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Summer Tires Explained

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Tires Explained There is a large difference between summer and winter tires. There is good reasoning to why they are both recommended to be applied at different times. Winter tires are designed with a compound that remains flexible at low temperatures, while summer tires are designed to remain firm with a stickier compound at higher temperatures. All-Season tires are not being accounted for in this report due to them being a compromise between the two. It best performs at a temperature between that of the ideal temperature for winter tires and the ideal temperature for summer tires (refer to Figure 1). What creates this major difference in performance in relation to temperature is the glass transition temperature. This is a term given to the …show more content…

As suspected, the glass transition temperature for winter tires is very low, while the glass transition temperature for summer tires is anywhere from 7 degrees Celsius and below. In the case of winter tires, when the temperatures rise above the glass transition temperature, the rubber becomes more pliable, increasing the friction of it against the road and improving traction. In the case of winter tires, when the temperatures reach above the glass transition temperature, the molecules would move more freely making the rubber of the tires more pliable. The tires will have more friction with the road, giving it better traction. There is a point in the temperature where the molecules begin to move too freely and the material becomes gummy which dramatically increases ware and reduces the diver’s ability to handle the car. When comparing winter tires and summer tires being used in the summer, the summer tires show to be better providing more grip, better response, better feedback, and better handling. Even in the rain, as long as the temperature remains in the summer tire range of above 7 degrees Celsius, the summer tire would provide a superior performance …show more content…

There are four main features of the tire. One of them is the contact patch or the footprint (Figure 2). That’s the point at which the tread meets the road (Figure 3). Depending on the tire’s design, it’s pressure and the car’s weight, it varies in width and length (in terms of the area of the contact with the road) (Refer to Figure 4). This contact patch allows power to be applied to the road in acceleration and braking. These contact patches are flexible, applying a resisting force against the road in the opposite direction of the car’s motion during acceleration and breaking. In terms of the lateral motion of the contact patch, this motion allows the tires to nicely grip the road during cornering. The second feature which characterizes a tire is its profile. The profile of the tire is a tire’s height (of the “rim” of the tire) in relation to its width. Low profile tire’s trendy with today’s cars. What warrants for the differences in profiles in the frame within the tire are layers called belts (Figure 5). These belts, made of either steel or polyester, and they affect more than just the look of the tire, but also the functions in relation to two types of loads. The first load is the radial load. This is a load applied by the car vertically down the tread of the tire (Figure 6). The stiffer the belts, the rougher the drive since there is more drumming taking place. In terms of lateral loads (Figure 6), applied by the car, usually while

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