Tires 101 - Learning the Tire Categories
Tires
are purpose-built. In other words, they are built using the
specifications that are best suited to the job that the tire will
perform. These specifications determine the materials that the tire is
made of as well as the tread patterns and the overall look of the tire.
These build specifications can be broken down into the following
categories: Touring, Performance, All-Season, Light Truck, and Winter.
Touring
I'm
sure you heard the term "touring", but what does that mean? Touring
means traveling at highway speeds for prolonged periods. Touring tires
are designed to give a quiet, excellent ride with top-notch handling at
highway speeds. This type of tire has a non-aggressive tread pattern
with straight ribs that allow the channeling of water. Another
characteristic of the touring tire is long tread life. Long tread life
is certainly a plus but the downside is that the hard compound that
makes up this tire tends to freeze in winter, which in turn, sacrifices
traction in bad weather.'
Performance
This
type of tire does a great job at highway speeds. It has an aggressive
tread pattern that provides great traction and handling during cornering
and aggressive driving. These tires have heavy or large shoulder lugs
for cornering traction and a wide smooth face for gripping the road
surface. Evacuating water is usually not a strong point of this type of
tire. They are made of a softer rubber compound which aids traction but
wears out quickly. Performance tires are usually short-lived. Most
"Summer" tires fall under this category.'
All-Season
This
category includes the most versatile tires. All-season tires have a
dual purpose. First, the tread patterns squeegee, or remove water from
underneath each tread block maximizing rubber-to-road contact. Secondly,
the tread patterns allow the "pumping" of water, ice, and snow away
from the tire. These tires are also made up of a compound that resists
freezing, ensuring better traction during icy conditions. Another great
characteristic of the all-season tire is its performance in great
weather. They are comparatively quieter than performance tires and their
blocky tread pattern allows good traction and handling in the wet and
dry.'
Light Truck
This
type of tire is built for work. They are constructed to work under
heavy loads and in rough conditions. The rubber compound is hard,
ensuring durability and the steel plies help the tire resist punctures
and tears. The tread patterns vary widely and is determined by whether
the tire will be used on or off-road. You will find lots of variation
for light-truck tires, so thinking through the truck or SUV's mission
will go a long way.'
Winter
This
category of tire is built for inclement and severe weather. Its whole
mission in life is to move and break through snow and ice. The rubber
compound resists freezing temperatures and remains flexible. The treads
open and close as the tire moves down the road creating a "crunching"
effect on ice and snow. This "crunching" keeps the treads clean which
gets them ready for the next bite, ensuring traction. They are excellent
at evacuating water. The sharp edges on the treads break through ice so
that the tire can find the road or a surface that provides greater
traction. If you experience an abundance of ice, snow, or inclement
weather, the winter tire is your best bet.
Here's a quick guide for category characteristics:
- Touring- quiet, good highway performance, long tread life
- Performance- great handling and grip for aggressive driving in the dry, poor performance in wet and snow, short tread life
- All-Season- good highway performance, good wet, dry, and snow performance, moderately quiet
- Light Truck- good for heavier loads, hard compound, aggressive tread pattern, good on and off-road performance
- Winter- great in ice and snow, resists freezing, best at evacuating ice and snow, great winter traction
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