2006-10-12 11:16:43 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
If you're in the market for new tires, all of the variables in tire specifications and the confusing jargon you might hear from tire salesmen or "experts" might make your purchase rather stressful. Or maybe you just want to fully understand the tires you already have, the concepts at work, the significance of all of those sidewall markings. What does all this stuff mean in regular terms?
In this article, we will explore how tires are built and see what's in a tire. We'll find out what all the numbers and markings on the sidewall of a tire mean, and we'll decipher some of that tire jargon. By the end of this article, you'll understand how a tire supports your car, and you'll know why heat can build up in your tires, especially if the pressure is low. You'll also be able to adjust your tire pressure correctly and diagnose some common tire problems!
2006-10-12 11:28:26 · answer #1 · answered by SCSA 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you take a balloon and inflate it, it doesn't weigh much and won't deform much where it touches on the bottom. If you press down on it, the pressure inside doesn't change much but it flattens on the bottom. The area that flattens times the pressure inside is equal to the force you put on the top. With a tire, it's a bit more complicated because they engineer them to perform best with the tread meeting the road so it stays flat side-to-side, but it still obeys the same rule. An overinflated tire (too much pressure) has a smaller contact patch and less traction. An underinflated tire has a larger contact patch, but it has to flex much more. That flexing builds up heat which is where the wasted gas goes to, and it also increases wear and the chance of tire failure. Tires are made with fabric or metal cords embedded in the rubber, both in the tread and the sidewall, and enough heat and flexing makes the rubber separate from the supporting cord belts. The belts make a tire stiffer and help to stabilize it. My neighbor has one of those jacked-up trucks and he runs it with a flat on one side in the back. When he has to haul something he puts air in it. But the tire is 6-ply and so stiff that if the truck is empty, it doesn't really matter.
2006-10-12 19:01:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they keep the underside of the car from skidding along the ground.
2006-10-12 18:30:09 · answer #3 · answered by BBQ MASTER 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they spin
2006-10-12 18:18:03 · answer #4 · answered by ann.natalie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