What is the Tire Made of: Tires Explained.
Human beings are wonderful creatures.
We have the brain and the ability like no other creature in this world. But our major potential is to create.
Everything in this world was made because somebody used their creativity to invent something new. It’s just wonderful how powerful the human brain is
But enough about the human abilities.
Let’s talk about tires.
Did you ever wondered what is the tire made of?
How did somebody used their creativity to create something that our lives would be unthinkable without nowadays? Then this article is just for you, for it will explain you everything you want to know.
The Origins. A Brief History of How Everything Has Started.
The first pneumatic tire in the world is made by Robert William Thomson, a Scottish inventor, which patent appeared in 1846.
While the patent of Thomson was written on a very high level, stating the construction of the invention and the materials needed for the production, it was forgotten after his death in 1873, leaving the spot for the idea of another Scottish inventor John Boyd Dunlop.
In 1887, he decided to put a wide watering hose on the wheels of his son’s bicycle and fill it with compressed air, which idea leaded to the date of 23 July 1888 when he applied for a patent. The patent was confirmed on 31th of August the same year, but in 1892 his patent was declared invalid.
While the original idea is of Thomson, the practical inventor of the pneumatic tire became Dunlop.
One year later, in a race with bicycles which took place at the stadium of Belfast, Ireland, one competitor named William Hume was using the tires made by Dunlop.
While he was a mediocre racer, he managed to win every single race in the competition with a crushing lead over the rest of the competitors.
Over the next years, Dunlop started manufacturing bicycle tires in a small company in the city of Dublin named “Pneumatic Tyre and Booth’s Cycle Agency“. Later, his company becomes one of the biggest in the world.
A lot of years passed before the perfection of the tire, as we know it today.
In the first half of the twentieth century the method of mounting car tires with the help of bolts began to be used, which made the replacement of damaged tires easier and quicker. This alone lead to a boom in their production.
All Dates and Stuff, But What is the Tire Made of Exactly?
Alright, enough of the history class. Let’s get to the main point.
The main materials used to produce the tires are: natural or synthetic rubber and synthetic threads such as cord and metal wire. But in the modern manufacturing other ingredients are also used to improve the tire’s safety and performance.
Structure of the Tire:
The tire’s structure is made of several parts:
Protector (pattern) with grooves
Shoulder block and slats
Carcass (tire casing, fine fibers)
Side board
Cord (steel, synthetic fiber, fiberglass)
Reinforced belt
Board Hoop (Metal)
Board
To maintain the air pressure, the tube tires have a tube inside them, while the tubeless tires have an innermost rubber layer.
But let’s closely explore the Protector, the Carcass and the Belt.
PROTECTOR:
The protector differs in whether the grooves of the inner section or outer section are symmetrical. The pattern is:
- Symmetrical without direction markings — a universal model.
The tire is mounted regardless of the direction of rotating. The making of this type of tires is cheap and practical but unfortunately not that adaptive to the different road and meteorological conditions.
In the past this type of tires were used the most. Nowadays, their usage is still wide due to their affordability.
- Symmetrical, with direction markings (Directional) — the tire has to be mounted in the exact way as the pattern states.
When the mounting is done correctly, it guarantees that the tire will operate quieter and also will operate better on wet surfaces.
Most of the winter tire models are made using this pattern as it allows the tires to operate better on the road.
- Asymmetric — the protector is made of two parts: it has an asymmetric and a symmetrical pattern.
Why is this good? The combination of different patterns improve the quality of the tire.
The large patterns on the outer side of the tire provides excellent traction on dry surfaces and their large contact zone provides stability.
The smaller patterns on the inner side of the tire provide good traction on wet surfaces while the large quantity of grooves facilitate water drainage.
Those patterns may lower the possibility of aquaplaning.
However, mounting the asymmetric tire without noting the pattern would result in reduced traction and poor road stability.
Below is an image of how different types look like and what their differences are.
Want to explore the different tire types? Check out our special article.
CARCASS:
The carcass is made of different types of fine fibers (cord). The cord can be of textile, metal or fiberglass.
The textile and the fiberglass is used in tires for cars, the metal is used for trucks. The fiberglass is used mainly in regions where humidity is very high because of its resistance of rotting and stretching.
Depending on the placement, the carcass can be:
- Radial — the layers of cord are located across the radius of the wheel.
- Diagonal — the threads of cord are located at an angle from the radius of the wheel.
BELT:
The belt is located between the Carcass and the Protector.
It protects the carcass from impacts, it makes the tires stronger at the point of contact with the road surface and protects the tube from punctures. It is made from a thick layer of rubber or layers of metal cord.
*For a visual, see the first image*
The Power of Being Informed.
In the past, we always depended on the opinion of other experts when choosing the right tires.
I remember when we were buying winter tires for one of our cars. I didn’t have an idea what I was buying or what it what I had to look for. We just dropped by the shop, asked for some good winter tires, some hours later we collected the tires and they got them mounted on the car.
I’m not saying that this is a bad thing. After all, they are the experts, that’s their job and that’s why they are getting paid. But why not having some knowledge on your own? After all, this isn’t bad either.
Just apply the information next time when choosing your tires, and know exactly what you are buying.
And one advice: always have in mind the pattern of the tire as it may save your life one day. Not every pattern is for everything.
If you have a question, let me know as you drop your comment below. I will be more than happy to help you.
