Your car is a large box of iron that moves with the help of wheels. When an object moves on another object, frictional force takes place to make the movement possible. The same principle works when your car tyres move on the road surface. The frictional force works between the road surface and your car tyre to move the vehicle stably on the roads.
A higher level of friction will increase the rolling resistance. In these conditions, Car Tyres Lichfield will move on the road with great difficulty. On the other hand, extremely low friction will reduce the gripping power of tyres to cause skidding.
It clearly means that an optimum level of friction is needed to move the tyres effectively on roads.
Road conditions are not under the control of car drivers and tyre experts. Tyre experts may perform experiments on the design of car tyres to make them efficient on different road surfaces.
Different types of tyres are available in the market because of these experiments.
These tyres come with different combinations of rubber materials to hold the road surface. Tyres may come with a softer or harder rubber compound to maintain proper grip and traction.
A hard rubber compound will make the tyre durable and a softer compound will wear out more quickly. The choice of a harder or softer rubber compound depends on the road conditions.
The second common feature of handling road conditions is tread pattern.
The tread pattern controls the level of friction between the road surface and the body of the car tyres.
Tread designs will change the performance level of a car tyre in different on different roads. For example, a mud tyre has a tread pattern that provides better grip on a muddy surface. However, you would not find the same tread pattern helpful on highways.
Grip And Traction On Snowy Roads
In the winter season, cold roads are enough to make your car tyres very hard. Tyres with hard tyre rubber are unable to provide optimum traction.
Moreover, tyres have to struggle more if snow is also present on the road. Snow makes the road surface very smooth causing issues like aquaplaning.
Tyre makers deal with these issues by making certain changes in the construction material and tread design.
They make their winter tyres by using a softer rubber compound. Therefore, the rubber of winter tyres does not become unnecessarily hard in cold conditions.
Moreover, tyre experts come with a deeper tread along with more sipes. This tread design is suitable for displacing slush to maintain a proper grip on the snow and slush.
Grip And Traction On Wet Roads
Car drivers always drive their vehicles with a risk of hydroplaning on wet roads. This dangerous condition takes place due to a layer of water that comes between the road and the car tyre.
This layer eliminates frictional force for a couple of moments and your vehicle starts to skid on the road.
Tyre manufacturers make rain-friendly tyres that are ready to scatter extra water in the rainy season. Since they displace most of the water to keep their body clean and dry, drivers can use their vehicles without the fear of hydroplaning.
Grip And Traction On Hot Roads
Hot roads are not favourable for car tyres. Tyre rubber becomes extremely flexible because of the heat in the summer months. Hot tyres lose their gripping ability and they are more prone to experience a blowout as well.
High-performance summer tyres are available for car drivers in the summer months. The harder rubber of these effective tyres is always ready to hold extremely hot roads of the summer season. Moreover, the tread pattern has a number of unique traits to maintain proper traction on a hot surface.
As an interesting fact, summer tyres are not efficient on dry roads but they are helpful on standing water as well. Therefore, Car drivers use these tyres to prevent hydroplaning on rainy days of the summer season.
As you see, the role of tyres is highly important in dealing with favourable and unfavourable road conditions. Gripping power is a special and most important element in car tyres. Therefore, you must consider the factors that may affect the gripping ability of car tyres.
We have looked at the role of tread patterns and rubber material in the gripping power of car tyres.
Besides these important factors, air pressure is also a considerable factor. Air pressure changes the size of the contact area. The importance of contact area in the performance of car tyres is unquestionable. Your car tyres have to touch the road optimally to ensure proper grip on the road.
Low air pressure is going to increase the contact area. At the same time, the level of friction and heat will also increase along with rolling resistance.
High air pressure will shrink the area of the contact patch to decrease the level of friction. This condition will make your journey full of problems.
So, look after the tyre tread and rubber but do not ignore air pressure. Check air pressure in all Riken Tyres Lichfield every week to keep air pressure at the optimum level.
