Tires perform several important functions & are the only part of your
vehicle that comes in contact with the road. The average “footprint” of a tire
in contact with the road is similar to the bottom of an average man’s shoe sole.
The entire weight of your vehicle & its contents is supported by the tire &
air inside the tire.
Due to this critical role of tires, they are extremely complex in their design.
While designs vary by product & manufacturer, an average tire contains over
100 separate components. Tires can include natural rubber, synthetic rubber,
steel, nylon, silica (derived from sand), polyester, carbon black, petroleum,
etc. The combination of ingredients & processes used by different
manufacturers leads to different performance characteristics for every tire in
the market today. Underst& the basics of a tire & rely on your owner’s
manual & professional tire retailer to explain the differences between tires
& recommend the right tire for you.
