Test tires

Tires are much more than just rubber

There are two indisputable facts about tires. First, at some point we rely on our tires when performing evasive or emergency maneuvers, slamming on the brakes whether dry or wet, or wishing our tires would last longer before taking off on a 2,000-mile road trip . Secondly, no one thinks about tires unless absolutely necessary, like sitting on the side of the highway with a flat tire. For most motorists, tires are taken for granted. They shouldn’t be like this. So where do you get the unbiased information to become an educated tire buyer?

One company believes it’s important for consumers to really understand Know About the products they viewed in the store. Discount Tire (known as America’s Tire in some states) independently and at its own expense tests all tires sold at its 1,200 stores in 38 states. It is rare for a retailer to conduct comparative testing of the products they sell, with the manufacturers of these products doing so uniquely. It’s like grocery store chains testing all the food and beverage products they sell, or department stores doing the same thing with all the clothing they sell. Again, this is rare.

Test in the park

Discount Tire is being tested at the following locations Treadwell Research Park Pearsall, Texas, about an hour outside of San Antonio, has several courses designed for different tests and covers more than 900 acres. Automotive journalists were invited to experience the effectiveness of different tire types on various road surfaces at the three courses.

The 1.9-mile oval track features 7-degree banked turns, demonstrating dry and wet grip, slalom turns, emergency braking and encountering rough road conditions. Discount Tires noted which variables Treadwell tests and what type of feedback is provided to tire manufacturers, including whether different brands of tires perform better.

We took out a 2022 Tesla Model S and a 2022 Tesla Model 3 and performed wet and dry emergency stops at 60 mph. These are the stopping distance results for two brands of all-season tires on two very similar cars.

• Model S – all-wheel drive

Michelin 245/45/19 Pilot Sport 4S

Wetlands: 144 feet

Stem: 104

• Model 3 – rear wheel drive

Goodyear 245/45/19 Maximum life

Wetlands: 199 feet

Stem: 129

While it’s clear which tire has less downtime, we’ve learned that there’s more to consider than downtime when choosing which tire to buy. These include ride quality, handling, noise, tread wear and cost. We will discuss the process of these buying decision factors later.

We then tried it out in the wet vehicle dynamics area, an 800-by-800-foot track filled with 0.069 to 0.089 inches of water. Two trail-type courses were set up and we tested three different cars, each equipped with a different set of all-season tires.

• BMW 330i – rear wheel drive

Bridgestone Weather Peak 225/45/18

• BMW 330i – rear wheel drive

Michelin all-season 225/45/18 Pilot Sport 4/S4

Our conclusion is that this last tire is best suited for slippery surfaces, providing excellent cornering and grip in less than ideal traction conditions.

Our last experience was in leave– The road test area has several dedicated sections. I rode shotgun with pro riders on all but the last one because it was a slow technical course on some seriously sharp boulders.

• mud traction
• Trail treatment
• climb mountains
• Dirt Road Routing and Vehicle Dynamics
• gravel box
• Cutting and shredding roads
• Boulder Crawl and Rock Garden

Shopping and buying

Discount Tire has made independent testing and reviews available online for free Treadwell Tire Guide. The website covers basic issues such as vehicles, driving types and factors that are important to customers. Once entered, recommended tires are displayed and the criteria can be changed. If tread wear is most important in the first search, changing the price will show a different ranking of tires, or possibly some tires that are not in the first search query. Consumers can do this at home or with the help of a consultant at one of the stores. I do this by entering the make, model, and year of my car, my type of driving (suburban vs. city), and this turn out.

Discount Tire tire development director Joshua Sorter said the purpose of the test was to “demonstrate the work we do as customer advocates in selling tires. We want customers to feel confident in the product they are buying and ensure they are getting what they expected.” “We are very transparent, both in terms of the information we provide to customers and the information we provide to manufacturers about tire performance.”

Chief Product and Technology Officer John Baldwin Tell us: “When you buy a new car, they’re going to have what we call OE (original equipment) tires, and the manufacturer has a different customer in mind. Those people might be the government or regular consumers, or they might be motivated by CAFE (corporate fuel average) Economic reasons) and choose the original manufacturer with lower rolling resistance. tires, and they may not be as focused on factors like wear, winter and performance, we think of them when customers come to discount tires because there are a lot of tires to choose from, and those drivers have different interests, probably for a long time. Wear, low rolling resistance, wet or snowy weather or handling.”

“We know tires can be intimidating, which is where our online portal and in-store experts come in to help consumers understand their options when it comes to replacing their tires.”

final thoughts

After spending a day at the Treadwell Experience, tire science and tire testing are fascinating. This is something that most people know very little about. Our advice is to go online and learn more about the type of tires that will best suit your vehicle, driving style and needs.

Shopping for tires can be as confusing as shopping for a mattress. Pricing, style, features, and branding are peppered with information as if consumers know what they mean. A recent report stated that 61% of drivers replace tires when they show signs of wear, and 31% only replace tires when they experience a problem. This reinforces the testing and evaluations that Discount Tire offers free of charge to consumers, as the key is to be prepared for replacement tires before they become urgent by choosing the ideal replacement tire and choosing a good retailer.

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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Discount Tire.

The article Testing Tires first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.