Wheel and Tire Buyer's Guide Tread Patterns & Wheel Types

The last two terms have to do with the design of the pattern as it moves from the inside to the outside of the tire. A symmetrical pattern, as you'd guess, is the same sidewall to sidewall. An asymmetrical pattern, on the other hand, will look different as you move across its face. For high-performance road applications, an asymmetrical tire often has large tread elements on the outside. This puts big blocks of solid rubber in contact with the road while cornering. The inside of the tread is more cut up, with lots of voids and channels for water removal. As with a directional tire, an asymmetrical tire has to be oriented when mounted so that the proper side of the tread faces outward. And as with directionals, there are usually instructions printed on the sidewall as to which side should face outward.

These tires show the major tread pattern types. The Bridgestone Potenza S-03 (A) is a directional tire, with a pattern that optimizes its grip when rolling in one direction.
These tires show the major tread pattern types. The Bridgestone Potenza S-03 (A) is a dire
The Firestone Firehawk 500 (B) is nondirectional and symmetrical. Its tread pattern is designed to work no matter which way the tire is rolling.
The Firestone Firehawk 500 (B) is nondirectional and symmetrical. Its tread pattern is des
The Falken Azenis Sport (C) is an asymmetrical tire, with bigger tread blocks on the outside of the pattern to allocate as much rubber to the road as possible when cornering. Directional and asymmetrical tires have to be mounted in a certain way for their specialized tread patterns to work as designed.
The Falken Azenis Sport (C) is an asymmetrical tire, with bigger tread blocks on the outsi

Don't confuse tread patterns with tread compounds. The pattern is the design of the blocks on the tread surface; the compound is the chemical makeup of the rubber used to make the tread. Patterns are designed in such a way as to provide biting edges for grip and to channel water between the tire and the road. Compounds are made up so as to provide certain traction and treadwear qualities. A soft or sticky compound will provide excellent traction but will wear out quickly. Treadwear and traction ratings can be found on your tire's sidewall in the UTQG section.

Wheel Types

As with tires, wheels fall into some basic categories, all of which have to do with their construction. Almost all of the high-performance and aftermarket wheels in the import tuner segment are made from aluminum alloy, although back in the day people used to call them mags. Mag was short for magnesium wheels, which were popular with racers in the 1960s for their lightweight character. Mag wheels burned when they got too hot though, so their use was short-lived.

Why aluminum? It's lighter and stronger than steel, and weight is a big issue with wheels. Along with the tires and brakes, wheels are considered "unsprung" weight, meaning they're not supported by the vehicle's suspension. If you can reduce the weight of your wheels, you'll find your handling to be crisper and more responsive, as the steering system won't require as much effort to push them around. Plus, taking off weight in general helps you to go faster. So an alloy wheel is a win-win situation.