The Nightmare That Manufacturers Go Through To Get It Right With Your Tires
Folks, the next time you go to replace your tires, you should appreciate what goes on in the factory before complaining about the ever rising costs of these’ rubber car parts’. The truth is that while most of us know that tires are made of rubber, it will surprise you what else constitutes your wheels, and why it is there in the first place. Of course, we get to only view the outer area, and when we see the treads are disappearing, we start preparing for another wheel change.
What we may probably do not know is that the treaded area is just one of the least complex parts of the car tire. Actually, the most complex parts are beneath the treads. Surprised? Below is a sneak preview of what goes into making your tires last as long, perform as good, and cost as much as they do. To do this we are going to split the tire into 3 layers: The foundation, the body and the finishing.
The foundation
Nothing built by man for industrial purpose lacks a foundation – the same goes for tires. The first step in building it involves curving the bead. This is a high-strength cable made of steel on the outer layer. It is coated with rubber. This is one of the most important parts as its function is hugging the car’s rim tight enough so that it does not detach the tire from the wheel in whichever circumstance. This bead is to blame for the energy you spend trying to replace your tires with others. However, it is important that it becomes tough enough.
The body
Several layers constitute the body. This part of the wheel gives us the radial shape we see on wheels. In most cases, polyester cord is used to create the ply fabric used here. They are collectively known as plies. Different manufacturers decide to apply different numbers of these layers to give the tire the tensile strength needed to carry the weight of the vehicle. The plies are also covered in a coat of rubber, but for a different reason. Air needs to be sealed inside the compartment when pumped and the rubber coating does it exceptionally well.
The strength of the tire heavily depends on the number of layers. In fact, large commercial plane tires use the same plies. However, they have over 30 plies on them to give the strength needed to support the weight needed on a plane.
The finishing
Closely related to the plies is the sidewall. This protective layer keeps air from escaping from the side while increasing the stability of the tire from the side. The final layer is the tread. Both of these components are seen from the outside, but the tread is the actual ‘rubber that meets the road’. It has to be designed in a way to give the tire the traction needed to keep the vehicle stable on the road, especially on a slippery surface. Its function cannot be overrate, as its presence can be the difference between a potential accident or not.
Harry Blake works for getmetires.com which is a prominent online source for tires at discounted prices. When he is not busy offering customers high quality car tires in Toronto, he likes to unwind and write on a variety of topics that interest him.