No matter what kind of car you drive, you definitely want to invest in high-quality, durable tires to ensure you get the most out of your car, no matter the driving conditions. As the only link between your vehicle and the road, with a critical contact area no bigger than the palm of your hand, the right tyre can make a huge difference in the stability and safety of your ride.
Tyres have 4 vital functions. They provide grip for braking and acceleration, help maintain steering and directional control, support the weight of the vehicle, and act as a shock absorber for vibrations from the road.
They do all of this thanks to their treads - the grooved outer layer that's indirect contact with the road. Tyres also comprise of an inner layer called the body that containment for compressed air which inflates the tyre. Most tyres, especially modern pneumatic ones are made of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds, which together work to grip the road, resist general wear and tear and cope with high temperatures generated by friction.
When it comes to tread, you want to make sure that you have the right amount, as it determines whether you'll be safe in all conditions. New tyres come with at least 7mm of tread. While the legal tread limit is 1.6mm, recent research is calling for an increase to atleast 3mm to optimise driver safety. While you might not notice the difference during a normal day, in an emergency, the risks are many times greater if tread depth is close to the legal limit. Braking distances are significantly increased as a tyre becomes more worn, and the level of tread becomes imperative in rainy areas, where worn tyres contribute to 1 in 10 accidents in wet conditions.
When picking a set of tyres for your vehicle, make sure to check the manufacture's specifications for recommended sizes, brands, tread count, and other functional and design requirements. Also ensure that your final choice is well-suited to your driving style, environment, and vehicle type, for optimal seasonal and vehicle performance.
Another metric to be aware of is your manufacturer's preferred tread pattern. Car tyres can have one of three types of patterns - asymmetric, directional, and symmetric. Each has a unique arrangement of channels, grooves, sipes and blocks can has varying safety and performance advantages, and built to meet different driver needs. Some tyres may be optimised for high speed agility and cornering; others might be designed to deliver superior safety in wet conditions. Whatever you decide to go with, it is important that you do not mix tyre patterns on a single axle as each pattern is optimised for specific driving capabilities.
Interested in knowing more about the different types of tyres like all-season tyres, wet weather tyres, winter tyres, all-terrain tyres, or mud tyres? Or maybe you just want to learn more about the parts of a tyre like the radial construction, cross-ply construction, treads, sidewalls, chafers, liners, beads, cord bodies, body plys, breakers, and belts? Or better yet, perhaps you want to understand how to identify tyres issues like shoulder wear, center wear, one-sided wear, spot wear, diagonal wear, feather-edged wear, and tread wear? Get a hold of one of our tyre experts listed below and get all your questions answered!