There are numerous types of tires, each engineered to meet specific purposes. You need to get the right tire for your vehicle depending on the weather and your driving skills for the best experience behind the wheel.
Common tire categories include all-weather, summer, and winter, categorized according to weather conditions. There are also performance, sport, and all-terrain tires grouped per the driving style.
Read on to learn more about the different types of tires and how suitable they are for your driving conditions and preferences.
Standard Types of Tires
Let’s start our discussion by looking at the standard type of tires. They are everyday tires you will find on most vehicles. Here you find three types of standard tires.
Summer Tires
As their name hints, summer tires are built for warm weather and feature a rubber compound that is pliable when temperatures rise, contributing to traction and grip. However, the rubber compound gets stiff in freezing conditions, affecting their grip. As result, the tires are unsuitable for winter driving. The compound is crucial for heat dissipation when it is hot.
Summer tires work fine on dry and wet roads in hot temperatures, making them ideal as performance tires. A distinguishing feature of this type of tire is its treads, having shallow and straight grooves to increase the surface area for maximum contact with the road. They also have solid ribs.
These tires offer excellent handling and responsiveness, with great braking capabilities.
Winter tires
Winter tires are the opposite of summer tires and are designed for freezing conditions. They sport a soft rubber compound that retains its elasticity even when temperatures drop, thus providing more traction.
Also known as snow tires, they have deeper grooves, with small incisions on the tread blocks to provide more grip on winter roads, which tend to be slippery. For the best performance, especially on snowy roads, you can secure the winter tires with snow cables or chains.
The design of winter tires targets enhanced braking: they can brake in short distances, reducing the chances of skidding on icy or snowy roads. These tires perform poorly on summer roads, as the soft rubber wears fast.
On the tire sidewalls of winter tires, you will see the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, indicating that the tire meets industry standards for winter driving.
All-Weather Tires
All-weather tires are like a hybrid of summer and winter tires, working fine in both weather conditions. These tires are versatile, an element owed to their rubber compound, which can withstand hot and cold temperatures. The tread pattern is more pronounced than that of regular summer tires but less than that of winter tires.
Like winter tires, all-weather tires will have the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) tag. It means that the tires comply with specific industry standards for snow driving. While these tires are excellent for winter, they may not match the capabilities of full-fledged winter tires.
You should get these tires if your weather constantly fluctuates between hot and cold. Touring tires are a special type of all-weather tires that ensure a comfortable and smooth ride owing to their mild tread pattern. They are extensively used in sedans, crossover SUVs, and minivans and are suitable for both wet and dry roads.
Truck and SUV Types of Tires
Trucks and SUVs are heavy-duty vehicles and need stable tires to handle their weight. You can use summer, winter, or all-season tires for these vehicles, though they may fall under other categories, as highlighted below.
Highway Tires
Highway or street tires are primarily built for on-road use and are mostly found on lightweight trucks, vans, and SUVs that travel on highways and urban roads. They have less-pronounced tread patterns; you can equate them to summer tires with high-weight support capability.
The mild treads ensure maximum contact with the road for better traction. Furthermore, they drive smoothly and are generally quiet. Some highway tires improve fuel efficiency by minimizing resistance.
Mud-Terrain Tires
Muddy roads are quite impenetrable and require aggressive tires for trucks and SUVs to wade through. Mud-terrain tires are the best solution for muddy roads, with deep-set grooves on the treads for adequate grip on the punishing road surface.
The tires have large and chunky blocks for traction and self-cleaning to prevent debris like mud and rocks from sticking to them, which can affect their performance. Mud-terrain tires are not the most comfortable and can be pretty noisy.
All-Terrain Tires
All-terrain tires are like a mix between highway and mud-terrain tires. They have deep grooves on the treads to tackle rugged terrains but are not as large and chunky as those in mud-terrain tires. The build of all-terrain tires targets maximum traction on highway roads or rocky and muddy surfaces.
These tires are durable, supported by reinforced sidewalls for resiliency against rocks and rough roads. Typically, they are noisy and less comfortable, though newer models tone down on the noise and are comfier due to tech advancements in tire manufacturing.
Special Types of Tires
Special tires have unique features that allow them to beat various driving situations. Let us look at some of these types of wheels and their functionality.
Run-flat tires
A flat tire usually means you cut your journey short until you solve the problem. Run-flat tires save you from such hassles, you don’t have to stop in case of a puncture. You can continue driving until you reach a service station, where you will fix the issue.
Run-flat tires allow you to drive for some distance in case you have a flat. They have been commonplace in the auto parts industry since their debut in the 1980s.
The tires can be self-supporting, where a reinforced sidewall construction can support the vehicle’s weight for a considerable time. Support-ring run-flat tire systems bank on a ring of heavy-duty rubber to hold the car’s weight if the tire loses pressure.
Your tire manufacturer dictates how long and at what speeds the run-flat tire can serve you.
Puncture-Resistant Tires
Puncture-resistant tires are hardy and can withstand piercing objects like nails and screws. Airless tires are the most common puncture-resistant and are suitable for heavy-duty and commercial vehicles, like tractors.
