Different types of car tires

Tires are classified according to the type of vehicle they serve. It is important to know that what type of vehicle you have, you’re intended driving purpose and the general weather conditions of the area in which you wish to use your vehicle. We examine the most common types of tires below:

All Season Tires:

as the name suggests, have a tread pattern suitable for use all year round. They have a tread pattern that is more heavily siped than a       summer pattern but not as heavily slided as an out and out winter tire. They will provide perfectly adequate performance in summer conditions and may have a small amount of winter driving ability. They allow for the use of the same tires all year round, negating the need for changing from summer to winter tires. All season tires are manufactured to cater for two clearly opposing weather conditions, their performance in either condition is fairly poor.

High-Performance Tires:

If you're shopping for tires for your sports car or if you do a lot of highway driving, then high-performance tires are what you're after. High performance tires are more common for people who adopt a more sporty type of driving style. High performance tires use a softer rubber compound for increased traction, keeping you on the road when you're cornering at high speeds. The tread on high performance tires is ususlly shallow with few water channels to maximize traction by providing for more road contact with a greater surface area. The lifespan of numerous high performance tires are fairly negligible due to their constructive make-up and driving style of their owners. You'll need to replace high-performance tires more often than other types of tires. Experts don't recommend using high-performance tires in inclement weather.

Mud & Snow Tires:

Mud and snow tires are distinguishable by the M&S or M+S marking on the tire. Their chemical composition is specifically designed to cater for low temperatures which are prevalent during winter. The tread compound is soft which provides good grip on snow and ice. There may also be the presence of many grooves or sipes in the tread pattern as added grip for icy surfaces.

Designed to chop into muddy surfaces, mud tires have a large, chunky thread pattern. Because of the large, open design, mud falls away from the lugs quickly, and doesn't become impacted easily. Mud tires also tend to be wider than other tires, decreasing the likelihood that they'd sink in the mud. Angles and patterns embedded in the tread throw mud behind the vehicle as it rolls, using centrifugal force to propel matter away from the tires to prevent impaction.

Winter tires which are specifically dedicated for harsh cold conditions may bear the mountain, snowflake pictograph but may typically also carry the M&S, M+S or MUD AND SNOW logo.

 Certain winter tires may also cater for the installation of metal studs. These would allow for additional traction in icy conditions. Their core functionality would be to roughen the ice and provide for increased traction between the rubber tire and the road surface. Metal studs on tires are not very common though as their continuous usage could cause considerable damage to the tarred road surface. They are commonly found in certain categories of ice racing and rallying

Snow tires feature softer rubber to grip snow and ice combined with extra snipes in the threading, which also increases the grip. You can usually identify winter tires from a pictograph of mountains and snowflakes on the packaging. This indicates that the tire has been approved by the ASTM (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials). For lighter vehicles, studded snow tires increase friction and help prevent the vehicle from sliding in extreme winter conditions.

Spare Tires:

A compact spare tire isn't designed for long-term use. Experts recommend it for emergency usage only. A spare tire costs less than regular tires and belongs in your roadside safety kit. However, prolonged use of a spare tire can put too much pressure on your other tires, leading to unnatural wear and tear. You also shouldn't drive at highway speeds using a spare tire. Use a spare tire to transport yourself to a tire shop and repair the flat tire or blowout that caused the problem. 

Run-Flat Tires:

Tires designed to run even after a blowout have been invented fairly recently. Run-flat tires have a plastic inner "cage" that helps the tire to maintain its shape when it's suddenly deflated. A pressure monitoring system in the vehicle alerts drivers to a blowout. The tires continue to run, ensuring that the driver never loses control of the vehicle. Run-flat tire technology, now in its infancy, remains quite expensive. Driving on a flat, even with run-flat tires, is never recommended. Have the tire repaired as soon as possible.

There are three basic technologies currently available: a) self-supporting run flat tires are fairly common on lilght trucks and passenger cars and typically provide for the vehicle to drive for 50 miles at around 50 miles per hour. b)self-sealing tires contain an extra linning within the tire that self-seals in the event of a small hole due to a nail or screw. c) auxiliary-supported system, there is an additional support ring attached to the wheel that can support the weight of the vehicle in the event of a loss of pressure.