Different types of tires allow cars to perform different outdoor activities. For example, off-road tires can work in various difficult road conditions and overcome muddy jungles, and high performance tires can improve vehicle traction and improve driving performance at high speed. Green tires can improve endurance, grindability, reduce tire noise and fuel consumption, etc. But how do car owners who plan to change tires choose right tires?
1. Relevant tire specifications. In principle, performance of new tires must match those of original vehicle, and replacement tires must be equal to or higher than speed limit and maximum load capacity of original vehicle's tires. If you need to change tire specifications, you should go to a professional tire modification shop or consult vehicle manufacturer. Also, in addition to manufacturer's serial number/brand, tire sidewall often has markings corresponding to season of use, such as WINTER, M+S or AQUATIC, ALL SEASON or ALL WEATHER. These words refer to winter. tires, rain tires and all season tires respectively. , Users in different regions can choose tires that suit them according to local climate conditions.
2. Suitable tire pattern. The pattern should also be paid attention to when replacing or updating tires. In addition to paying attention to characteristics and dimensions, pattern on crown pattern also requires attention and directly affects car's handling, in addition to noise, drainage characteristics, wear resistance, etc. d. wait. The most common tire patterns are about five types: horizontal groove pattern, straight groove pattern, straight horizontal groove pattern, block pattern, and asymmetric pattern. Among them, horizontal groove pattern has good friction, and straight groove pattern has low running resistance (the most widely used pattern type). The symmetrical pattern has better drainage. Which pattern to choose should be considered depending on climate, road conditions, and driving style of area. For cars, vans, and SUVs, best way to avoid light and heavy is to choose a straight groove pattern that has widest application. .
3. Suitable tire type
Conventional tires on market today can be roughly divided into following types based on different models and applications:
1. Road tires (HT tires) have soft sidewalls and a shallow tread pattern. They focus more on driving comfort and economy.on road, as well as take into account some features of off-road operation. That's why SUV models Most of these tires come as standard at factory.
2. All-terrain tires (AT tires). Compared to HT tires, tread pattern will be slightly rougher and tooth spacing will be slightly larger, although when driving on normal roads, noise and comfort of tires will be reduced, but grip on dirt roads will be much better, so overall performance will improve.
3. Off-road tires. For enthusiast car owners, professional off-road tires (MT tires) are definitely best choice. This type of tire has a hard sidewall and exaggerated pattern, even when driving in a big mud pit, dirt in flower tank can be thrown out in time, and it has better grip on extreme roads, but it is not suitable for ordinary city roads. Use because tire noise is loud and high fuel consumption are just annoying. In addition, there are more extreme rainforest tires, winter tires, sand tires, etc., but these are only suitable for professional competition.
Fourth, tire maintenance
The main purpose of car is to reinforce correct idea about tires. Due to brittleness of rubber, we must pay special attention to tires.
1. Tires should be checked at least once a month. The maintenance of inspection vehicle includes air pressure (including spare tire tire pressure) under condition of tire cooling, tread pattern wear, and presence of bare cords on tire, abnormal wear of crown, shoulder bulge, sidewall bulge, bead wire breakage and other serious security threats. As for tire repair, you should find a professional hot repair shop, pay attention to hot repair, and do not use rubber strips for this. Otherwise, it is easy to cause aging of belt layer and other dangerous parts. After patching, you can drive along track, but be sure to install patched tires on rear wheels. Of course, if there is a problem in a non-repairable area such as sidewall, tire should be discarded and not used again because safety is paramount.
2. Daily driving and summer driving cannot make air pressure lower or higher than standard value, which may be main cause of tire blowout. Generally speaking, it is not recommended to reduce tire pressure by 0.1-0.2 bar when driving in summer, but some tire manufacturers suggest increasing tire pressure by 0.1-0.2 bar to avoid tire burst caused by deformation and heat. air. steel wire. Our point of view is to maintain initial tire pressure. Nitrogen can be used to fill tires when car is cold, not only because it will not expand whenhigher temperatures, but also because it prevents natural oxidation and cracking of rubber. If car owner finds that air pressure has dropped too quickly, it is necessary to find out cause in time, and not just go to tire shop for pumping.
3. Regularly check wheel alignment and balance. Especially if car shakes a lot while driving, this may indicate incorrect alignment or imbalance. These conditions will not only shorten life of tires, but also affect vehicle's handling and jeopardize driving safety.
4. Front and rear tires are swapped diagonally. The engine of our popular models is usually located at front of vehicle, so load on front wheels is often greater than on rear. The different load on four wheels inevitably leads to uneven wear. it is recommended to swap front and rear wheels diagonally every 10,000 km for more even wear.
5. When changing tires, it is especially important to consider that tire characteristics, structure, brand, pattern, etc. on same axle must be same. And if tire is changed separately, it must be ensured that groove depth is basically same as other tire on same axle, otherwise it may cause car to deviate.
6. Be careful not to exceed speed limit (tires also have speed ratings). When colliding with potholes, stones and obstacles when braking during high-speed driving, you should slow down in advance and make a detour - in case of a sharp collision, tire damage will be large, rim deformation, meridian rupture, tread damage and skin peeling are possible. You must also protect your tires from chemicals such as oils, acids and hydrocarbons, which are rubber's "natural enemies". Parking is best placed on a flat road, try not to bite curb and put car on a gravel road for a long time.
7. In addition to regularly checking condition of your tires, you should also take care of your spare tire. Spare tires generally lie idle for a long time, and some cars have never used spare tires from purchase to sale, and spare tires also have natural aging. Tires are composed of rubber and hubs, so they cannot be fully sealed, and if left for a long time, air will blow out. If spare wheel is not used for more than 4 years, rubber will age, deform or even crack, especially external spare wheel of SUVs. The aging rate is faster, and it is very dangerous to continue using such a spare tire when it needs to be replaced! Therefore, it is recommended to check tire pressure of spare tire with a pressure gauge every 1 month, and check appearance aging phenomenon at same time to ensure safety. Once a spare tire has been replaced, it must not be used.use instead of a regular tire for a long time, even a spare tire with same wheel and tire characteristics as a regular tire! in parameters from a conventional tire will have a big impact on braking system, steering system and suspension. All will have certain consequences and accumulate potential safety hazards.