What are the Most Important Components of a Tire?
Tires are the most critical, but also the most overlooked, component of a vehicles ability to move.
- Tire Treads
- Grooves
- Lugs
- Voids
- Sipes
Post Navigation
1. What is a Tire?
2. Major Components of a Car Tire
3. AAMCO Can Help!
4. More From Our Blog
What is a Tire?
Tires are the most critical, but also the most overlooked, component of a vehicles ability to move. A vehicle can technically still move forward with no engine in place, the engine is the propelling mechanism, while the tires are what allows the vehicle to be propelled. Sadly, at AAMCO we often notice cars running on tires half flat, trucks with little to no tread left, and even some that have foolishly driven on tires that have begun to fray.
Unlike other parts to a vehicle, the only sign that a tire is going to fail is a visual one. No check tire lights come on (yet at least), so in order to know whether your tires are safe to drive on, you have to visually inspect them. You always see in movies and on TV someone walk over and kick the tires to ensure they’re good to go. Oddly though, unlike The Fonz, most people cannot hit something into working. Rather than strike the tire to ensure it’s resilient, you should be looking at the depth of the tread and ensure it hasn’t worn away, that the tire is properly inflated, and that there are no obvious signs of wear and tear. There is no need to kick the tire… unless of course it goes flat. You can kick a flat tire all you want, maybe, just maybe… you can pull a Fonz.
Related: AAMCO Colorado Car Tune Up Service
Recent Posts
Categories
- AAMCO Diagnostics Center
- Air Conditioning
- Blog
- Brakes
- Brakes, Tires, & Suspension
- Check Engine Light
- Colorado Automotive Advice
- Community Involvement
- Electrical
- Electrical
- Engine
- Exhaust System
- Featured Articles
- Infographic
- Maintenance
- Muffler
- Muffler & Exhaust
- news
- Oil Change
- Online Mechanic
- Radiator
- Radiator & Cooling System
- Safety
- Services
- Suspension
- Suspension System
- Total Car Care
- Transmission
- Transmissions
- Videos
What are the Major Components of a Car Tire
But our lack of concern over tires may simply be a result of our lack of knowledge on the subject. So to help clarify what comprises and makes a tire a tire, rather than a wheel, we are going to discuss treads. As a wheel can basically be anything round or circular used for various purposes. While a tire is specifically for vehicles, and what makes a tire different from a wheel is tread.
Tire Tread
The tread is the part of the tire that comes into contact with the ground. They are often designed to meet specific market demands either for certain weather conditions or for certain types of performances. The tread is either made of a rubber or rubber/composite, while the the tread itself is characterized by four geometrical shapes; Grooves, Lugs, Voids, and Sipes.
Grooves
Grooves are designed to channel water away from under the tire. There are various types of grooves depending on the need. High performance tires have grooves that are angles from the center of the tire out towards the sides. Which helps to flush the water out from underneath. There are even certain grooves in tires that flex as the tire moves, which acts as a pump for the water, sucking it up into the groove, channeling it out towards the side.
Lugs
Lugs are the part of the tread that actually makes contact to the ground, they are needed to provide traction. The lug, as it runs over the ground is compressed. As the tire continues, the lug returns to its normal shape. Amid this process, the tire releases variable forces in the vehicle which are referred to as Force Variation. Force Variation is essentially a fancy phrase to say that the tire is continually changing shape as it moves, but always returning to its normal figure. The Lugs themselves are also never identical in size or shape to help minimize the noise levels.
Don’t GEt Shaken up by Car Problems
No matter the season, AAMCO Colorado is staying open, practicing safe healthy measures, in order to provide essential car maintenance and diagnostic services to help our communities. Stay safe, and get your car maintained here.
Voids
Voids are there to provide space for the lugs to shift and flex. They also help the grooves to disperse water from under the tire, as well as mud and snow. The void ratio is the space between lugs, the lower the void ratio the higher the contact area, the higher the void ratio the less the contact area.
