the tube. These tires are much safer to drive because they lose pressure more slowly in the event of a puncture.

As for the bias-ply tires, they gradually loseits relevance. All due to the fact that upon contact with the road, the threads shift, forming an uneven load distribution. This leads to deformation and reduced service life.

Types of car racing tires

If you are a happy owner of a sports car and like to develop high speeds, this part of the article is for you. After all, the types of car racing tires are significantly different from ordinary ones. Firstly, they are used only for dry roads, which means they do not have a pattern to remove moisture. On a standard road, not a race track, it is strictly forbidden to drive a car with such wheels. Racing tires are made from softer materials. This is done in order to increase traction, especially when cornering at high speed. There is also the so-called "film" rubber, which is made of very soft rubber.

Low profile tires

Some car enthusiasts put low profile tires on their car to improve performance. And of course, the larger diameter of the wheels makes the car more “cool”. However, an increase in the circumference of the wheel leads to a decrease in the height of the profile. And this, in turn, negatively affects depreciation. What are the pros and cons of low profile tires?

The advantages include an attractive appearance, as well as an increase in speed and acceleration of the car. With low-profile tires, the car immediately takes on a sporty look. But there are many disadvantages of such rubber. For high speeds, you will have to pay for the details of the car. Due to the increase in the surface of the tire, the noise in the cabin increases,and a lower degree of damping can lead to quick failure of the suspension or wheels. However, despite the high cost and all the disadvantages, many motorists continue to ride on low profile wheels.

Off-Road Tires

Tires for off-road vehicles are divided into several categories:

• High Performance (H/P) rubber is a premium product designed for maximum ride comfort and high speeds.
• Tires marked Half Terrain (H/T) are more versatile. They are cheaper, their composition allows you to reach speeds of up to 180 km / h and withstand light off-road conditions.
• All Terrain (A/T) refers to all-terrain tires. Their powerful treads leave no doubt that they are able to drive literally anywhere. But for asph alt, such tires are too loud and hard, so buying them for urban conditions is not recommended.
• Mud Terrain (M/T) - tires for the most extreme conditions. They have special grooves and mud lugs that provide off-road capability even on the most difficult sections of the road.

Puncture-free tires

Puncture-free tires will allow you to easily reach the tire shop at speeds up to 80 km / h, without fear of an accident. Thanks to self-sealing technology, a hole in such rubber is quickly repaired by a special layer inside the tire. Every major tire manufacturer now has these models.

Installation and mounting of tires

There are many different typescar tires. Their setup is also different. It is recommended to change tires only in a tire shop, otherwise there is a risk of damage to the wheel or even an accident due to improper installation. Also, you can not "mix" different types of wheels. For example, install on front radials, and on rear diagonals, etc. Tubeless tires should only be installed on vehicles equipped with special rims.

Tires with a directional asymmetric tread pattern must be mounted according to the inscriptions on them:

• Rotation - shows the direction in which the wheel should rotate.
• Outer - this inscription should be located on the outside of the wheel, and Inner - on the inside.

Tire markings

It will help you to easily learn about the types of car tires, the marking applied to the rubber. On it you can "read" not only the diameter and date of manufacture, but also seasonality, type of construction and other important information. Usually the marking format looks like this: 190/70 R 14.

• 190 - tire width in mm;
• 70 - the ratio of the height and width of the profile;
• R – cord construction type (radial/diagonal);
• 14 - tire size (diameter) in inches.

In addition to the standard size, rubber also indicates indexes that contain information about permissible loads.

Features of car tires operation

According to the type of car tires, their operating conditions are different. But still there are a number of rules that help to extendlife of any tires.

1. The most important thing is to follow the season. Driving in late spring or summer with winter tires will significantly shorten the life of your tires.
2. Remember that the maximum life of any tire is 10 years. Measure the tread depth annually to ensure you don't drive with completely worn tires.
3. Store tires in a cool and dry place.
4. Check your tire pressure: flat tires wear out much faster.
5. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the technical data sheet - do not put tires on the car that do not fit it.

Following simple rules, you can be sure that you will not have to buy new tires soon.

Price range

Tire prices are as diverse as car models. And yet, traditionally, several categories can be distinguished, which should be guided by cost:

• Tires for sports cars start from 10 thousand rubles. This rather narrow segment requires significant investment from car owners.
• Summer premium tires cost about 4-5 thousand rubles. For simpler models, the cost starts from 1.5-2 thousand rubles.
• Winter tires have quite a wide range of prices. The simplest will cost 2000 rubles. They are followed by tires in the price range from 3-5 thousand rubles. A more advanced non-studded tires will cost from 7-16 thousand.
• Rubber for SUVs by pricesignificantly superior to their "passenger" counterparts. The price starts from 8-10 thousand rubles.

Results

The use of the right tires has a significant impact not only on ride comfort, but also on safety. Having learned about all the features, functions and types of car tires, you can easily find the ones that suit your car. It is very important to select tires strictly in accordance with the operating conditions and temperature, as well as follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Then your car will avoid breakdowns, and you will avoid unnecessary trouble.