Choosing the right tires for your car may not be as easy as you may imagine. There are many factors to put in consideration such as tread life, weather requirements, speed rating, ride quality, appearance to name a few. So, how to choose the right tire for your vehicle?
The first step towards this is to understand what the alpha-numeric code on the tire sidewall means. This combination of numbers and letters gives information about the tire type, width, aspect ratio, construction type, diameter, speed rating and load index.
Take for example the tire code P215/60R 14 82Q.
1. P – This letter indicates the tire type. In this case, passenger tires. Other codes are LT for Light Truck, ST for Special Trailer and T for temporary tires.
2. 215 – Tire width in millimeters, sidewall to sidewall.
3. 60 – It is sidewall height as compared to width in percentage, the aspect ratio.
4. R – Construction types, here being radial. Other construction type codes are B (Belted Bias) and D (Diagonal Bias).
5. 14 – Is the rim diameter of the wheel the tire is supposed to fit, in this case a 14 inch wheel.
6. 82 – Gives the load index, the maximum load for that tire. This number is a code not the actual load capacity. The higher the number, the higher the carrying capacity. The code 82 means the tire can safely carry a maximum load of 475 kilograms/1047 pounds.
7. Q – This is the speed rating, the maximum speed at which the tire can carry its designated load. This code runs from A to Z. Q indicates that maximum speed is 160kph/100mph. The further down the alphabet you go, the higher the speeds the tire can handle.
Other information may be available on the tire sidewall. For example M+S (mud and Snow) will be found on an all season tire. There may be information on quality rating measurement information which is on temperature, tread wear and traction, information on date of manufacture, tire ply composition and materials used, and on other characteristics of the tire.
By knowing and understanding above tire information, you will be able to get the most suitable tire for your car.