How Many Types Of Tyres Exist and Do you know them?

People nowadays want to be a 100% sure before purchasing a vehicle and some of them try their best to research and learn all they can about their desired car. But not everyone gives importance to the tyres, which play an important role while making the final decision.

There are many different types of tyres available in the market. These tyres are made to suit the ever-changing driving needs of the driver and road conditions.

Read on to find out more.

1. Standard Tyres-

Today, all car manufacturers’ offer their cars on standard tyres. These tyres could either be tube or tubeless. Standard tyres are made up of harder compound rubbers which increases the tyre's life. These types of tyres compromises on the handling and cornering capability of the vehicle, however it’s not noticeable at the city speeds. The tread on these tyres are designed to have maximum grip while reducing road noise and enables adequate dispersion of water on rainy roads. These tyres could be used in all seasons, for example, dry, wet, cool or hot.

2. Performance / Summer tyres-

The summer tyres are made up of soft compound rubber. These tyres are designed to give maximum grip at high speeds during dry climate conditions. Generally most sports cars are fitted with these tyres as it enhances their handling, performance and cornering capacity.
However, these tyres come with the risk of wearing out faster due to their soft compounds. They also do not work very well in the rains because; the dispersion of water from under the tyres is less. These type of tyres are generally referred to as ‘slicks’ as, they have no tread on the contact patch of the tyres.

3. Snow / Winter tyres-

The winter tyres generally have a larger contact patch with a bigger and more pronounced tread patterns. Hence there is maximum grip on snow and mud while using these tyres. These types of tyres generally come with tiny metal studs on the treads and cannot be used on normal road surfaces. These tyres are essential for driving on snow as they provide maximum grip while accelerating, cornering and braking on snow.

4. Off-road tyres / All terrain tyres-

These types of tyres are generally used on vehicles like SUVs that go off-roading. The rubber in these tyres is neither soft compound nor hard compound, but somewhere in between. These tyres have enormous stout of tread so it can provide a great grip on sand and wet mud. The side walls on these tyres are stiff so the tyre can adapt to uneven surfaces and potholes. 

One drawback of these tyres is that make a lot of noise and wear out quickly when driven on normal roads. Hence it becomes really important to take care of them while driving.

5. Run flat tyres-

A run-flat tyre is designed to resist the effects of a deflation when it is punctured. It allows the vehicle to be driven in spite of a puncture for a limited distance. This means, they are designed to hold out the vehicle for about 75-80 kilometers after suffering a puncture.
Originally the run flat tyres were only developed for important people i.e Heads of State. The objective for the same was to keep their tyres running even if they were shot and hit by bullets. Today, car manufacturers offer run flats so that they can save space and not increase the weight of the car by offering a spare tyre.

Original Source-: http://www.mrftyres.com/blogs/types-of-tyres