A tire is an integral part of every vehicle, especially when they are on heavy duty wheels and the knowledge on how tires are made is essential to understanding how vehicles function. Every vehicle that is currently on the road employs air pressure in the tires to keep them on the road, and a tire is designed so that it can absorb this air and make it travel through the air properly. Tires are also specially made with compounds that reduce aerodynamic drag, and these compounds can be found in two distinctly different ways: through what is known as a component mixture, and through a separate compound.
Type of Rubber
The tire components are not the only part of how tires are made, however. The rubber that is used in the tire is also a major piece of the puzzle, as it determines how well the tire can grip the road and how well it stays on the road. While the rubber is the most important part of a tire, other pieces of the puzzle are also important, and each one affects how well a tire performs.
Tire Tread
One major piece of how tires are made is the tread. The tread is what provides the surface contact with the road, and it can either provide a soft, comfortable grip or a hard, aggressive feel. Many drivers prefer softer treads for better fuel mileage, but some drivers want more aggressive grip, which they get by choosing harder treads. When new tires are being built, they are typically tested under various situations to see how well they handle in varied driving conditions. Tires are usually made with softer treads when the roads are dry and made harder treads when there is rain or other physical impact on the tires.
Pounds Per Square Inch
Another important piece of how tires are made is the air pressure that is provided in the tire. The pressure in a tire refers to how much rubber and air is present in the material, and it refers to how well that material is able to absorb and distribute that air. Air pressure affects the overall stability of a tire because it determines how well the rubber responds to lateral and longitudinal forces. The higher the air pressure in a tire, the better its ability to act as a shock absorber, but the more it can withstand the load when the load is excessive.
The combination of all these components determines how tires are made and what they will look like when they reach consumers. Each part has a very specific job to do, and none of the parts can exist without the other two. It’s a complex process, but is very important to the life of a consumer’s vehicle.
