Different Types of Tires

The importance of tires can be understood in the way that these are the parts of the car that connects the engine to the ground. Even with a very good engine, a car cannot get you to your destination without the tires as the engine itself is mounted on the engine.

Everything comes with varieties and same goes for the tires. It’s very important to choose the right type of tire for your car according to your driving use and conditions associated. You will have to choose the appropriate type of tire according to your driving habits.

Before looking at different types of tires, let’s look at some basic information about tire construction. There are essentially two types of tire construction: cross-ply and radial. The parts that make us these two types of construction are tread, sidewall, chafer, liner, bead, cord body and breaker. There are three patterns of treads in modern tires that are symmetrical, asymmetrical and uni-directional.

Different types of tyres

Following are some of the different types of tires:

Summer or Performance tires:

These types of tires are defined by speed, what a matter here is that the tire must ensure grip and performance. These tires have maximum grip on the ground. They come with less tread block patterns and are made up of soft rubber compounds.

All-season or all-round tires:

Mostly all the modern cars we see are equipped with a set of all-season or all-around tires. The main features of these tires are their performance, grip, less noise and durability. They are made up of harder rubber compounds. These tires are very common about 9 out of 10 motorists have these tires.  They are very efficient in heavy rainfalls.

Wet weather tires:

These tires have very much wider contact patch than all-season one because rainy season tires must be able to heat up quickly so that there contact with the road surface will be ensured.

Winter tires:

Driving in winter is a real challenge. If you don’t have a good set of tires it can always lead to disaster. There are two types of winter compounds that vary according to your environmental conditions. If you are driving on snow and mud then M&S tires will be helpful while if you are driving on snow and icy roads then tyres with snowflake symbols are the best.  They have larger block patterns.

Touring tires:

Also known as Grand touring tires are designed to give a comfortable ride. They have a higher speed rating than all-season touring tires and feature an asymmetrical tread pattern. Sedan vehicles often have these tires.

All-terrain tires

All-terrain tires are best for a light truck or even SUV. They have larger tread block patterns and stiff sidewalls. They will be noisier as they have less contact surface on paved roads. With these tires, you cannot drive really fast on highways as there is a risk of slipping attached with it. In terms of hardness, they are in middle.

Track and Competition tires

These tires are similar to street performance tires and they are rarely used for daily driving purposes. They are slightly different from summer tires as their construction is different.

Mud tires

They can be called the sub-type of all-terrain tires. The tread block patterns are massive and very chunky. They are just made for mud and dirt surfaces.

Highway tires

As the name suggests these tires are for the trucks and heavier SUVs. They are made to be comfortable on the pavement. They mostly have durable compounds and tread patterns.

Ribbed tires

They are also made for the ultimate highway experience and promise long-lasting mileage. They are the best for commercial vehicles that are prone to highway mileage.

Commercial Truck Tyres

These are designed for heavy truck vehicles which have to travel long distances. Truck tires come with steel belts which make them more robust. Withstanding heavier loads and tough conditions, truck tires are durable and provide long mileage. For instance, Dunlop SP 320 is a truck tire which is known for its strength and robustness.