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Tires and wheels

Tires are ring-shaped and mounted on the vehicle's wheels to protect them and enable better vehicle performance by providing flexibility to absorb bumps in the road as well as keeping the position of the wheel in close contact with the ground. The basic materials of modern tires are synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric and wire, combined with other chemical compounds. Tires are composed of the tread and body.

Tread provides traction while the body ensures support. Today the vast majority of tires are pneumatic inflatable structures. Pneumatic tires are used on many types of vehicles, such as bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks and aircraft. The earliest tires were bands of iron (later steel) mounted on wooden wheels that are used for carts and wagons. The first practical pneumatic tires were made by John Boyd Dunlop in 1887.

Tire production is growing with the development of the automotive industry. Today, over 1 billion tires are produced annually in more than 400 factories in the world. Wheels can be made of steel or aluminum. Depending on the vehicle, the tire can be mounted on steel (metal) wheels or alloy wheels from aluminum or magnesium alloys.

Alloy wheels are usually lighter than metal. They provide better thermal conductivity and improved cosmetic appearance of the car. Better heat conduction can help dissipate heat from the brakes, which improves braking performance in more demanding driving conditions and reduces the chance of a problem with the brakes overheating.

The earliest alloy wheels are made of magnesium alloy. One of the first productions of alloy wheels was in 1960. During these years, the material of these lightweight wheels was very fragile. In a slightly later period, these problems are avoided by the production of aluminum alloys. These wheels can help reduce wheel weight and the total mass of the vehicle, which can help lower the fuel consumption of the car.