Related: Signs Your Timing Belt is Failing
Sipes
Sipes are the cuts across the tire that run perpendicular to the grooves. They help the grooves to allow water to escape from the center of the tire toward the sides which allows the tire to maintain traction and prevent hydroplaning. The Sipes also are also helpful to the Lugs, by allowing more space for them to flex.
Related: My Car Rolls When I Put It In Park | Read more…
Related: Change Your Transmission Filter | Read more…
Related: Sounds Your Car Makes When It Needs Repairs | Read more…
AAMCO Colorado Can Help with Car Maintenance
Hopefully this article will help to shed some light on how tire tread helps to keep you safe on the road. If you are in need of a car tune up or a transmission repair please visit your local AAMCO dealer. AAMCO is now offering a free transmission check for those who feel it is needed. Because those who know, know to go to AAMCO!
If you are having car troubles find your local AAMCO Colorado and call or book online today to visit us today.
Recent Posts from Our Blog
Oil Changes & Oil Filter Replacement: What Does This Actually Do?
We all know oil changes are a regular part of car maintenance. But do you know what an oil change and oil filter replacement does for your car? Your car’s engine is a complex system of moving parts and your engine oil and oil filter play an important role in keeping...
read more
First 3 Things to Check if Your AC Stops Working
Having trouble staying cool this summer? When your car’s AC stops working, it can make any drive feel like a chore. Finding the problem behind your car’s AC trouble can feel tricky, but there are a few key areas where you can start looking. We’ll take a look at three...
read more
Top 5 Car Skills Your Teens Should Learn
It’s important to help your teenage kids become more comfortable around cars and understand basic car care. While much of car care is about knowing when to bring your car to an auto repair shop, there are also certain tasks that can be done at home, as well as ways to...
read more
Oil Changes & Oil Filter Replacement: What Does This Actually Do?
We all know oil changes are a regular part of car maintenance. But do you know what an oil change and oil filter replacement does for your car? Your car’s engine is a complex system of moving parts and your engine oil and oil filter play an important role in keeping...
read more
First 3 Things to Check if Your AC Stops Working
Having trouble staying cool this summer? When your car’s AC stops working, it can make any drive feel like a chore. Finding the problem behind your car’s AC trouble can feel tricky, but there are a few key areas where you can start looking. We’ll take a look at three...
read more
Top 5 Car Skills Your Teens Should Learn
It’s important to help your teenage kids become more comfortable around cars and understand basic car care. While much of car care is about knowing when to bring your car to an auto repair shop, there are also certain tasks that can be done at home, as well as ways to...
read more
Protected: How to Check if Your Car Repairs are Covered by Insurance
Password Protected
To view this protected post, enter the password below:
Navigate our Blog
Recent Posts
Categories
- AAMCO Diagnostics Center
- Air Conditioning
- Blog
- Brakes
- Brakes, Tires, & Suspension
- Check Engine Light
- Colorado Automotive Advice
- Community Involvement
- Electrical
- Electrical
- Engine
- Exhaust System
- Featured Articles
- Infographic
- Maintenance
- Muffler
- Muffler & Exhaust
- news
- Oil Change
- Online Mechanic
- Radiator
- Radiator & Cooling System
- Safety
- Services
- Suspension
- Suspension System
- Total Car Care
- Transmission
- Transmissions
- Videos
Why do modern cars use “skinny” tires relative to older cars? The profile, the difference between the inside diameter and outside diameter, is markedly different. (Please provide the correct terms.)
Does air pressure settings remain constant? Address safety, operation and maintenance issues.
Thank you.
RL,
Thanks so much for your question. Generally for work involving tires our AAMCO Colorado locations would have to refer you to another shop as we typically do not work with tires. However, at least in the USA, tires have actually gotten LARGER over the years rather than smaller in the majority of cars. However, an exception to this is is typically on emissions efficient cars, where the engine size is generally smaller so they are equipped with smaller wheels to help the car accelerate faster. If you have other tire related questions we suggest finding a specialist. If you ever need transmission experts here in Colorado, we hope you’ll trust our 14 AAMCO Colorado locations.
Thanks,
AAMCO Colorado