When fitting tyres firstly look at the vehicle then, more importantly, we ask each individual what their driving habits are.
In each tyre size in Australia Kumho has two or three tread patterns that could be utilised. Your driving habits define what type of tyres you will need. Some people will drive only around the city, others live outside the city and commute to work everyday, others live in the city but they drive long distances on holidays quite often or they could be on the freeway a lot. The tyres and tread pattern can match the type of driving you do.
So remember you have choices when it comes to tyre selection. Now you can be matched via your vehicle and your personality so you’ll be driving happy, longer.
Tread Patterns: Quiet Tyres
Kumho Tyre develop tread designs that benefit different vehicles. When a customer comes in with a certain car, we can match their needs with a tread.
If you had a tyre tread that had exactly the same shape for each tread block it would be like a tractor going down the road, it would make a terrible noise. For people who want a quiet tyre we have a tread designs that ensure it is quiet on the road and offers a smoother drive. It’s about the harmonics - How they space the tread blocks and the size of these blocks determines the amount of sound produced while driving. If you look at the shoulder of the tyre you will see that each of the blocks is a different size and they all make a different sound as they hit the road. The quiter tyres are designed so that those different sounds actually cancel each other out.
Why are Performance Tyres louder?
Generally speaking if you want something ultra high performance because you drive and corner your car quite hard you’ll probably have a tyre that can be a bit louder. This tyre type tends to possess a tread design with sharper angled tread blocks which can produce greater noise characteristics. It’s a classic trade off. - Greater performance for noise. But the good news is most tyre companies are looking to create tread design that have a balance between performance and low noise, for example, Kumho ECSTA HS51.
What is Road Comfort?
When we talk about road comfort this is the tyre’s ability to ‘dampen’ and absorb more shock from the road . Kumho has achieved the road comfort through utilising rubber and silica compound instead of carbon black or traditional rubber. The synthetic rubber has more dampening capabilities so it can absorb more shock. The entire high performance range includes the silica technology.
The Ecowing Range and Fuel Economy
How can a tyre be better for the environment? Most people will think these are only tyres with better fuel economy but there is more to know.
- The reduction in fuel usage is due to the Ecowing Kumho Tyre a lower rolling resistance and less friction with the road.
- Because of less resistance with the road the tread lasts longer and you don’t need new tyres as quickly.
- And this means that less tyre drag on the road converts to less engine wear, fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
- The rubber Kumho use on our Ecowing range is different to others. When we drive we leave a residue on the road that can be washed into the gutters. Kumho’s ECOWING is made from a compound that is more environmentally friendly than traditional manufacturering.
We recognise that a tyre can’t be completely green but the mix of compound in the ecowing is friendlier, less of the carbon black and more easily breaks down. We’re moving in the right direction.