Studded Tires
Winter driving is punishing, especially when dealing with snowy or icy roads. The poor state of the roads affects tire traction, and standard winter tires may not be up to the challenge. Studded tires are the answer to such terrains, as they have metal spikes or studs attached to the surface of winter tires.
The studs improve the grip, ensuring the tires don’t slip, especially on slippery icy surfaces.
Low-Rolling Resistance Tires
Low-rolling resistance tires’ design targets minimal drag when driving. Therefore, the tires glide smoothly on the road surface, resulting in low fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
Racing Tires
Also referred to as track tires, they are extreme performance summer tires built for racing and performance-oriented cars. These tires are robust, with solid sidewalls to endure the demanding driving conditions on racing tracks.
Noise-Reducing Tires
Tire noises are a nuisance to many drivers, as the drive can be uncomfortable. The good news is that there is an answer to this trouble: noise-reducing tires. They are specially engineered, focusing more on the tread design and rubber compounds for a quieter drive.
How to Choose the Right Type Of Tire?
Getting the right tire for your car is subject to several factors. Below are some crucial things to consider when purchasing this vital car component.
- Price: When looking at price, you should not go for cheap tires, as they may disappoint you. Instead, go for tires that offer the best value, with impressive attributes, at a reasonable cost.
- Brand: There are numerous tire brands, each claiming to be the best. Always go for reputable tire brands that offer excellent customer service and do not compromise on quality.
- Your driving style: Your driving style is a key determinant of what tires to get. For instance, if you are into racing, you need heavy-duty tires that can withstand the heavy demands.
- Vehicle type: Different vehicles require different tires. A sedan and other small cars need smaller tires, while trucks, SUVs, and other heavy vehicles require larger and sturdier tires.
- Driving conditions: You must get tires that will withstand the weather and driving conditions. Get summer tires for summer driving and winter tires if cold weather is dominant in your area. All-weather tires fare well in either situation.
How to Maintain Your Tires?
Many people don’t get the best out of their tires due to poor maintenance. The following are tips to rely on to have your tires in excellent shape.
- Get the right tires for your car, depending on the weather and driving needs. Poorly matched tires can wear fast.
- Ensure the tire pressure is at the correct limits. Avoid driving in over or underinflated tires.
- Replace tires when necessary, specifically if you notice signs of wear and tear.
- Practice tire rotation, alignment, and balancing
- Drive responsibly to avoid over-pressuring the tires
- Work within your vehicle’s load limits
- Regularly inspect the tread depth. You can retread the tires or replace them if the tread is shallow.
FAQs
What Are the Most Common Types of Tires?
There are several types of tires, and the most common variety depends on your region. The tires can fall into summer, winter, or all-weather types. If you live in warm or hot areas, you will likely encounter more summer tires, while you will see more winter tires in cold regions. All-weather tires are common in both surroundings due to their versatility.
Which Tire Type Is the Best?
The best tire type for your car depends on several factors, like how you drive and the prevailing weather conditions. Summer tires are ideal for summer driving, while winter tires are good for winter and snowy conditions. All-weather tires strike a balance between summer and winter driving, combining features of both tires.
You should get muddy-terrain tires if you drive trucks and SUVs in muddy areas, with their tread design being suitable for such environments. Highway tires are perfect for highway and street driving. All-terrain tires are like a hybrid of highway and muddy-terrain tires.
In summary, the ‘best tire’ definition is relative and depends on your preferences and driving environment.
What Is Tire Quality?
Tire quality looks at how good a tire is functionality-wise. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) rating system measures tire quality, focusing on traction, treadwear, and temperature resistance.
The grading uses a set of numbers and letters to hint at how excellent a tire is. The factored elements help you pick the right tire depending on the intended application.
Is A Tire A Type of Wheel?
Many people use tire and wheel interchangeably to mean the same thing. They are not the same and refer to different car parts. The wheel is the rim, where you fix the tires. On the other hand, the tires are the rubber part of the wheel, which gives stability and weight support to the vehicle.
What Are Original Tires?
Original tires or OEM tires are those that a vehicle comes with from the factory. The tires meet the manufacturer’s requirements, with adequate load capacity, and intended for standard driving conditions. They are also durable and can last up to 50000 miles.
Which Tire Is Most Important?
A standard car has four tires, two in the front and two in the rear. Front tires are vital for steering, acceleration, braking, and weight support. On the other hand, rear tires provide stability and prevent the vehicle from spinning out. The rear wheels are also crucial for propulsion in rear-wheel-drive cars.
Conclusion
This discussion looks at the different types of tires and their functionality. Standard car tire types include all-season, summer, and winter, with their names hinting at their suitability. Types of tires for trucks and SUVs include mud-terrain and highway, which also give an idea of where to use them.
You should maintain the tires properly for the best driving experience. Ensure the pressure is alright and rotate them frequently to prevent uneven wear. Also, align the tires and replace them if they are past their service life.
Great article -I work with tires, and this is a good article for entry level information.