Miniature Groove Meaning: Purpose & Functionality

Hi,

I recently saw a funny detail on a Dunlop tire: the product name is printed as part of the tread pattern in the center rib. I realize that it doesn't serve any actual purpose for the tire's function.

But what is causing this small groove/scratch in my Conti SportContact 2 tire (see arrow)?
Does it serve a purpose, or is it just for aesthetics?

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

Hi,
"Well, I would say that they do what all those grooves in tire treads are designed to do: reduce the contact area and help prevent aquaplaning."
In this case, the water cannot flow laterally, but rather downwards along the pronounced grooves (front and back). If these grooves are only faintly indicated, the effect would naturally disappear with wear. Perhaps an additional indicator for wear could be added?
haithamina

Water cannot pass through the groove; only the highest level of "mist" can.

It's no bigger than 1x1mm, and I'm surprised it hasn't worn away yet, because the Passat already puts a certain amount of stress on the tire.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"real photo coming soon"

I suspect that it has a similar effect to the sipes in winter tires, and in this case, it increases grip and handling on wet surfaces. They certainly aren't free, but the water is drained away by the tread pattern. Incidentally, many countries also drive with summer tires in the winter, including where I come from .

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/de/semperit/automobil/themen/pkw_reifen/winter/feature2_de.html

Since the groove runs lengthwise and not crosswise like with a lug pattern, it cannot be compared to a lamellar function.
Besides the optical function, I can only imagine that new tires might offer better grip in curves, but 1 mm is a negligible amount.

or a super simulation tool was so badly misused that it ended up optimizing for aesthetics... time to duck and cover!

Hello!

matthiasTDI96 wrote:

or a super simulation tool was so badly misused that it optimized itself for aesthetics.... duck and cover!

I would immediately sign my name to that...

Functionality hasn't been important for a long time; you just need to pay attention to the world around you.

BYE
TDI mechanics.

teileklaus wrote:

1) Since the groove runs lengthwise instead of being oriented transversely like in a ribbed tire, it is not comparable to the fin function. 2) Besides the grip function, I can only imagine better adhesion in curves with new tires

.
"I suspect there's a lamellar function at play, but not for propulsion (as I mentioned above)."
2)

Hello everyone,

'Does anyone know what the maximum connected tread area is allowed to be for a road tire?'

Right here is where I see the purpose of these micro-grooves. With such fine segmentation, I lose very little stiffness in the profile block and get significantly closer to the 'slick' surface that is considered illegal by governing bodies.
The tire's steering precision improves because the tread block has a large, continuous contact area.

Best regards, Jochen.

Jochen_145 wrote:

... "Does anyone know what the maximum connected tread area is allowed to be for a road tire?"

You might be surprised... Two circumferential grooves are enough to obtain road approval. So, essentially, it's a slick tire.


Once upon a time, there was a sports tire called the "Dunlop D76J Sport" that had a flat central groove and grooves running around the central groove on both the right and left sides. It also featured some "stars" on the tread pattern. The tire was street legal, but it always caused headaches for the TÜV (German technical inspection authority) inspectors. The grooves and the central rib would wear away after just a few kilometers. This often resulted in me failing the TÜV inspection. However, I had a letter from Dunlop that stated:

""In principle, a distinction must be made between the tread pattern and sipes, and it is solely up to the manufacturer to determine which "tread stiffeners" should be classified as either a tread pattern or a sipe."
The legislator does not specify minimum profile depths and widths for fins.

For the case of D79J, this definition is as follows:
The term "profile" refers to the two grooves that run parallel on either side of the center.
The central groove, the star-shaped indentations in the outer thirds of the tread pattern... are, on the other hand, "sipes".

So a truly legitimate slick guy!

It goes without saying that I only used this tire on motorsport events (and for the TÜV ). The aquaplaning behavior was already dangerous at 25 km/h!

EDIT:
A similar tire was also produced by Yokohama: the A008R (which corresponded to the A008 but with a special rubber compound).

http://www.reifen.com/shop/sommerreifen_yokohama_165-51.do

Here's a real photo of the mini-groove.

Hello Martin,

We simultaneously 'de-winterized' roughly the same types of vehicles with the same type of tires.
225 R 17 Conti Sportkontakt 2 tires. You have a front-wheel drive car with a bit more torque, while I have a rear-wheel drive car with slightly less grip! We can't objectively compare our driving styles. However, I think you might also have around 20,000 km on your tires. Anyway, I do use the torque, enjoy driving fast, but avoid wheelspin (like burnouts) and am a fairly moderate cornerer.

What about your drive tires now? How many millimeters of tread are left on them?
Meine jedenfalls sind auf knapp 4mm herunten, und das nach 20tkm? I hope that...
I'm curious to see where that puts me on average. While the front tires are practically brand new,
Even that small groove with the circular indentations is still there, just like you described in a thread.

What are your experiences with front-wheel drive vehicles?

Have a nice day!

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

Don't remind me about Conti.
For years, I was content, but since last year, I no longer understand the world.
First, they delivered 8 octagon-shaped (height-optimized) PremiumContact tires in size 195/60 R14, and now my SportContact2 tires are also causing problems.

I have a noticeable saw-tooth pattern on the front [of something, likely tires or a component]. Additionally, I experienced slight vibrations in the car during a 1300 km journey.
The small groove is still present at the back, but it's completely gone from the front.

Okay, I re-balanced the wheels on the VW, rotating them from front to back.
The vibration is still slightly present, the rolling noise is more noticeable, and above 160 km/h, the vibration almost turns into a humming sound. Volkswagen says, "they can't do anything more."

I'm about to just try a new set of Dunlop Sport 01 tires.

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

dieselmartin wrote:

I'm about to just try a new set of Dunlop Sport 01 tires. m;

Sure? I have Dunlop SportMAXX tires on my car (from the factory), and I'm experiencing a noticeable "pseudo-imbalance" – vibrations that sometimes appear from the front and rear, and then disappear again. The tread on the front tires has also reached the wear indicators (approximately 25,000 km).

I was actually planning to switch to Michelin PS2 tires, but maybe I should get the alignment and toe checked first. The rear tires are wearing evenly, but the noise is gradually becoming unbearable, like a "floating" sensation. Strangely, I can't "feel" any cupping wear. However, they had radial runout from the factory.

Workshop complaint at 1000 km: "We can only do something about the tires up to a distance of 500 km..." *ugh*.

Regards,
Pete.

Mmm.

'Well, it seems you're driving more smoothly than I am. My Continental tires aren't bad; they're not particularly noisy or anything like that, but they do wear down quickly, which is probably my fault.'

Awesome

"They're doing pointless things like adding patterns to the tire tread, but they can't even fulfill their main task, which is pressing round pieces."

Not even the premium manufacturers...

It's really terrible what kind of junk costs money these days.

I'm going to put the winter tires on soon, not because I think there's a problem with the suspension and I'm just staring at the tires.