Tyre Traction Is The Top Secret Of Smooth Driving
When you walk on a surface, friction takes place between your shoes and the surface. You walk comfortably because of the frictional force. Sometimes, a slippery surface reduces the frictional force and you fall on the ground. It means the stability of your feet on the ground depends on the optimum frictional force.
Michelin Tyres Stoke On Trent also held the road properly with the help of frictional force. Technically, we say that tyres maintain excellent grip and traction on roads when we talk about their stability.
The stability of tyres is an essential factor in handling features and responsiveness of car tyres. The gripping power of a tyre means the connection between the road surface and the tyres is at the optimum level.
Experts usually measure the gripping power of car tyres under different road and seasonal conditions.
When car tyres run on roads, a section of the tyre always touches the road surface. The technical term for this area is the contact patch. The gripping strength of car tyres depends on the friction that takes place at this contact area. If your tyres touch the road surface optimally, you will be able to accelerate, stop or turn your vehicle efficiently.
Several physical factors play a vital role in tyre traction.
Tread Patterns:
You must have seen some patterns on the surface of your car tyres. These patterns construct the tread part of a tyre. Experts do not want to decorate the tyre with these patterns. These designs are vital to creating optimum traction in various road conditions.
Nowadays, three common tread patterns are available: symmetrical, asymmetrical and directional.
Symmetrical tread patterns have the same design on both sides of the tyre tread. These tyres are common in passenger tyres and drivers use them effectively on dry roads. However, this pattern will struggle to channel water in wet conditions.
The asymmetrical tread pattern has different patterns on the outer and inner sides. These tyres provide better stability on dry surfaces and they are effective for wet conditions as well.
A directional tread pattern is very effective in displacing water on a wet road. You have to use these tyres for a single side. It means changing sides in rotation practice is not possible for these tyres.
As you see, the behaviour of tyres changes according to the tread design.
Tyre Composition:
Rubber is the main material in tyre construction. Nowadays, both natural and synthetic rubber are common in the construction of car tyres. Besides rubber material, tyre makers use various chemicals and components to enhance the strength and durability of car tyres.
Tyres rubber melts easily because of heat and it becomes hard due to cold weather. Both extreme conditions are not beneficial in terms of grip and traction.
Therefore, summer tyres come with a harder rubber material. Therefore, they maintain proper elasticity in hot weather. On the other hand, winter tyres come with a softer compound. They do not become extremely hard when the temperature is near the freezing point.
This example is enough to show that the grip and traction of a tyre depend on the tyre material as well.
Air Pressure:
There is a direct link between air pressure and the size of the contact patch.
Tyres with low air pressure will increase the contact area. As a result, the intensity of frictional force will increase to degrade tyre rubber quickly. Moreover, rolling resistance will also increase to disturb the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.
High air pressure in tyres will reduce the size of the contact patch. As a result, the level of friction will go down to make the ride extremely uncomfortable. The gripping power of tyres will decrease because of low friction.
You have to maintain the correct air pressure in the tyres to ensure the correct size of the contact patch.
Distribution of Weight:
Even weight distribution will keep the size of the contact patch stable. On the other hand, improper distribution of weight will keep tyres under pressure and the contact area will lose its normal size as well. Tyres come with a loading limit. You have to consider this limit to ensure proper handling and stability of tyres.
Road Conditions:
The temperature of road surface is a common factor in changing the nature of rubber material. Moreover, water, snow, and slush change the nature of the road surface as well. Tyres create more friction and heat if the road is full of irregularities. An irregular surface increases the level of rolling resistance. As a result, tyres hold the surface tightly to make it hard to move on the road. As a result, the car engine has to consume more fuel to move your car.
Size and Width of Car Tyres:
Naturally, wider tyres touch a large area of surface to enhance grip and traction. In this case, tyres are effective on dry roads. Moreover, the cornering ability of these tyres is at a superior level as well. However, a larger contact patch will increase the level of rolling resistance at the same time. As a result, the fuel efficiency of your vehicle may go down as well.
Finally, a lot of categories of Car Tyres Stoke On Trent are available and these categories do not offer the same level of traction on different road surfaces. If you want better traction, you have to buy your tyres after considering the essential factors.