Drive Better with The Best Summer Tires
Summer tires are meant for high-performance driving in hot and humid weather conditions. But to enjoy all the benefits of summer tires, you need to get the right ones. Here’s a little guide to help you get them:
Summer Tires VS All Season Tires
What sets summer tires apart from all-season ones? Let’s find out.
Summer Tires
Tires that are designed for hot weather conditions come with a softer compound rubber that helps with better grip and balance. These tires are typically better at handling dry as well as wet conditions. These tires perform at their best at temperatures above 7-degree, which makes them a lot less appropriate for colder conditions.
These tires offer great braking and cornering capabilities with impressive responsiveness. This is due to the increased number of tread patterns that allow better grip on all kinds of roads. These treads have more rubber that stays in contact with the road and less grooving. They are best for road-hold griping, better traction, and flexibility.
All Season Tires
All-season tires offer good traction in snow, acceptable performance on dry and wet roads, and are equipped with moderate treads and rubber compounds for longer life than summer tires. All-season tires have deep tread depths that are engineered to take on tons of loads without wearing out.
These tires provide easy handling, comfortable drives, they don’t do exceptionally great in warmer weather conditions though. All-season tires can provide excellent traction in winters. They are perfect for an average car driver.
Types of Summer Tires
There are six types of summer tires that you can choose from.
Highway Rib Summer Tires
Highway rib summer tires are ideal for heavy-duty vehicles like pickups, trucks, sports utility vehicle, or motorhomes. These tires feature rib-type tread patterns on them that enable them to run smoothly.
Max Performance Summer Tires
This kind offers great traction and very reasonable tread wear. You can use them in wet as well as dry conditions but don’t do so great with snow or ice. This is because they are low-profile in design and provide a strong steering response only in dry or wet weather.
Grand Touring Summer Tires
These tires are made to offer wet and dry traction and an impeccably comfortable ride. They are known for high-speed capabilities and great handling in comparison with standard touring tires.
Extreme Performance Summer Tires
This kind is designed for extremely dry grip which can seem a little uncomfortable to many. They are great for wet traction and lesser tread life.
High-Performance Summer Tires
High-performance summer tires are made for nimble handling in dry and wet conditions. These tires offer a comfortable ride. They’re not perfect for ice or snow.
Sport/Street Truck Summer Tires
Street summer tires are low-profile, wide, and have a large diameter for wet and dry conditions. They offer impressive traction and road grip.
Things to Consider When Buying Summer Tires
Here are a few things that you must keep in mind when getting new summer tires.
Size
Picking the right size is important as it ensures that the tire fits perfectly and matches the specifications of your vehicle. Make sure you consult a specialist and read through the manual to determine the perfect size for your kind of vehicle. You can also use online tire size calculation guides for better assistance.
Tread Pattern
Summer tires come with special tread patterns that offer maximum contact between the road and the tire rubber. They have shallow tread depth and lesser grooves. The different types are discussed later in the guide.
Speed
Speed index refers to the maximum speed a tire can perform and sustain itself at. They are denoted on the sidewalls of tires with letters with T, H, Z, or S ratings. These alphabets mean that a tire can speed up t0 190, 210, 240, and 180 respectively. A high-speed rating means better control at high speeds.
Annual Mileage and Driving Style
If you’re somebody that doesn’t drive long kilometers every year, get the summer tire type that ages less quickly. You should also consider the way you drive and where you drive often.
Do you often go off-road? Do you visit sandy areas? How do you prefer your ride and road handling?
Types of Tread Patterns/Designs on Summer Tires
There are three different tread designs and patterns for summer tires:
i. The symmetrical tread pattern has continuous tread blocks to make a wavy design across the face of the tire. This type can wear out evenly and offer a quiet and smooth ride. This is the perfect choice for those who are looking for economical and long-lasting summer tires.
ii. Asymmetrical tread pattern tires have inside and outside marks on the sidewalls for perfect mounting. They perform equally best in wet and dry conditions. They provide better heat dissipation and a very strong cornering grip.
iii. Directional tread patterns are designed for one-direction rolls with lateral grooves that are pointing to the center of the tire and form a V-shape. They help with avoiding hydroplaning and removing water during wet drives.
Conclusion
Summer is the perfect time for drives, road trips, and vacations. This guide will help you track down the best summer tires in 2021 so you can get confidently and comfortably on the road even in the heat.
There are also many kinds of summer tires available that you can pick from according to your preferences and driving needs.
Best Summer Tires FAQs
Some frequently asked questions are listed below:
What temperature is ideal for summer tires?
Summer tires work optimally in temperatures 7-degrees or more.
How long can summer tires last?
Summer tires have a short life in comparison with other types. They can last you approximately 50,000 km. The life of tires also depends on the driving style and roads you drive on.
What sets high-performance summer tires apart?
Summer tires are great at handling both wet and dry roads. They have fewer grooves to reduce vibrations with enhanced road contact and stability.