We're Talking Tyres 101
Written by Olivia Richardson: 19-September-2007
James was very lazy with his tyre maintenance and boy, did it show...
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You've heard that you need a tyre with great tread, a stable sidewall, top-quality belts and a sturdy bead but what does that all mean? Here's where we break it down...
Tread
It's the outside, patterned, rubber part of the tyre that touches the road. The indented pattern helps prevent punctures and makes the tyre (and therefore the whole car) grip to the road.
The grooves push water away from under the tyre – about 5-6 litres of water to be exact, if you're driving in the rain at 100km/h.
We're legally required to have a tread depth of at least 1.5mm, which can be fiddly to measure. The good news is that your tyres are pretty smart – just look on the sidewall (the rubber, side part of the tyre that doesn't roll on the ground) and you should see little triangles/arrows. When the tread wears back to this arrow, no matter how tip-top the rest of the tyre is, your tyres are definitely bald (illegal!). Read What Are Your Tyres Trying To Tell You? to learn how to read other types of tread wear like you read a palm.
Belts
These are in the second layer from the top and hold the tread flat on the road and also prevent punctures. Belts are made of rubber-coated cords. The type of cord used (e.g. steel, rayon, fibreglass, polyester, nylon, etc.) and the way it's wrapped around the bead can affect the price of the whole tyre.
Casing/carcass
It's the part under the tread and the sidewalls. It keeps the tyre compact when inflated and stops it from blowing out like a balloon.
Bead
The steel hoop that holds the tyre onto the rim.
Sidewall
The side, rubber part of the tyre you can see that doesn't touch the road. It usually has tyre info printed here... like the tyre size and how much weight you can safely carry in the car with those tyres on.
Tyre valve
The little knob that lets air in and out of the tyre. Make sure yours has a cap to keep dirt and moisture away.
More
Find the right tyres for your driving style
Learn more about tyres
www.bridgestone.com.au
What Are Your Tyres Trying To Tell You?
Zen For Your Tyres
