Most major tire manufacturers offer several lines of tires. What is a “discount “tire? These are usually entry level tires designed to meet the minimum manufacturers specifications and allow brand name recognition, at a lower cost. They will generally have a shorter tread life and not offer the same ride quality as other tires with the same manufactures name. The first step up would be a mid-line tire, one designed for a little more comfort and longevity. This tire is moderately priced and usually the best value. The third line would be the tier three tires – a tire that is the softest, quietest, and has the latest technology engineered into its construction. Often referred to as the “Cadillac” of tires, they are usually the more expensive choice and though they may not last as long, they make up for it in reduced road noise and greater ride comfort. When choosing your tires, make sure you know what your vehicle requires by looking in the owner’s manual, or on the drivers front door jam.
Tire condition is of the utmost importance. The minimum tread depth for the State of Texas is 2/32nds of an inch. An easy way to determine if a tire is close to the limit is to look for the wear bars spaced out across the tire tread. They sit in the grooves of the tread. If the tread is worn down to the bar, the tire needs replacement. Another common tread depth test is placing a penny upside down in the groove and if the top of Abe’s head is visible, then the tire needs to be replaced. Both of these methods are just an estimate and the only way to know the exact tread depth, is to measure it with a tread depth gauge. Other tire conditions to consider are wear pattern and dry rotting (cracking).
Keeping your tires properly inflated and rotated is important to the tread life. With tire prices always on the rise, getting the most out of your tires has become a major priority. Rotating your tires every 6,000 miles is the best way of ensuring the maximum service life, as long as steering and suspension components are not worn. Visually inspecting the tires at the time of rotation greatly aid in determining if alignment issues are present. You should schedule an alignment check once a year, or when your tires are showing uneven or choppy wear.
Other than the physical condition of your tires, you should be familiar with all the information provided on the sidewall. Most vehicles have a sticker on the front driver’s door or door jam that gives the manufacturers specs for the tire. This info is important because it tells the owner of the proper size, load range, and speed rating for the vehicle. The size of the tire should not be changed since the ABS, traction control and speedometer calibration may be seriously affected. The width of the tire is important because it is the grip of the tire. It also allows proper braking of the vehicle. The load range of the tire is set to support the weight of the vehicle with its maximum occupancy and payload. The speed rating is set for the maximum speed the vehicle is designed to go for ten minutes of operation before tire failure.
The side of a tire gives you all of its information. These are examples of sidewall information:
P225/60R16…91H – The “225” is the width in mm. The “60” is the aspect ratio; i.e. the height of the sidewall is 60% of the tread width. The “91” is the load carrying capacity- it has a reference chart to determine the actual load. The “H” is the speed rating; it also has a chart to reference. The higher the speed rating, the softer the rubber compound is. When purchasing tires, you should always make sure the load and speed rating match what the manufacture requires.
LT235/85R16E….104T – The tire size breaks down the same as above. The only thing different is the “LT” stands for light truck instead of “P” for passenger tire, and the “E” is the load range for the light truck tire. Sometimes it will be written like this: LT235/85R16…104T….Load Range E. The load range of the tire is the ply rating of the tire sidewalls.
Ply ratings are as follows: P=4ply, XL=6ply, C=6ply, D=8ply, E=10ply, ect.
The DOT number on a tire tells you the location, batch, and date the tire was made. The last four digits of the DOT are the date code. The first two numbers are the week it was made and the last two numbers are the year. If the last four numbers of the DOT was 2911, that would mean the tire was manufactured on the 29th week of 2011. The overall life of a tire is about 6 years, depending on driving habits and conditions.
Whew! That’s a ton of stuff to know about a tire, we agree. But all of it is important. If you have any questions or concerns about tires on YOUR ride we recommend you make an appointment as soon as possible. There are no “dumb” questions when it comes to where the rubber meets the road!
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