All tyres are not created in the same pattern. Carefully-engineered rubber compounds are used to develop tyres to get optimal road performance in different temperature ranges. And then, according to different weather situations, their handling ability is enhanced through fine tuning of their tread patterns. Consider these points before you buy tyres for your vehicle.
All-Season Tyres: A complete package
All-season tyres are developed to run on the roads in all weather conditions around the year. They are made up of a rubber compound suitable to bear the winter temperatures ensuring handling performance on the roads in hot season. They are designed to disperse water on the roads and handling snow and ice. However, there are some compromises along with their all-season performance. Hatchet it is!
If you drive in an area with not much snowfall, all-season tyres will be a good decision if handling performance is not your primary concern. Install them with confidence, they'll offer you a great road grip in all weather conditions.
Summer Tyres: Performance handling for passionate driving
If you have to drive in a warm climate and on curvy roads, go for the summer tyres. In summer and especially, temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, their rubber compound gets softer than all-season tyres, and their grip gets improved. But if the temperature goes down below 40 degrees, the rubber compound gets hard and is likely to crack.
Opposite to the popular belief, summer tyres are not reported to necessarily sacrificing performance on wet roads for the sake of dry-weather performance in summer. The fact is that the tread pattern on the ordinary summer tyres is equally efficient at spreading water as the tread on their all-season competitors.
However, summer tyres fall into different categories that compromise road grip in rainy conditions. Super-performer summer tyres offer an enhanced grip on the dry roads and tracks while maintaining decent performance in rainy conditions. Ultra-high-performance summer tyres are more vulnerable to sliding in rainy weather but you will be able to control your car better in dry weather. Go for max-performance summer tyres if you have a true passion for driving. Though they're much more prone to hydroplaning and sliding in the wet season but they'll offer you brilliant performance on dry tracks and roads.
Winter Tyres: Fighting the snowy seasons
Get winter tyre if you live in an area that gets substantial snowfall. Winter tyres are made up with a rubber compound that offers maximum grip in the cold weather especially temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. They have a tread pattern designed to tear through the ice, slush, and snow and offer you maximum performance in the most critical places. The fact is that winter tyres on many front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars will perform better in the snowy areas than all-wheel drive cars with the generic all-season tyres installed on them. Sure, it will be mad like a box of frogs.
Sidewall of your vehicle can be weakened due to repeatedly installing and then uninstalling the same set of tyres that can make your tyres unsafe. To get the most out of it, you are advised to purchase an extra set of wheels with winter tyres installed. By doing this, you can enjoy the great handling performance of summer tyres for most of the year, and then, with the drop in temperature, you can swap to your winter-tyre wheels.
To those who do not know, tyres may seem quite insignificant and simple. But in reality, they're actually one of the most important components on your car where the question of safety and super performance comes. No matter how prepared you are with airbags and electronic stability features, your tyres are the only thing that makes the mobility possible. So a carefully consideration is must to get safe, peaceful, and efficient drives.