The shape of the tyre tread pattern:
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Directional. Pattern with a characteristic V-shape. Among other things, such rubber is considered to be especially effective on wet surfaces — in rain, on snow, with an abundance of melt water, etc.: the pattern provides effective water drainage, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and increasing grip. Also, these tyres are well suited for high-speed sports cars (although, of course, their speed rating and specialization may be different). When installing directional tyres, the direction indicated by the manufacturer must be kept.
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Symmetric. The pattern without signs of directionality is the same both on the outer and on the inner part of the tread. These tyres are easier to manufacture than directional or asymmetric tyres, and are generally cheaper, while still having good performance on a flat and dry surface. In addition, symmetric tyres are as simple as possible to install, they do not need to follow the direction. However, for hard conditions, particularly wet weather, they are poorly suited. So, typically, such tyres are designed mainly for city cars used on short trips on relatively high-quality roads.
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Asymmetric. Tyres with a different pattern inside and outside the tread. Each of these parts plays a role: the inner part provides water evacuation and reduces the risk of aquaplaning, while the ou
...ter part provides the necessary rigidity for manoeuvrability and stability. While installing, you need to take into account the location of the outer and inner sides, they usually have the appropriate marking. Asymmetric tyres are considered the most advanced, although, of course, the actual characteristics and cost of such products may vary, depending on the brand and the general level. Such tyres are designed mainly for cars of medium and top levels; they are often supplied as factory equipment for advanced cars.A variety of tyres (usually winter tyres) that are not equipped with studs, but have slots for their installation. The meaning of this decision is that, firstly, such tyres are typically cheaper than similar models with pre-installed factory studding, and secondly, the owner is given certain freedom of choice — to stud or not to stud the tyre. In fact, it should be noticed that tyres created
for a stud are initially designed for operation with studs, respectively, without them, they will behave worse than ordinary non-studded ones. In addition, studs made after purchase take hold much worse than factory ones — with more or less intensive use, studs tend to fall out, especially if the tyre does not stud right away, but after some run.
The rolling resistance rating that the tyre corresponds to. The higher this figure, the lower the resistance, the less fuel is spent to overcome it and the more economical the tyre is. Efficiency indices are denoted by letters of the Latin alphabet in descending order of efficiency:
A(highest efficiency),
B,
C,
D,
E,
F,
G(lowest efficiency).
With other things being equal, more economical tyres tend to cost more, but the difference is offset by fuel economy.
