Tires With Superpowers

Special thanks to @GorehamJ for this informative, fun piece of work on crazy cool types of tires in the industry. :grin:

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“Snow tires do the exact opposite. They are designed to hold snow in their treads because it makes them grip a snowy road better.”

not sure I agree with this. clogging the treads with snow would be like driving on snow with bald tires.

Self sealing tires are not new. They are at least 40 years old. Uniroyal sold Royal Seal tires in the 1980s then NailGuard with this technology. Michelin does own Uniroyal USA, though. Continental owns Uniroyal Europe and sells ContiSeal tires, with the same stuff.

Modern run flats are pretty super compared with the first ones that rode like they were filled with cement. They are pretty nice now. I think I’d prefer the self seal tires though.

I like the All Season tires that are ACTUALLY all season… Most became 3 season tires that were pretty poor in the snow.

Tire engineers are Wizards and tires are a Black Art. They do amazing things with string and rubber.

Those quiet tires with the foam inserts were new to me. I remember some article on EU noise regulations, that a Lamborghini failed the test coasting through, engine off, just because of tire noise. I notice that for 90% of cars that pass, tire noise is just about all I hear.

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I’m thinking it could have been stated better: They are designed to grip snow with their treads…

That’s why snow tires have wider gaps. Any snow that sticks typically gets flung off anyway by the centrifugal force.

It says exactly what it means. The friction coefficient between snow and snow is greater than tire and snow no matter the tread. It is hard to fathom but that is why winter tires have those very small lateral grooves, or sipes, that clog with snow. They are designed to do that to make them grip better. It is also why so many 4x4s with big dirt-doggy tires end up in the ditch when it snows. The tires are not as good as the drivers think they are… the drivers are as good as THEY think they are either…

well, I learned something new. I always thought the deeper treads, the softer compounds and extra sipes was to expel the snow so the treads could grip better. so, once again I stand corrected. :grinning:

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I can attest that these on a CJ 5 didn’t do as well in the snow as whatever was on my wife’s Camry, judging from an event that occurred 20 years ago. Man those tires are expensive now!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Buckshot-Mudder-LT-N78-15-Load-C-6-Ply-MT-M-T-Mud-Tire/824772146?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=17465&adid=22222222223488354842&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=s&wl2=m&wl3=74354623601435&wl4=pla-4577954153607186&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=824772146_10000018314&wl14=buckshot%20bias%20ply%20mud%20tires&veh=sem&msclkid=26baeddb78941a94b7738feba4a3947b&gclid=26baeddb78941a94b7738feba4a3947b&gclsrc=3p.ds