Even at the dawn of the automotive industry, when car tires were made of natural rubber, which melted in the sun and hardened from frost, designers and manufacturers thought about something more perfect. After all, such tires are not far removed from the wheel on a horse-drawn cart. As a result, technologies have evolved, oil processing methods have improved, times have changed.
In 1927, among other things, the Soviet scientist Sergei Vasilievich Lebedev, synthetic rubber was obtained, which became the progenitor of the material of modern tires. But such a material did not become a panacea, in addition to the rubber itself providing high performance properties for tires, the shape and profiles of the tire were also important. Subsequently, the tire treads became flat, in order to provide a large area with the road, which means stability on the road. In addition, they have a protector. At the same time, in some cases, the tire tread required a certain installation of tires, according to their rotation. It is about these very installation cases, as well as what will happen if the tires are installed incorrectly, that we will describe in our article.
Tire rotation direction or tire tread types
If you pay attention to the treads of tires that drive around your city, then most attentive people will surely see that tires are different. In one case, the tread pattern is like a checkerboard, just squares, in the other there is a strict direction, relative to the transverse axis of the wheel, and symmetrical. And, in the end, the orientation relative to this axis is asymmetric. That is, we can say about the banal, very well-known fact that tire treads are: directional and non-directional. Moreover, the welded tire tread can be symmetrical or asymmetric.
(Classification of tire type based on tread type)
So why do manufacturers bother to perform this pattern, what role does it play when using tires? After all, all this is clearly not only for the sake of beauty.
Installing tires relative to the tread on the tire
We will start with the case when the protector is non-directional. In this case, there is no need to talk about the correct installation of the tire, regarding where it should rotate. One way or the other, it doesn't matter. Another thing is when the protector is directional.
For a car enthusiast - an average person who does not want to delve into the essence of the matter, everything is simple. Look at the marking on the rim "ROTATION", which translates from English as rotation, and put the tire on the car in accordance with the rotation of the wheel in the direction of the car moving forward.
Or marking "outside" (outer side) ...
For those who want to know why the tire should be stopped in this way and not otherwise, and what may be affected by incorrect installation of the tire, we will tell the following.
The direction of the tread on the tire is designed to remove liquid, dirt, snow porridge from under it, that is, everything that has a low viscosity. At the same time, this withdrawal is necessary in order to avoid the so-called hydroplaning effect. That is, to prevent the loss of contact between the road and the rubber. Why this very contact is needed, we will not explain. Let's talk about how the directional tread removes all this from under the contact patch of the tire with the road.
How a Properly Installed Directional Tire Reduces Hydroplaning
Here you can talk and explain for a long time. But it is better, as they say, to see once. We made a gif especially for you. Take a look.
Essentially, the tread works like the vanes on a centrifugal pump when it pumps water, except that the driving force here is not centrifugal force, but the force from squeezing water into the grooves of the tread. The force is generated each time the tire hits the fluid it is supposed to expel. So water, dirt, wet snow is squeezed out into the groove and drained out. The wheel rotates further, and new water is again squeezed out into the groove in the direction of the car. Due to the removal of this "grease", the contact between the tire and the road is improved, which entails a safer ride. It's all so simple and logical. Here I want to talk about the direction of the drawing. As we have already said, you can pay attention to the ROTATION marking, or you can look at the picture.
(tire installed correctly)
So, the tread grooves should always move away from the contact patch of the tire with the road towards the back of the car, if you look at the wheels from above on the left. And the opposite situation for the wheels on the right. In this case, you can not look for the markings on the rim. I looked at the tread pattern and put a tire on the car according to the pattern.
What happens if the directional tire is installed in the wrong direction
Here everything is according to the logic of what is happening, but in reverse order. If everything under our wheels (dirt, sleet, water) is more difficult to squeeze out, since the grooves will be directed to the intake of all this environment, then in fact it will turn out that excess pressure will form in the center of the tire, in the contact patch. It will try to raise the tire, which contributes to the deterioration of rubber grip. By itself, this is not safe.
However, if we talk about a dry road, when there is no water on the street, or it is frosty and just snowing, then the presence of such grooves that drain water, slurry, in fact, does not oblige to anything. Also, such grooves will not affect the situation with limited speed, about 5-20 km/h.
