So, how much do you know about tires? Could you answer the following questions? If the answer is no to any of them, this article is just for you!

  • Do you know who made your tires?
  • Do you know where your tires were made?
  • Do you know when your tires were made?
  • Do you know what size your tire is?
  • Do you know how much weight your tire is rated for?
  • Do you know what speed your tire is rated for?
  • Do you know how much air pressure your tires need to work efficiently?

If you answered no to any of these questions, here is how you find out!

Lets start with the basics about tires. There are many different types of available for most vehicles depending on your specific application. There are soft compound race style tire for better traction, a harder compound highway tread to help the tire last longer. There are Different tread patterns that can be directional to help water move off the tire faster. Always consult your owners manual to find the specific type of tire that works best for your vehicle.

Getting into the numbers!

On most tires you will see numbers like the ones shown in the picture below. While it is just a mix on letters and numbers to you, to a tire store and the manufacturer, they tell a whole different story! Lets break it down so you can understand them better.

“P205/55R16 91S” – This number shows the use of the tire, tire size, tire type, wheel size, tire load index and speed rating.

When it comes to tire use, there are generally two types for most vehicles on the road, heavy duty equipment excluded. These are gong to be “P” for passenger or “LT” for light truck. You might sometimes see an “AP” or all purpose tire type.

“205/55” – This number tells you the width of your tire in MM and the height as a percent of the width. In other words, this tire is 205mm wide and 55% as tall or 112.75mm tall. Make sense? The tire size that is recommended for use on your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver door jam that looks the picture shown below. You may also notice they even tell you what PSI to set your tires to!

“R” – Means this tire is of Radial construction. This is the most common type of tire driven on the road today. Other types of tires that you will see are Bias ply which were used on tractors and classic / antique vehicles.

“16” – This is the rim size by the diameter meaning that this tire is 16″ is diameter.

“91” – This is the load rating number given to a tire. To find the minimum load rating your vehicle needs. Add additional weight for cargo you are carrying (including yourself) and divide that number by the amount of tires on your vehicle. That is how you find the load rating. A load index can range from the number 70 up to 126.

“S” – S is the speed rating or the letter given to log the maximum speed this tire can be traveled on safely. These range greatly depending on the tire usage. See the link to tirerack.com at the bottom of this article to read more about the load index and speed rating given to tires.

When it comes to the manufacturer, and building plant information, that is found in the DOT ID numbers. Like the picture above, all tires will have a DOT ID. There will be three sets of four letters and numbers. The first two sets pertain to the manufacturer and how they code the tires, where they were made and what type of tire they are (based on the manufacturer sku#). The last set of numbers tell you the age of your tire! In the image, you can see this tire was made in the 29th week of 2010.

That pretty much sums up the meaning of the tire info available to you. If you every have any questions, be sure to ask a tire professional or give us a call and we will do our best to help.

 

TIRE RACK ARTICLE – LOAD INDEX & SPEED RATING.

 

 

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