Tire Tread Design

Introduction:

Vehicle tires have many different tire treads designed to provide the tire performance desired by the tire and vehicle manufacturers.

Features of modern tires tread:

1. An interlocking tread pattern for improved tread gripping quality on icy or slick roads
2. Deeply carved aquachutes to propel water off the tread and away from the tire to reduce the possibility of hydroplaning when driving on wet pavement.
3. Reinforced tread shoulders to improve tread gripping quality when turning corners on dry pavement

 

Advantages of micro-bubbles in the tire tread:

• One tire manufacturer installs 2 to 3 billion microscopic hollow shells or bubbles in the tread material on one brand of their tires.

• These hollow shells are installed to 60 percent of the tread depth, and add rigidity to the tread material. When these hollow shells contact the road surface they break open, and the shell edges provide a gripping effect to improve traction.

• When driving on wet pavement, each time a hollow shell contacts the road surface and breaks open, a small amount of water is pulled into the hollow shell.

• Because this action is occurring at the millions of hollow shells in contact with the road surface, water is removed from between the tread and the road surface. This action reduces the possibility of hydroplaning.