Summing up about the correct and incorrect installation of directional tires on the machine
So, the direction of the tread grooves on the tire was invented not just for beauty. If they are, then it is better to use them. The directional grooves of the tread contribute to the removal of the liquid medium from under the wheel and thereby improve the contact between the rubber and the road. Therefore, pay attention to the correct installation of the tire. When installing a tire, you need to pay attention to its tread. At the same time, such a statement applies not only to the one who puts an already wrapped wheel on the car, but also to the mechanics who install the tire on the rim. After all, the car must have two wheels on the left side and two on the right. Nothing else!
Well, about the case when everything is operated with incorrectly installed tires. If it's dry outside, it won't make any difference. If it’s not slushy outside, it’s raining, then be extremely careful. It will be very difficult to get the car out of hydroplaning, and you can not talk about the sad results. You yourself know all about it without us.
Asymmetric tires: safety in any weather
Photo © : rezulteo
Tread asymmetric tire has a characteristic difference between the pattern of the inner and outer sides of the tire, and each of the zones plays a certain role in assessing the quality indicators of the tire. Thus, inner part tires usually have an open shoulder area for fast water drainage and reduce the risk of hydroplaning, while outer part has a tread pattern that gives the tire rigidity to ensure maneuverability and cornering stability. It is logical that asymmetric tires expensive symmetrical.
Many automakers choose to equip their new models with asymmetric tires. They are intended mainly for car owners. middle and premium classes, for whom it is important safety on both dry and wet surfaces.
Installation: When installing an asymmetric busbar, it is important to consider the mounting direction. The word "outside" must always be located on the outside of the sidewall of the tire.
The most popular asymmetric tires
Tires with directional tread pattern: sports driving and snowy roads
Photo © : rezulteo
Tire with directional tread pattern easily recognizable by its downward V-shaped structure. Tire especially effective on wet surfaces. In heavy rain, water is quickly evacuated, which improves traction and greatly reduces the risk of aquaplaning. This tread pattern also improves motility, including on snow covered surface or on melted snow. Finally, their sports design very much appreciated by lovers of sports driving.
Tires with directional tread pattern are ideal for sports cars who travel regularly wet roads. They are also recommended for driving on snowy roads.
I hereby express my consent to Autoupgrade LLC (OGRN 5117746042090, TIN 7725743662) when placing an Order for a product / service on the website www.site, in order to conclude and execute a sales contract, process - collect, record, systematize, accumulate, store, clarify ( update, change), extract, use, transfer (including entrusting processing to other persons), depersonalize, block, delete, destroy - my personal data: last name, first name, home and mobile phone numbers, e-mail address.
I also authorize Autoupgrade LLC to send me informational messages about the products and services of Autoupgrade LLC, as well as about partners.
Consent may be withdrawn by me at any time by sending a written notice to Avtoupgreyd LLC at the address: 115191, Moscow, st. Bolshaya Tulskaya, 10.
Confidentiality of personal information
1. Provision of information by the Client:
1.1. When placing an Order for goods/services on the website www.site (hereinafter referred to as the "Site"), the Client provides the following information:
Surname, First name, Patronymic of the recipient of the Order of goods/services;
E-mail address;
Contact telephone number;
Delivery address of the Order (at the request of the Client).
1.2. By providing his personal data, the Client agrees to their processing (up to the withdrawal by the Client of his consent to the processing of his personal data) by Autoupgrade LLC (hereinafter referred to as the "Seller"), in order to fulfill the obligations of the Seller and / or its partners to the Client, sale of goods and provision of services, provision of reference information, as well as in order to promote goods, works and services, and also agrees to receive informational messages. When processing the Client's personal data, the Seller is guided by the Federal Law "On Personal Data" and local regulations.
1.2.1. If the Client wishes to destroy his personal data if the personal data is incomplete, outdated, inaccurate, or if the Client wishes to withdraw his consent to the processing of personal data or to eliminate illegal actions of Autoupgrade LLC in relation to his personal data, then he must send an official request to the Seller at the address: 115191, Moscow, st. Bolshaya Tulskaya, 10.
1.3. Use of information provided by the Client and received by the Seller.
1.3.1 The Seller uses the data provided by the Client for the following purposes:
processing the Client's Orders and to fulfill its obligations to the Client;
to carry out activities to promote goods and services;
evaluation and analysis of the Site;
determining the winner in promotions held by the Seller;
analysis of the customer's purchasing characteristics and provision of personal recommendations;
informing the client about promotions, discounts and special offers through electronic and SMS mailings.
1.3.2. The Seller has the right to send informational messages to the Client. Informational messages are sent to the email address specified during the Order on the Site, as well as via SMS messages and / or push notifications and through the Customer Service to the phone number indicated when placing the Order, about the status of the Order, the goods in the Customer's basket .
