( AOL Autos ) -- Ever wonder what goes into the making of that round , black , rubber thing that holds air , we refer to as a tire ? To the casual observer all tires look the same , but there 's a lot more to it than meets the eye ... There are many different tire designs and they may contain up to 200 raw materials . Modern tire construction has allowed for a degree of handling , ride comfort , traction , extended treadwear and fuel economy that far exceeds the tires of just a few years ago . Today there are tire designs that contain up to 200 raw materials , as well as complex architecture of steel belts , textile piles and computer designed tread patterns , which deliver maximum traction under all conditions . Each component of a tire is designed to perform its own function and to work together with the rest of the components . For instance , the belt system 's job is to provide stability to the tread area , keep the tread grooves open , and work as a unit with the sidewalls to provide stability in cornering and handling . Kind of reminds me of the old song , `` The toe bone 's connected to the foot bone '' well ... you get the picture , right ? The major component in tires is rubber . How did this substance find its way into the American automobile tire ? As with most inventions , this is a fascinating story . Rubber by itself is a gooey substance that is extremely sensitive to temperature . Back in the early 1830 's `` rubber fever '' was the craze , and it ended as quickly as it started . At first , everybody wanted things made of this new waterproof gum from Brazil , and factories sprung up to meet the demand . Then abruptly , the public became fed up with the messy stuff that froze bone-hard in winter and turned glue-like in summer . Not one of the young rubber companies survived as long as five years . Investors lost millions and everyone agreed that rubber had seen its hay-day in America . AOL Autos : Best car deals of the month . Then Charles Goodyear stepped up to the plate . Through extensive experimentation and persistence , Goodyear found that rubber could be stabilized and formed into a useful compound by adding sulfur and applying heat . He found that steam under pressure , applied to the compound for 4 to 6 hours at about 270 degrees Fahrenheit , gave him the most uniform results . This was the beginning of rubber compounds ! AOL Autos : Most popular sedans . Rubber compounding is like mixing a cake . Different ingredients are mixed together at different degrees to produce rubber with specific characteristics . Some rubber compounds are stickier for better traction when racing . Some compounds are much harder for heavy-duty work in construction or with heavy equipment . All-season rubber for all-season tires is rubber that does n't freeze below thirty-two degrees , allowing for movement of the tread in the cold weather so it will grip and give maximum traction in all weather . AOL Autos : Best-selling hybrid cars . Ever wonder how a steel belted radial tire is constructed ? Check this out . 1 . First comes the construction of the casing . This is the body ( or carcass ) of the tire ... the `` foundation '' upon which everything is built . The casing is made up of a series of cords ( most typically polyester ) which are combined to form layers or piles . These layers are connected to two circular strands of steel called beads . Then the inner liner is added , serving as the air seal . Once the casing is formed , everything else is added to make up the tire . AOL Autos : Consumer reports picks best used luxury cars . 2 . Next comes the steel belt . This is a belt made up of woven steel strands that cover the casing of the tire and is located directly under the tread . The steel belt adds strength and durability , aids in keeping the tread grooves open for maximum traction , and protects the casing against impacts and punctures . On high performance tires an extra belt is usually added for strength ; this is a nylon overlay that is wrapped around the whole steel belt package . As the tire rolls faster it heats up . The nylon in turn heats up and tends to shrink , counteracting the natural tendency of centrifugal force to throw the whole thing apart at high speeds . AOL Autos : Cars with best Blue Book resale value . 3 . Finally , the tread is added . Remember that this rubber compound is a special mix for a specific application and varies depending on the function of the tire . In this day and age , computers play a big role in the tread designs . Tread designs are tested for traction in `` virtual reality '' before they are molded into the rubber . While tread designs vary greatly , there are consistent elements present in all tread patterns . The tread block grips at its leading and trailing edge . Within each block , sipes are often molded or cut to provide additional traction . These sipes segment the block and allow for movement of each individual block so that when it comes in contact with the pavement , it opens and closes causing a squeegee ( or pumping ) action , cleaning the road surface as it rolls along . The grooves built into the tread pattern are designed to channel away weather elements such as water , snow , slush , and mud . To illustrate how a tread design channels away water , just pour water over the tread of the tire and watch the water directed right out of the sides of the tire . On the outside edges of the tires `` shoulder lugs '' are molded into the tread . These heavy segments provide protection as well as additional traction during hard cornering . A final note and credit to Charles Goodyear . He did n't just happen upon this discovery of rubber compounding and the use of heat . Goodyear spent five miserable years in poverty trying to perfect his idea . Then one day , it happened ... the great discovery came in the winter of 1839 . As stated earlier , Goodyear was using sulfur in his experiments . Although Goodyear himself has left the details in doubt , the most persistent story goes as follows . One February day , Goodyear wandered into Woburn 's general store to show off his latest gum-and-sulfur formula . Snickers rose from the cracker-barrel forum , and the usually mild-mannered little inventor got excited and waved his sticky fistful of gum in the air . It flew from his fingers and landed on the sizzling-hot potbellied stove . When he bent to scrape it off , he found that instead of melting like molasses , it had charred like leather . And around the charred area was a dry , springy brown rim -- `` gum elastic '' still , but so remarkably altered that it was virtually a new substance . He had made weatherproof rubber ! This discovery is often cited as one of history 's most celebrated `` accidents . '' Goodyear stoutly denied that . Like Newton 's falling apple , he maintained , the hot stove incident held meaning only for the man `` whose mind was prepared to draw an inference . '' That meant , he added simply , the one who had `` applied himself most perseveringly to the subject . '' Thanks for your perseverance Charlie . Tom Torbjornsen is a veteran of 37 years in the auto service industry , an automotive journalist registered with IMPA .
Writer , Charles Goodyear for developing these compounds . They can be made from various raw materials . Tire casings are made up of a series of cords , which form layers . Tread ##s are first used for traction in ` ` virtual reality ''