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Tire noise, the monotonous drone of rubber on pavement, can be the most annoying sound you ever heard. Some tires are relatively quiet and unobtrusive, some make a hypnotic hum, and others create a din so loud that makes it hard to even carry on a conversation inside the vehicle. Why are some tires so darn noisy? At Goodyear of Buckhead in Atlanta, GA, we get that question rather often.
Let’s analyze that, using a little bit of tire science and physics.
A big part of the noise level of tires is tied into “pattern noise.” The noise occurs because air is continually trapped and released in the grooves and voids of the tread itself as the tire rolls along the pavement. As a general rule, tires that have a lug or block tread pattern, as in light truck or mud-terrain tires, tend to have a noticeably higher noise level than tires with a rib or groove tread design.
Tires that have a symmetrical pattern of tread segments all around the tire tend to be noisier than tires with tread blocks of varying sizes and shapes (a “multiple pitch” pattern). The different tread segments may all set up differing pattern noises, but they tend to cancel each other out and the overall effect is a lower noise level. Grand touring tires typically are designed with a multiple pitch tread pattern.
Tires such as Bridgestone’s Turanza Serenity Plus are tuned for low noise, with specially shaped grooves that avoid the compression and release of air in the tread’s grooves, then scramble the sound waves when it does occur.
Tires that have a directional tread pattern tend to produce more noise as they wear, more so than non-directional tires.
Differing road surfaces tend to produce differing amounts of noise. Not all roads are going to have a glassy-smooth, polished concrete surface, and blacktop/asphalt, grooved concrete, and other surfaces are all going to set up different levels of noise, regardless of the tire. Figure in tar expansion strips, manhole covers, pavement joints and potholes, all of which are in abundance in Atlanta, GA, and there’s going to be a certain noise level that’s just unavoidable.
Different rubber compounds will all produce differing noise levels; as a general rule, softer tread formulations will be quieter at highway speed and tend to “absorb” more road noise.
The inflated air cavity in the tire will often resonate like a drum at highway speeds. Many tire designs, such as Pirelli’s Noise Canceling System, attempt to dampen that resonance with a spongy inner strip of polyurethane that absorbs and cancels the noise and vibration.
Lastly, proper tire maintenance is important. Tire rotations at regular intervals go a long way toward ensuring even wear patterns on all four tires, and tires that are starting to wear down will always tend to be noisier than newer tires since there’s less rubber material to absorb noise.
Now we have demystified what makes tires noisy, and hopefully be able to explain it without getting too lost in the technical details. Is it time for you to consider new tires? Make an appointment with Goodyear Buckhead Tire & Auto Repair in Atlanta, GA and let us find a set of tires that will be the right fit for your vehicle and your needs!
Buckhead Tire & Auto Repair
Tire installment package required for online only. Goodyear Credit Card offers are subject to credit approval. Get up to $100 back by mail-in or online on a qualifying purchase of a set of 4 select Goodyear tires with any form of payment method; plus get an added bonus of up to $100 more when the purchase is made on Goodyear Credit Card from 10/1/2024 to 12/31/2024.
Get a $100 Visa Prepaid Card with purchase or $200 Visa Prepaid Card with purchase on the Goodyear Credit Card of: Assurance WeatherReady® 2, Wrangler Duratrac® RT, Assurance WeatherReady® and WinterCommand® Ultra.
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Get a $50 Visa Prepaid Card with purchase or $100 Visa Prepaid Card with purchase on the Goodyear Credit Card of: Assurance ComfortDrive®, Assurance MaxLife®, Eagle Exhilarate®, Eagle® Sport All-Season Family (includes ROF and SCT), Eagle® Touring Family (includes ROF and SCT), Winter Maxx® 2, Winter Maxx® SJ8, WinterCommand®, Ultra Grip® Series (includes Eagle® Ultra Grip® GW-2/3, + SUV, 8 Performance/ROF, 9+, Performance+/SCT/+ SUV/3/Gen-1/Gen-1 ROF/ SUV Gen-1, Ultra Grip® Winter).
Get a $25 Visa Prepaid Card with purchase or $50 Visa Prepaid Card with purchase on the Goodyear Credit Card of: Assurance® All-Season, Kelly Edge® Sport, Kelly Edge® Touring A/S and Kelly Edge® Touring Plus.
Limit one (1) rebate per qualifying tire purchase. Limit four (4) rebates per household, per promotion. Tire rebate offers are on a set of four (4) tires purchased from 10/1/2024 to 12/31/2024. If your vehicle requires six tires, rebates are available on a prorated basis for the two additional tires. The prorated rebate amount, per additional tire, is 25% of the rebate amount listed above. The minimum purchase is a set of four tires, and the maximum purchase is six tires per invoice. Complete purchase must be made on the Goodyear Credit Card to receive maximum rebate offer. Offers available only at authorized participating U.S. Goodyear retailers and websites. Offer valid only for U.S. residents who are individual consumers with mailing addresses in the U.S. and U.S. territories. Offers valid for consumer accounts in good standing. Not valid on previous purchases. Cannot be combined with other Goodyear tire rebate offers. Base portion of rebate offered by Goodyear, and bonus portion of rebate offered by Citibank, N.A. The Goodyear Credit Card is issued by Citibank, N.A.
Completed rebate forms must be postmarked or submitted online no later than 1/31/2025. Invoice must have eligible tire name and proof of purchase on Goodyear Credit Card (when applicable) clearly indicated. Online purchases must include copy of the online purchase invoice and the installation invoice from authorized Goodyear retailer. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for Visa Prepaid Card/Virtual Card delivery. Goodyear reserves the right to substitute a check of equal value in lieu of a Visa Prepaid Card at its discretion. For additional questions, or to check the status of your rebate, you may visit www.Goodyear.com/rebates or call the Goodyear Rebate Customer Service at 1-888-683-8724 Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET on Saturday. Fraudulent submissions will not be honored and may be prosecuted. Sponsor is not responsible for noncomplying rebate submissions or for lost, late, illegible, postage-due or undeliverable mail. Noncomplying rebate submissions will not be honored, acknowledged or returned. Void where taxed, restricted or prohibited by law. All decisions made by Goodyear (or its authorized representatives) relating to the validity of any submissions are final and binding. This promotion is subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
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