2. Provision and transfer of information received by the Seller:
2.1. The Seller undertakes not to transfer the information received from the Client to third parties. It is not considered a violation that the Seller provides information to agents and third parties acting on the basis of an agreement with the Seller in order to fulfill obligations to the Client and only within the framework of agreements. The transfer by the Seller to third parties of data about the Client in an anonymized form for the purpose of evaluating and analyzing the operation of the Site, analyzing the purchasing characteristics of the Client and providing personal recommendations is not considered a violation of this clause.
2.2. It is not considered a violation of obligations to transfer information in accordance with the reasonable and applicable requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation.
2.3. The Seller receives information about the ip-address of the visitor to the Website www. autobam.ru and information about the link from which website the visitor came from. This information is not used to identify the visitor.
2.4. The Seller is not responsible for the information provided by the Client on the Site in a public form.
2.5. The seller, when processing personal data, takes the necessary and sufficient organizational and technical measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access to them, as well as from other illegal actions in relation to personal data.
Symmetric and asymmetric tires differ in tread pattern. Also, asymmetric tires can have different rigidity of the inner and outer sidewalls. The main advantage of asymmetric tires is greater cornering stability. This is achieved due to the fact that their outer sidewall and tread blocks on the outside are more rigid than on the inside. As a result, the loads in the contact patch of the tire with the road are more on the outside. This kind of expands the track and makes the car more stable. This is especially noticeable during high-speed maneuvering.
The tire tread has two types of grooves: longitudinal and transverse. The longitudinal grooves are designed to resist lateral forces (They hold the vehicle's course). The transverse ones counteract the longitudinal forces (they do not allow the wheels to slip). A typical variant is four or five wide longitudinal grooves and the same number of narrower transverse ones. In total, there are several dozen transverse grooves on the tire, but only five to eight are located on the contact patch at the same time. Why are asymmetric tires better than symmetrical ones?
The same number of grooves can work with different efficiency. It depends on their transverse profile and configuration. The best summer tires has transverse grooves of a curvilinear profile: "herringbone" or wavy. With this configuration, they are longer and the adhesion area, respectively, is also larger. Summer tires do not always work in dry conditions. On wet roads, special drainage grooves are important. On summer tires, they are almost always present. In the winter they are made even more.
The number of grooves can be increased by widening the contact patch by using a wider tire. Usually the design of the hubs and brake mechanisms allows you to install discs with a positive reach. Tires on such disks are the widest. The disadvantage of this solution is that it greatly increases the wear of the hub bearings. Therefore, it is recommended to use it only in extreme cases, when all other methods of increasing stability have already been applied. Wide tires are almost always low profile. They further increase stability by reducing ground clearance.
Asymmetric tires are not much more expensive than symmetrical ones, and they are more suitable for high-speed maneuvering. Its only drawback is the difficulty of using a spare tire, since it is not clear on which side it is better to take a spare tire on a wheel. As a positive point in favor of asymmetric rubber, it can be noted that it lasts longer than usual on the front axle. Wheel alignment causes increased tread wear on the outside, and on asymmetric tires it is more rigid.
The marking of modern tires usually contains information about the seasonality of the application, namely:
- Designations "M + S" or "M&S" are applied to both winter and all-season, as well as summer off-road tires. This marking allows driving on off-road, mud, wet snow, etc. If there is an image of a snowflake next to the abbreviation, then the rubber belongs to the “winter” category.
- For all-season tires, marking options “All SEASON”, “ROAD + WINTER”, “ANY Weather”, etc. can be used.
- The inscriptions "WATER", "RAID", "AQUA", "Aquacontact" designate the so-called "rain tires", which provide improved contact of the treads with wet asphalt.
- Winter tires are identified by the word "Winter" or a snowflake logo.
When installing new tires on a car or when changing tires seasonally, it is imperative to pay attention to the marking and direction of the wheel tread.
When installing a tire having a symmetrically directional pattern, the arrow applied to the sidewall of the tire is positioned in accordance with the direction of rotation of the wheel when the car moves forward.
Tires with an asymmetrical pattern must be installed so that the "Outside" designation on the sidewall is on the outside of the wheel.
Important! Particular attention is required when mounting asymmetric tires marked "Right" and "Left". To do this, you will need two pairs of tires with the appropriate inscriptions, which are installed on different sides of the car.
