A lot of different types of tyres exist for different kinds of purposes. But what makes these tyres different from each other? What makes one perfect for snow while the other disastrous for winters? The answer pretty much lies in the word "Tread".
What is tyre tread pattern?
The word "Tread" is usually used to refer to two things. Firstly, it is used to refer to the outermost layer of rubber on the circumference of a tyre, which makes contact with the road, and is responsible for traction. Second, the word is also commonly used to refer to the specific grooved pattern that is carved onto the outermost layer of rubber on a tyre.
The correct term for the grooved pattern, however, is actually "tread pattern" and not "Tread". The tread pattern can differ from tyre to tyre and each pattern can have a different effect. It's not just there to make the tyres look cool but there's a scientific purpose to each tread pattern. The tread pattern of a tyre can significantly determine the road noise, the wet weather performance as well as the traction that we experience.
A tyre tread pattern can vary from being completely bald or smooth as seen on racing slicks to having numerous tread blocks and broad circumferential grooves as seen on dry-weather tyres. Today, we’ll be discussing the three different types of tread patterns that are commonly found on tyres and how they differ from each other.
(The list does not include slicks since they do not have any tread patterns.)
The different types of tread patterns are:
1) Conventional
A conventional tread pattern is basically non-unidirectional and non-symmetric in nature. Thus, the tyre can be mounted from either side as the tread pattern remains the same even if the tyre is reversed while mounting.
Also Read: What Are All-Terrain Tyres? Here’s Everything You Need To Know
2) Uni-directional
Such a tread pattern as the name suggests runs in only one direction. Thus, the tyre can be mounted only from one side. The tyre is efficient and performs well only when the tyre is rotating in the correct direction. If mounted wrong, the noise and wet weather performance will not be up to the mark. The tread pattern in these tyres is mostly in a "A" or a "V" form and the correct direction of mounting the tyre is usually indicated by an arrow on one of the sidewalls.
3) Asymmetric
Asymmetric tyres are designed to incorporate two tread patterns on their tread. One tread pattern is towards in the inner sidewall or facing the car while the other tread pattern is towards the outer sidewall or facing away from the car. As you might have guessed already, the tyre has only one correct way of mounting with the inner tread pattern on the inside and the outer tread pattern on the outside, The division of treads is done to give the tyre multiple advantages owing to the existence of different treads on it. One tread can be beneficial for high speed cornering while the other can be great for wet weather performance. The choice of the two treads vary from tyre to tyre.
