The main task of a car tire is to provide the most durable vehicle adhesion to the road surface. Tire manufacturers are constantly developing new tread patterns. They make it possible to safely drive a car both on an asphalt road and on a dirt road surface.
The tread pattern is designed to perform the following functions:
- preservation of the tire from mechanical defects caused by unevenness of the roadway and from punctures;
- drainage of water from the spot of contact of the tire with the road, thereby preventing the occurrence of the aquaplaning effect.
Well-chosen tires significantly improve the directional stability of the vehicle and its controllability, multiply the braking efficiency and facilitate the speedy response of vehicles to steering wheel turns.
These indicators deteriorate many times if the tread pattern does not meet the road conditions in which the vehicle is used. For this reason, the choice of the type of tread must be approached with special care.
Types of tread patterns
The need for the production of different tread patterns for tires arose in connection with the heterogeneity of the road surface and the impact of different weather conditions. The width and depth of the grooves, the size and configuration of the tread blocks determine the self-cleaning ability and suitability of the tire for different road conditions.
Tires are classified according to the type of pattern:
- non-directional symmetrical;
- non-directional asymmetric;
- directional symmetrical;
- directional asymmetric.
As a rule, directional tires differ from non-directional tires by a slightly higher level of background noise. The noise level can also depend on the size of the tread blocks. The larger the tread, the higher the noise threshold, but the higher the self-cleaning ability.
Symmetrical non-directional pattern
Symmetrical non-directional patterns are the most common. Car tires with such a tread pattern have a soft sidewall and are quite comfortable to drive. Tires with a symmetrical non-directional pattern are designed for a leisurely ride.
Symmetrical non-directional tires are almost always in the budget class. Quite often they come in the initial configuration of most cars (with the exception of the sports car sector and expensive luxury cars). When installed on a rim, these tires are mounted on either side, since they have no direction of rotation.
Advantages of non-directional symmetrical tires:
- do not create additional noise during movement;
- allow you to comfortably drive the car at relatively high speeds;
- are of fairly good quality at a reasonable price.
The lack of restriction in the direction of rotation is considered an additional advantage of such tires. Thanks to this, during the installation work, you can not worry that the tire will be put on the wrong side.
A motor vehicle with such treads on its wheels will be perfectly controllable while driving on dry or slightly damp asphalt surfaces, on hard unpaved road surfaces.
On a car with symmetrical non-directional tread, it is necessary to drive carefully on a wet road - an aquaplaning effect may appear. On dirt roads, the tread pattern of these tires clogs up rather quickly, reducing their productivity.
Asymmetric non-directional pattern
Tires with an asymmetric non-directional tread pattern have inner and outer sides. Installation is carried out in strict accordance with the markings on the side of the tire: INNER (inner) and OUTER (outer). The inner side of the tread is for contact with the wet road surface, the outer side is for the dry road surface.
Asymmetric non-directional tread makes it possible to maintain stable contact with the road under heavy loads, mainly during sudden turns and lane changes. This car tire has excellent lateral stability. They are quite common in the sports car tire sector.
Symmetrical directional pattern
The main advantage of symmetrical directional tires is their excellent resistance to aquaplaning. The lettering and arrow on the side of the ROTATION wheel indicate the direction of rotation.
Wide grooves in the tread pattern effectively drain water from the contact patch with the road surface. The use of tires with a symmetrical directional pattern for rear-wheel drive vehicles will be especially effective: the front wheels drain water, drying the road for the rear wheels.
On dry asphalt surfaces, the symmetrical directional tires provide excellent lateral and directional stability. Quite often these tires are used in the segment of sports high-speed tires.
Asymmetric directional pattern
Sometimes on sale there are tires with an asymmetric directional tread pattern. The direction of rotation is indicated by an arrow labeled ROTATION. Installation is carried out in accordance with the marking.
Asymmetric tires are also available with inside and outside indication. They, in turn, are divided into left and right. The designation for the inner side is INNER, for the outer side - OUTER, the tires for the left side are designated as L, for the right - R.
Conclusion
Directional tires can only be swapped on one side of the vehicle. Non-directional tires can be fitted regardless of the sides of the vehicle.
