Tires are part of the backbone of a car, truck, piece of construction equipment or bicycle. Tires add traction, braking, steering and load support to vehicles while also absorbing shock and creating a smooth and comfortable ride. They are o-shaped parts that can be pneumatic or solid and fit around the wheels of the vehicle to protect the wheels and add to their effect. A solid tire consists of rubber, metals and plastic parts.

In the past tires have been made of steel and sometimes even iron and were placed on wooden wheels. They were used for carts and wagons. The steel or iron was melted in a fire so it could be easily molded onto the wooden wheel of the cart or wagon. As time has gone on the advancement of tires has done the same, becoming more developed and safer.

There are tons of different types of tires, all of them bringing different features to the table. There is the all-season, all-terrain, spare, run-flat, off-the-road and mud and road tires. All of these can be found on a variety of different vehicles. The most commonly used tire of that group is the spare tire. Each and every car that comes off of the lot has a spare tire. The spare tire is just what it says; a spare. The spare tire is used when one of the regular tires is flat due to a puncture. It is usually kept in a compartment in the trunk of each vehicle.

The all-terrain tire is mostly used on SUVs and trucks. The all-terrain tire helps trucks and SUVs drive through the woods, through mud or through any difficult terrain that the vehicle might encounter. These tires keep the vehicle from getting stuck in the mud or any other slop the environment will throw at it. These tires also have stiffer sidewalls to help prevent punctures to the tire when driving off-road.

The run-flat tire is one of the most interesting new inventions in the automotive world today. The run-flat tire helps drivers avoid pulling off the roadway to change tires because the vehicle can still run on the flat tire but for a limited distance and at a limited speed. This enables the driver to get the car to a safe area, not close to the roadway where injury could occur, and change the tire in a parking lot.

Tires also come in all different sizes. Tires need to be manufactured large enough for construction equipment and small enough for motorcycles. They are also used for airplanes and bicycles. Tires create a smooth ride for vehicles, eliminating the bumps that the road may cause. There is one problem with tires; if the car has a poor wheel alignment then the tires can wear down unevenly, which can lead to a tire bursting while driving. Always check the tires treads to make sure they are wearing down evenly on each side of the tread. If they aren't then the tires would need to be replaced very frequently.