Here we have an aggressive truck tire tread design. Tread like this delivers great traction in mud and inclement
weather. You usually find this type of tread on the traction tires of a truck. Photo courtesy of the Goodyear Tire
and Rubber Company. Used with permission.
Winter Tires
Winter tires provide the best weather traction to those of us who experience
severe winters.
The tread design on winter tires is unique. The lugs are multi-siped,
maximizing traction on snow and ice. Often the lugs have sharp-edged cleats
that bite into the ice and snow as the tire rolls along the road surface. Finally, this
specific tread design channels water out from under the footprint of the tire.
The rubber compound in winter tires remains flexible in all seasons, especially
when it gets cold outside. This characteristic allows the tread to clean itself. In
short, the tread lugs open and close as the tire rolls. This pumping action
channels and flushes out the weather elements, as well as creates a squeegee
action on the road surface, resulting in maximum traction.
If you want maximum traction in snow, install snow tires at all four corners of
the vehicle. This move will give you maximum traction in all winter conditions.
If you install snow tires only on the front of a vehicle with front-wheel drive,
you will find that the rear of the vehicle will fishtail when you corner (the rear
tires won’t have the bite that the winter tires have). On a rear-wheel drive vehicle