Car Talk 101, Wheels and Tires

The Importance Between Different Rims and Tires (Tyres) for your car.

Rims

Also known as the "wheels" for your car. They are almost always made of metal. There are two major types.

Steel rims: 

Are generally black, and pretty featureless. They are much cheaper than Aluminum rims and generally are stronger and can take more of an impact. They are a bit heavier which means handling characteristics will change slightly with them on. You will usually see these rims on cars in the winter as owners will generally have two sets of tires on two sets on rims to reduce switching costs and because steel rims are cheaper they don't care as much when the salt rusts them. They can be painted but they usually look like this:

Aluminium Rims (otherwise known as "alloys"): 

These are much lighter and generally can be shaped to look any way the owner wants. Due to the lighter weight these rims are used more in high performance cars as they will aid in suspension and handling characteristics. However, these rims tend to be a bit more brittle and can bend and crack easier than steel rims, which is why trucks use steels most of the time. Alloys can also be painted easier in a variety of colours but they are typically shiny, brushed aluminium or black. They usually look like this:

Car Tires

Types:

High performance / Summer - generally used during the summer months or in areas where the temperature is always warm / hot and dry. They use softer rubber for better traction and cornering. However they tend to wear out faster and are generally only for use on paved roads. They usually have very flat tread patters to offer a smoother driving experience and good grip on flat roads. They usually look like this:

All Season - the main tire found on most cars especially new ones. They have slightly tougher rubber than summer tires so they will be able to last longer and can be used in cold and wet conditions. However the rubber is still too soft so once the temperature gets below 7C it will get ridged and lose a lot of the traction capabilities. All season tires really are just ok in most situations but are no substitute for winter or off-road tires. They usually look like this:

All Weather - a relatively new type of tire that uses a compound that will allow the tires to stay flexible during the winter, has a more aggressive tread pattern, but will not wear down quickly in hot conditions. These are seen as better than "all season" tires as they have better cold and wet weather handling but can be used all year round. They usually look like this:

Mud /  Winter - these tires will have more space between the tread to grip down into snow and mud and have it fall out more easily. The rubber is generally softer and will stay flexible in cold conditions but will start to wear faster in hot conditions. These tires generally will feel a bit more rough as the tread pattern means less rubber is constantly on the ground because more spaces between tread means better water and material channeling. Proper winter snow tires in North America will have a small snowflake on the tire. These tires are the only tires that will be accepted in areas that say cars need winter tires during certain months. They usually look like this:

All-Terrain - These tires will usually have very wide spacing between the tread patterns and a very tough internal structure to help against punchers over sharp rocks and debris. These tires should really only be used in off-road situations as they will be very loud and rough on pavement and usually cannot withstand very high speeds. They will usually look like this:

Run-Flat - these tires usually have reinforced sidewalls that will support enough of the tire and car that limited operation at lower speeds can still be attained without swapping out a tire right away, meaning that you do not need to carry a spare. They sometimes actually have an extra internal ring that goes around the rim to support the tire and car if it goes flat. Unfortunately due to the more complex internal structure of these tires they usually can not be repaired meaning that if anything happens to them you will need to replace it, they also cost quite a bit more than normal ones. They usually look like this:

Spare Tire -  these tires are usually already mounted on a smaller steel rim and they overall are much smaller and can only handle lower speeds ( occasionally highway) and should only really be used to get you to a garage or home so you can then change to a proper one. Driving a car with one smaller wheel for a long time could create serious problems. They are usually in the trunk or under the car. Spare tires should also be checked a few times a year to make sure they still have correct pressure. It would suck that if you finally needed it, it was flat. They usually look like this:

Understanding the Numbers and Sizes on Them

Best to start off with a picture that easily explains the different parts of the tire.

Easy right? Then on the side of every tire you will see these numbers:

First 3 numbers are simple. Now, for the load rating, it all has to do with the weight of the car then divide by 4 ( because 4 wheels take the weight evenly). Usually anywhere you buy tires will know which ones will be right for your car. However getting a stronger tire is always better than a weaker one when in doubt. Also, if you generally take a lot of people and or stuff you should get a higher number. So generally if:

• You have a subcompact - at least 71
• You have a compact - at least 80
• You have a mid size car - at least 88
• You have full size car or small SUV - at least 95
• You have mid, large SUV, or a small truck - at least 100
• You have large truck... - at least 105

For the speed rating, they use letters. Generally, if you drive on the highway at least a little bit, but you are not going to take your car to a race track you will want: P, Q, R, S, T, or U ( U can get up to 200KM/H or 124 MPH)

Finally if you want a decent all season tire or a proper winter tire ( must have the mountain/ snowflake) you want to see these symbols:

They stand for "mud and snow"

Summary:

The tires are literally the most important part of controlling your car, so its best to find out exactly what rims and tires will fit and work on your car. Winter tires can make enough of a difference that it can make a FWD or RWD car better than an AWD or 4WD car in the snow and on ice. Don't believe me? Check these videos out:

Summer Vs All Season Vs Winter handling tests

and:

AWD Vs 2WD Vs Tyres

and:

All Season Vs Winter Tires

Also, I do not have any affiliation with any brands or companies that are shown in any of these videos or pictures. They were just good comparison videos that I have seen. 

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Transmissions

Hope you have maybe learnt something new today and can make safer choices!

Please leave a comment or follow

J.K.