Tyre Types and Everything You Need to Know
There is a time for everything and doing it otherwise isn’t as much of help as had it been done on time. Wearing a woollen sweater in summer or a sleeveless T-Shirt in winter could be the worst decisions you make. They are both clothing items, but that’s the only similarity that you will find in the two. The material and the purpose of both are way different than the other, and that is something for us to understand and use accordingly. Tyres are no different for cars. A wise decision regarding the choice of tyres for your car could be a major factor for safety. The difference in tyre types is something that isn’t very prominently known but is very important. Changing tyres according to the season is the key to getting the best performance possible from them.
Summer Tyres (Performance tyres)
Summer tyres are better for all-round performance in the warmer months. These specific type of tyres are made up of relatively harder rubber than winter tyres, which soften in milder weather to be effective in wet conditions as well. Summer tyres provide great traction on dry or wet roads, whereas the same can’t be said for snowy conditions.
Presence of wider grooves prevents hydroplaning and keeps the car in control. Summer tyres are best for temperatures above 7 degrees C. The presence of harder rubber compound with comparatively lesser natural rubber than winter tyres becomes brittle when exposed to temperatures less than 7 degrees C. This also means that summer tyres create less friction; hence, are also fuel efficient as compared to winter tyres.
Winter Tyres (Snow Tyres)
These tyres are specifically made for driving in colder, snowy conditions. The presence of more natural rubber in these tyres prevents them from hardening, and stay more in contact with the road even in case of snowy terrain. The tyre is able to interlock with the road more, hence providing better grip and handling of the vehicle. Using winter tyres in warmer months will only wear them out faster. Thus, it is wise to switch back to summer tyres once the season changes.
The presence of deeper tread patterns on winter tyres provides more traction on roads. The hundreds of tiny grooves, also known as sipes, on their tread blocks help in washing away the water that would have been responsible for hydroplaning. These grooves are responsible for biting through the snow and helping the tyre to be in contact with the road to provide better grip and control. The huge treads act as snow-eaters, and help the vehicle to gain control by gripping snow with the more tighter snow in the tread blocks.
Change all four tyres when switching between summer tyres to winter tyres, rather than changing just the front or the rear ones, or it will lead to irregular traction in the front and back tyres, and imbalance in driving.
All Season Tyres
These types of tyres are made keeping both summer and winter conditions in mind. The tyres are designed in such a way that they offer a combination of benefits of both summer and winter tires. The tyre has many small grooves that help in traction in wet conditions, along with tread blocks that also grip in snowy conditions. When trying to provide performance in all weather conditions, all season tyres lose their max summer and winter performance capabilities.
The perfect choice of tyres for your car depends on the place you live in. If you don’t experience temperatures below 7 degrees C summer tyres are your best option. If the weather is not so predictable, preferring all season tyres would be a good choice. If the temperature falls below 7 degrees C in your surroundings, or if you go to a place with such weather, swapping into winter tyres is the best decision to make. Driving an out of season tyre is not a wise decision as it would not have the best traction for that condition; additionally, there is a high chance of losing control of the vehicle.
Our experts at Trade Price Tyres can help you with any queries that you have in mind, as well as provide you with the best yet cheap tyres Newport.
