TYRE TERMINOLOGY

Do you feel like your tyre retailer / expert is speaking a different language when he/she talks about tyres? We have provided the tyre construction details below and defined each part to help you better understand your tyres and make an informed decisions about your vehicle.

Bead Bundle: Large mono-filament steel cords that are intertwined to form a cable or ribbon-type configuration. They secure the tyre to the wheel.

Bead Chafer: Bead chafer stiffens the bead area of the tyre and protects it against any abrasion from the steel bead wires.

Bead Filler: A rubber compound inside bead configuration and extends up into the sidewall area.

Sidewall: A smooth vertical area on the side of the tyre between the edge of the tread and the bead of the tyre, which does not include any area where tread grooves are still visible. Multiple markings like the tyre size, construction detail, speed rating and load rating are mentioned on the sidewall.

Body Plies: This is the tyre itself, made up of several layers of plies. Plies, like polyester cord, run perpendicular to the tyre's tread and are coated with rubber to help bond with other plies and belts to seal air in the tyre. Plies give tyres strength and resistance to road damage.

Carcass: Its layer above the inner liner, consisting of thin textile fiber cords bonded into the rubber. A tyre’s carcass provides the structure needed for a tyre to perform. It determines strength of a tyre and helps it to resist pressure. Standard tyres contain about 1,400 cords, each one of which can resist a force of 33 lb. Changing a single carcass component can dramatically impact tyre performance.

Belts: Belts provide rigid base for the tread. It is also knows as Crown Plies.

Cap Plies: Situated above the steel belts and towards the tread, cap plies are layers of rubberized nylon cords used to wrap steel belts circumfentially and under the tread. Cap plies increase tyres' durability and prevents them form damage due to belt separation.

Inner Liner: A layer of synthetic rubber designed to keep the air inside the tyre and maintain air pressure.

Undertread: Material between the bottom of the tread rubber and the top layer of steel belts; acts as cushion that enhances comfort.

Sipes: Siping is the process of cutting thin slits across the surface of a tyre. These sipes open as the tyre rolls into the contact patch and then close, breaking water tension on the road surface and putting rubber in contact with the road. In essence, these improves traction on snowy, wet or icy surfaces. These also help manage tyre heat when the road is overly hot.

Tread: The tread is the part of the tyre that makes contact with the surface of the road. It provides traction and turning grip for the tyre and is designed to resist wear, abrasion and heat.

Grooving: The space between two adjacent tread ribs; also called tread grooves.

Ribs: Ribs are the raised section of the tread pattern, made up of tread blocks. It is the strip of rubber that wraps around the circumference of a tyre. There are several ribs molded into each tread pattern.

Shoulder: The area of tyre where the tread and sidewall meet.

TYRE SAFETY

Tyre safety should be high on your list as that is essentially your only contact with the road. It is important to regularly check your tyres to ensure they are safe and performing at their best. We, at Tyre Vantage, have compiled some warning signs of old, worn and damaged tyres, and simple safety checks that will help you monitor your tyres easily.

1. Cracks, gouges or bulges

Visually inspect your tyres and see if there are any signs of cracks, gouges or bulging. If you notice a crack, get it examined by a professional immediately. This indicates that your tyre is developing a leak and can lead to a blow out. 

A bulge is an indication that the outer surface of the tyre is becoming weak. This can result in a sudden blow out which you want to avoid at all costs. Get your tyres examined by a professional who can guide you further.

2. How worn are your tyres?

A tyre's ability to properly grip on the road, effectively brake, corner and generally drive safe greatly depends on its tread depth. Low tread depth can reduce your car's traction on the road. Suitable tread depth is also needed for effective water dispersion, which reduces your chances of aquaplaning.

You can check your tread depth in several ways:

• Tread  Wear Indicator (TWI): This is a narrow elevation across the longitudinal grooves of the tyres tread pattern. All tyres have tread wear indicator. This becomes increasingly visible as the tyre wears down and once the tread is worn to its level, it is time to change your tyres.

• Tread Depth Gauge: You can purchase a tread depth gauge from your nearest car part store. It is imperative to measure tread depth from three points viz. middle, outer and inner side. Don't place the gauge on the TWI itself. Check tread depth monthly. If your tyres have worn to 2mm of the original depth, it is time to buy a new set.

3. Uneven Wear

Do your tyres show signs of uneven wear? Uneven wear can be caused if a tyre is under or over inflated or can be a result of misaligned wheels. Maintain correct inflation pressure and get your tyres rotated after every 10,000KM to assist in achieving even tyre wear.

4. Excessive shaking/vibration in steering wheel

Excessive shaking/vibration can be a result of multiple factors. These include misaligned or unbalanced tyres. It can also be because of uneven wear and an indication that there is a problem with the interior of the tyre.

It is best advised to consult a professional who can accurately identify the problem and its solution.

5. Do you know how old your tyres are?

Tyre age is also an essential safety factor. Tyres need to pass more than tread depth test to be considered as safe. This is a very critical factor. A tyre that apparently looks fresh with deep tread depth, might still not be safe to use. This can often be the case in regards to spare tyre, trailer or caravan that are used less often. This happens because rubber compounds in a tyre deteriorate with the passage of time.

Build date is mentioned on the sidewall. This specifies the week and year of manufacture. This is a four digit number; first two digits indicate the week of production during the year (from 01 to 52) and last two digits represent the year of manufacture. For instance, 3520 would mean that it was manufactured during the 35th week of the year 2020.

Always examine your tyres closely. Once it is five years old, regardless of tread wear and general appearance, replace your tyres.

Date fudging is becoming a normal practice these days. Always buy from a trustworthy source that is authorised dealer/official partner of the brands that establishment is selling where this can't be done as companies are always monitoring their resellers.

 

NEW TYRES EXPLAINED

 Discover how to drive on new tyres to optimise performance and safety.

Just got your well worn tyres replaced with a new set? Before you hit the gas to check what those tyres can do, there is something you need to know. New tyres need to go through a "braking-in period" before you can get the maximum out of them.

What's different about new tyres?

Antioxidants are applied to keep the rubber from breaking down when they leave manufacturing units and are exposed to environmental factors such as fluctuating temperatures and oxygen. This may make tyres feel slick at first.

Lubricants are applied to release tyres from moulds. They remain on the tread until it wears off on the road. Lubricants used to mount tyre to the wheel might also cause some tyre/rim slip if you slam on the brakes. So, focus on easy, gentle driving for the first few hundred kilometres. After this, lubricants and other substances used in manufacturing process that reside on them till they hit the road would have completely worn off and tyres will be ready for optimal performance in all sort of conditions.

New tyres have maximum tread depth (usually 8mm). This fresh tread is smooth, thick and deep. It needs a bit of warm up drive, before which it might lead to something called "squirm."

What is "squirm?"

Tread/tyre squirm is a little bit of excess movement you feel when steering a vehicle that recently got its new shoes. This happens because new tyres' rubber is fresh and offers more flexibility between tread surface and carcass.

So, isn't deep tread a good thing?

It definitely is, but works better after getting slightly roughed up on the asphalt. Once this has happened, you can get absolute comfort, safety and stability one could wish for from brand new tyres.

Do's:

• Drive at moderate speed
• Avoid wet surfaces, if possible

Dont's

• Accelerate sharply
• Slam on the brakes, if you can avoid it

A gentle braking in period will also give you a chance to adjust to your new tyres. This should be followed by regular tyre check up. Look for:

• Correct air pressure
• Damage or uneven wear
• Tyre rotation after every 10,000KM

Well maintained tyres will give maximum mileage and keep you and your family safe.