The tread of a tire refers to the rubber on its circumference that makes contact with the road or ground. As tires wear, the tread diminishes, affecting traction.
Tread patterns are designed to expel water, prevent hydroplaning, and impact noise levels and traction. Street tires have grooves for water expulsion, while racing slicks lack grooves for maximum contact.
Different tread patterns cater to specific needs like dry weather grip or off-road traction. Checking tread depth is crucial; new tires start with 8-9mm depth and should be replaced at 1.6mm for safety in wet conditions.
Tire wear indicators help monitor tread depth, ensuring safe driving. Various tread patterns like symmetrical, directional, and asymmetrical offer different benefits such as grip, stability, and rolling resistance[1][2][3].
Citations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_tread
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The tread of a tire or track refers to the rubber on its circumference that makes contact with the road or the ground. As tires are used, the tread is worn off, limiting its effectiveness in providing traction. A worn tire can often be retreaded.
The word tread is often used casually to refer to the pattern of grooves molded into the rubber, but those grooves are correctly called the tread pattern, or simply the pattern. The grooves are not the tread, they are in the tread. This distinction is especially significant in the case of racing slicks, which have much tread but no grooves.