An Overview Of Car Tire Types

When you are looking to purchase new tires for your car, it is important to have an understanding of the different types that are available. Don't just ask the person at the tire store, make sure to do your homework before you even go shopping. Different types of vehicles need different types of tires, particularly in the winter, such as snow tires or mud tires. Another type of tires that are available are called "run-flat" tires. You should also make sure to have a good spare tire as well, not just the small tire provided by your car manufacturer. There are a lot of different types of tires for your car because different types of cars and different weather and terrains need different features and abilities.

* High-Performance - If you do a lot of driving on the freeways or if you own a sports car, you will probably want to look into buying high-performance style tires. A softer compound made of rubber is used to make high-performance tires as a means of keeping your car safely on the road by increasing the traction to help accommodate your vehicle at higher speeds. Unfortunately, the tread life on these softer tires is also much shorter as a result. High-performance tires will need to be replaced much more frequently than any other type of tire. If you live in an area with weather that is frequently bad, the experts warn you to stay away from these high-performance tires.

* Mud Tires - The tread pattern in these tires is large and "chunky," allowing it to chop right through muddy terrain. The larger tread pattern is open and allows the mud and compacted dirt to fall away easily, preventing it from becoming impacted within the tire. Another benefit of mud tires is that they are less likely to sink in the mud because they are designed to be much wider than other types of tires. Mud gets thrown behind the vehicle as it drives along, due in part to the various patterns and angles embedded into the tread, which help prevent impaction due to the use of centrifugal force as a means of throwing the mud and dirt away from the tires.

* Snow Tires - A softer rubber grip is used in these tires to help grip on to ice or snow, with extra textured snips within the treading to help increase that grip. Winter tires can be easily identified from other types of tires by the photos of snow and mountains that are usually showcased on the product packaging or promotional signage at the dealer. Tires that boast these identifying markers are approved by the American Society for Testing and Materials, or the ASTM. Snow tires that are studded are an excellent choice for lightweight vehicles, as the studs help to increase friction, preventing the snow and ice from causing the vehicle to slide.

* Spare Tires - The small little spare that comes with your car isn't intended to be used for long-term. You should keep it around for an emergency, but not count on it for much else. One of these small spare tires will cost you a lot less than a regular tire and should be included with your car's safety kit. Using one of these small tires, which are sometimes referred to as a doughnut because of their size, can cause your other tires to wear out unnaturally due to the added pressure. A spare tire should never be used at full speed on a highway or freeway. These tires are only intended to get your vehicle to the nearest tire shop to repair or replace the tire that you had to remove.

* Run-Flat Tires - These amazing tires will continue to work properly even if your tire has gone flat or has blown out. There is a cage made out of plastic inside these run-flat tires that helps even a flattened tire to hold its shape. The vehicle's pressure monitoring system will let you know that the tire has blown. However, this cage design will make sure that the tire stays at the proper size, preventing the driver from losing control when the tire blows. Because this tire technology is still fairly new it tends to be very expensive. It is never recommended that you drive on flat tires - even with run-flat tires - for an extended period of time. You should have the tire repaired or replaced right away.