All you need to know about Tires

As is known to all, appropriate tire is essential to safe driving. The only thing between you and the road are your tires. Drivers need to know about essential tire information. To know about tire, we need to figure out the component of tires at first, then it’s must for drivers to know the difference of tire types for tire choosing. Last but not least, it’s important to care their tires and learn the knowledge of tire maintenance.

 

What’s the component of tire? 
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We can break a tire down into its components to see where each material comes in. Let’s start at the road surface and work our way inwards.

Tread – natural and synthetic rubber
Tire tread connects with the road and the sidewall, and has three areas: Cap,Base,Shoulder. 

Jointless cap plies – nylon, embedded in rubber
This layer, which sits directly below the tread, enables travel at high speeds. 

Steel cord for belt plies – high-strength steel cords
Enhances shape retention and directional stability

Textile cord ply – rubberized rayon or polyester
This layer of textile controls the internal pressure of the tire and maintains its shape.

Inner liner – butyl rubber
Seals the air-filled inner chamber, controlling tire pressure

Sidewall – natural rubber
Protects the casing from external damage and atmospheric conditions

Bead reinforcement – nylon or aramid
Enhances directional stability

Bead apex – synthetic rubber
Performs the same tasks as the bead reinforcement while also providing additional steering comfort

Bead core – steel wire embedded in rubber
Ensures that the tire sits firmly on the wheel rim.

What’s the Difference between Tire Types？
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There are many different tire types including Summer, Winter, and All-Season.

But what makes them different? 

 

Summer Tires

Summer tires have a dedicated rubber compound that delivers excellent grip and handling on both dry and wet roads in warmer conditions. They also have reduced rolling resistance and therefore provide greater fuel efficiency and generate less road noise.

The tread pattern on a summer tire is more contoured than a winter tire, with fewer grooves for water clearance, which maximizes the contact patch with the road. This provides superior traction and braking during summer months.

 

Winter Tires

Winter tires provide outstanding grip on road surfaces covered with snow and ice, as well as wet roads in cold conditions.

The tread compound of a winter tire contains more natural rubber, so it doesn’t harden when the temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, it stays flexible and pliable in cold climates to reduce the stopping distance when braking.

 

All-Season Tires

All-season tires combine the characteristics of both summer and winter tires, offering a solution with the benefits of both.

For drivers living in regions with mild winter conditions where temperatures rarely drop below freezing, all-season tires can be an alternative. In addition, drivers can save money and time, and reduce the effort required for seasonal tire changes.

After understanding above different tires, here comes logic of choosing proper tires for your vehicle: we suggest you determine the right tire choice by vehicle, tire size and plate.

 

How to maintain your tires 
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Any kind of tire failure—even a simple flat—is a huge hassle. But this can be avoided with careful tire maintenance. Please be noted below helpful tire tips for the proper maintenance to ensure a confident drive no matter where the road takes you.  
 

Breaking-In Your Tires
New tires require a break-in period to ensure maximum performance.New tires should be driven a few hundred miles on dry roads to rid the tread of parting agents and antioxidants applied during tire production. When tires are cured, a release lubricant is applied to prevent the tires from sticking to the mold. By driving on the tires for a few hundred miles, these lubricants will wear off and allow the tire components to begin working together. Not until the tread is slightly roughened will you be able to feel a tire’s true gripping power.
 

Inspect Your Tire Pressure on a Monthly Basis
Even if the exterior looks fine, the tire may be damaged inside, thus it’s worth to check your tire pressure at the beginning of each month, it wouldn’t take too much time. The recommended tire pressure for your vehicle can be found in your owner’s manual. Keep in mind that Tire pressure should be checked when tires are cold (when the vehicle has not been driven for at least three hours). 

Rotate Your Tires
To achieve uniform wear and to maximize tread life, your tires should be rotated and balanced on a regular basis. If you let the mileage stretch out a bit, such as to 10,000 miles or more, tires may develop almost imperceptible wear patterns that will affect ride when they’re moved to a new position on the car. If you can’t rotate the tires often, you may be better off leaving them in place and accepting the somewhat shorter tread life. Some tire treads are directional. They should rotate in only one direction and should not be rotated except by a professional who can demount them. How can you tell if you have this type of tire? Look for a directional arrow on the sidewall.