Types of Tires
To make your travel more enjoyable tires are categorised by vehicle type, structure, season, pattern and various other special uses.
Winter tires are widely used for passenger cars, light trucks, trucks and buses and are indispensable in regions with heavy snowfall. In general the treads of winter tires are divided into small blocks to maximize driving performance in snow with the added traction capability of rug tread and the anti-side slip capability of rib tread.
Winter tires are made of a special rubber that enables tires to maintain a pliable grip without stiffening even at temperatures lower than 7 degrees celsius.
Winter tires are divided largely into two types: studded and studless.
Studded Snow Tire
Studded winter tires have metal pins embedded in the tire surface to improve traction and braking force on icy and snowy roads. It is important to ensure that the studs do not affect the tread design and that they are protruded and spaced evenly.
Studless Snow Tire
While studded tires show excellent performance on icy and snowy roads, they cause damage to road surfaces. Studless tires are designed to have the highest traction capability possible on snowy or icy roads without stud pins.
All-season tires have more tread kerfs than summer tires and are intended to be used year-round in regions with a short period of snow.
Summer tires are used widely in all seasons except winter. Low noise, high ride quality and steering stability are the top priorities for these tires. Summer tires are synonymous with regular tires unless otherwise noted.
Tip for understanding!
What are "kerfs?"
Kerfs are thin slits or grooves cut in the tread.
They are formed by side blades affixed to the tire curing mould
and are cut into the tread blocks in order to improve
braking force and anti-side slip capability.