Aquatred

TireFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search

This article is about tires used on road vehicles. For railroad tires, see railway tires. For other uses, see Tire (disambiguation).

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Stacked and standing car tiresA tire (in American English and Canadian English) or tyre (in British English, New Zealand English, Australian English and others) is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground. The word itself may be derived from the word "tie," which refers to the outer steel ring part of a wooden cart wheel that ties the wood segments together (see Etymology below).

The fundamental materials of modern tires are synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric and wire, along with other compound chemicals. They consist of a tread and a body. The tread provides traction while the body ensures support. Before rubber was invented, the first versions of tires were simply bands of metal that fitted around wooden wheels in order to prevent wear and tear. Today, the vast majority of tires are pneumatic inflatable structures, comprising a doughnut-shaped body of cords and wires encased in rubber and generally filled with compressed air to form an inflatable cushion. Pneumatic tires are used on many types of vehicles, such as bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, earthmovers, and aircraft.

Contents [hide]

1 Etymology and spelling

2 History

2.1 Iron tires2.2 Rubber tires2.3 Chronology

3 Manufacturing

4 Components

4.1 Tread 4.1.1 Tread lug4.1.2 Tread void4.1.3 Rain groove4.1.4 Sipe4.1.5 Wear bar4.2 Bead4.3 Sidewall4.4 Shoulder4.5 Ply

5 Associated components

5.1 Rim5.2 Inner tube5.3 Valve stem

6 Construction types

6.1 Bias6.2 Belted bias6.3 Radial6.4 Solid6.5 Semi-pneumatic

7 Specifications

7.1 Tire pressure monitoring system7.2 Inflation pressure7.3 Load rating7.4 Speed rating7.5 Service rating7.6 Treadwear rating7.7 Rotation7.8 Wheel alignment7.9 Retread

8 Performance characteristics

8.1 Contact patch8.2 Tread wear8.3 Dry traction8.4 Wet traction8.5 Force variation8.6 Balance8.7 Centrifugal growth8.8 Rolling resistance8.9 Stopping distance8.10 TKPH

9 Markings

9.1 DOT code9.2 E-mark9.3 Mold serial number9.4 Codes

10 Vehicle applications

10.1 Passenger and light truck types 10.1.1 High performance10.1.2 Mud and snow10.1.3 All season10.1.4 All-terrain10.1.5 Spare10.1.6 Run-flat10.2 Heavy duty truck10.3 Off-the-road (OTR)10.4 Agricultural10.5 Racing10.6 Industrial10.7 Bicycle10.8 Aircraft10.9 Motorcycle

11 Sound and vibration characteristics

12 Regulatory bodies

12.1 DOT12.2 NHTSA12.3 UTQG12.4 T&RA12.5 ETRTO12.6 JATMA12.7 TREAD Act12.8 RFID tags

13 Safety

13.1 Flat13.2 Hydroplaning (or aquaplaning)13.3 Dangers of aged tires13.4 Scrap tires and environmental issues

14 Asymmetric tire

14.1 Tire tread14.2 Stabilizing belts

15 See also

16 References

17 External links

[edit] Etymology and spellingThe Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the word derives from "attire",[1] while other sources suggest a connection with the verb "to tie".[2] From the 15th to the 17th centuries the spellings tire and tyre were used without distinction;[1] but by 1700 tyre had become obsolete and tire remained as the settled spelling.[1] In the UK, the spelling tyre was revived in the 19th century for pneumatic tires, though many continued to use tire for the iron variety. The Times newspaper in Britain was still using tire as late as 1905.[3] The 1911 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica