Buying a new tyre set requires a lot of thinking. You can’t spend money on a tyre that doesn’t suit your vehicle’s performance. Looking at the wide range of tyres available in the market, one can quickly get confused. So, how exactly do you buy an appropriate tyre set?
This is where the tyre markings come into play. A tyre forms the junction between the road and vehicle. This explains how important a tyre is for comfortable drives. You need to know the different tyre markings to make the right choice. People often get puzzled with all sorts of numbers mentioned on the tyre. This blog will act as your guide to understand the different markings present on your tyre.
The Location of Tyre Markings
The most common space on the Firestone Tyres Reading containing these markings is the sidewall. You will find a few numbers and alphabets inscribed there. This particular area has all the information you need. However, you would be surprised to know that other spaces like the fuel cap hatch, driver’s door jamb, and the glove box door also contain this information. Apart from these areas, the manufacturer manual is the most convenient place to find the tyre markings.
What do These Markings Mean?
The tyres markings are written in a specific pattern. For example, 225/55 R 18 95 H. These figures represent the tyre width, aspect ratio, tyre construction, rim diameter, load index, and speed rating index.
Tyre Width: Considering the above example, the first three figures, which include 225 represent the tyre width. It is measured in millimetres from one sidewall to the other.
Aspect Ratio: Also known as the tyre profile, the aspect ratio is the sidewall height. The second figure, i.e. 55 in the given example, represents the Aspect ratio. It is also measured in millimetres. It is the ratio of the tyre’s cross-section to the width.
Tyre Construction: This alphabet explains how the tyre has been constructed. In this example, it’s the R, which means radial tyre construction.
Rim Diameter: Measured in inches; this tells you about the diameter of the wheel rim. The number 18 in the given an example explains you need to buy a rin of diameter 18 inches to fit this tyre.
Load Index: One of the significant things you need to pay attention to is a particular tyre’s load index. It is the loading capacity your tyres can withstand. The rating, as 95 in the example mentioned above, signifies the weight your tyres can hold. This can be found out through a table where the load index in kg is mentioned.
Speed Rating Index: This states the maximum speed your tyre can resist while completely inflated and loaded. For this information, also you need a table signifying the speed limit. The H in the example means it can have a maximum speed of 130 mph.
Why are Tyre Markings Necessary?
A tyre should be bought after you have ensured that it matches your vehicle’s properties and characteristics. An unsuitable tyre will eventually lead to inconvenience and discomfort. Your drives will no longer seem jolly and comfortable.
Tyre markings help in analysing the features of your current tyre set. By looking at this information, you can buy another or a new tyre that has similar characteristics. This helps you in making the right choice. A new tyre set should be bought only after making sure that the tyre markings are similar to those of the original set.
What Happens When you Don’t Follow the Markings?
Not conforming to the tyre markings can cause various problems. The tyre and tread life significantly reduces as the tyre with different specifications fails to perform well. Take, for example, the load holding capacity. Buying a tyre with a different load rating weakens it. The tyre fails to withstand the vehicle wait, and it eventually retires. The overall performance of your vehicle is also affected. It is advised to always give importance to the Car Tyres Reading markings before you shop for a new tyre set.
