Department Of Transportation Safety Code
This assures that your tire complies with all Department of Transportation safety standards. After the DOT insignia is your tires identification number, which begins with the tires manufacturer and plant code where the tire was manufactured . The ninth and tenth characters tell the week the tire was manufactured. The final number signifies the year the tire was manufactured.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Another group of stamping on certain types of tires is the Uniform Tire Quality Grading or UTQG. This grading and stamping is required for passenger car tires in the all season and summer categories. Dedicated winter tires, Light Truck and Motorcycle tires are excluded from this requirement.
Quality grading is designed to make the tire purchase decision easier for you. Ideally, the system is intended to provide simple, comparative data so you can make an intelligent buying decision. However, the ratings are based upon test results achieved under special conditions. This means its possible to misinterpret the comparative data as it relates to your individual driving habits, conditions, etc. You should still rely on your service or tire professional for assistance.
Quality grading designates the comparative performance levels of a tire based on government-specified tests but commissioned by the individual tire manufacturers. All tire manufacturers are required to grade regular and all-season passenger tires in three categories:
UTQG
Traction Grades AA, A, B and C The traction grades from highest to lowest are AA , A, B and C. They represent how well tires stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. C-rated tires will have the lowest traction performance.
WARNING: THE TRACTION GRADE ASSIGNED IS BASED ON A WET BRAKING TRACTION TEST AND DOES NOT INCLUDE CORNERING TRACTION.
Finding Your Trucks Tire Size
Fortunately, both tire and vehicle manufacturers make identifying the perfect tires for your truck fairly simple. You just have to find a few classification codes.
These codes are located in two places with most vehicles and tire brands:
- On the inside frame of your trucks driver-side door
- On the sidewalls of your tires
Specifically, you want to look for small charts that include size dimensions, which typically have a few numbers and letters arranged in a code-like format. Heres an example:
You may also find two tire classifications: “P” and “LT.
“P” stands for passenger, indicating that the tires are good for passenger vehicles, like sedans, minivans, and CUVs. “LT” stands for light truck. This classification indicates that the tires are better for heavier vehicles, including most truck models, SUVs, vans, etc.
When it comes to trucks, you should only ever use LT-classified tires. P-class tires simply will not be large or sturdy enough to handle your trucks weight and size for safe handling.
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How To Determine Tire Size
This article was co-authored by Howard Fleischmann and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophia Latorre. Howard Fleischmann is an Automotive Tire and Repair Specialist and the CEO of Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair, with ten locations throughout Phoenix, Glendale, Yuma, and Casa Grande, Arizona. Howard specializes in full-service auto repair and tire replacement and care for domestic/imported vehicles and large trucks. Howards dedication to Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair has earned their team multiple awards and features including the 2021 Phoenix Magazine AZ State 48 Best of the Best!, the 2020 Best of Phoenix in Auto Repair, the 2013 Master SBD award, the 2013 National Top Shop award by Tire Review, the 2012 Diversity Champions Phx Business Journal, the 2009 BBB Ethics award, the 2008 Phx Chamber of Commerce Impact Award – Small Business of the Year, and the 2008 ASU Spirit of Enterprise award. Howard is often referred to as The Car Guy for local TV stations and is a regular on TVs Channel 3 Sunday, Good Morning Arizona monthly.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 82% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 57,999 times.
What Size Tires Will Fit My Wheels
- What Size Tires Will Fit My Wheels
Many of our customers have wondered what’s the best tire size for a specific wheel size. Unfortunately, many of our customers have also gotten conflicting and many times incorrect information on this subject from dealerships, local tire shops, and friends. To answer your question, there is not one exact tire size that will fit a particular wheel size, but a range of tire sizes that will fit. The authority on correct recommended tire sizes will be the manufacturer of the tire. We generally use the Toyo Tires website because it is user friendly, and Toyo is one of the leaders in the industry.
How do I know what size tires are recommended for my wheels?Lets say that you want to know if your 255/40/18 tire will fit on your new 18×9.5 wheel.
Step 1: Simply go to www.toyotires.com and find your tire by size.
Step 2: Look at the recommended rim widths. In this case you can put a 255/40/18 tire on a wheel between the sizes of 18×8.5 and 18×10. It also indicates that an 18×9 will be a perfect squared look meaning that the tire will not bulge beyond the wheel, and will not be stretched either. If you put this tire on a wheel more narrow than 18×8.5 or wider than 18×10 the tire may not be warrantable in the event of a defect.
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How To Find My Tire Size
Before starting the process of buying new tires its important to know your tire size. There are a lot of variables when it comes to tire sizing such as their width, aspect ratio, and radius. An automobiles make and model can be the same but that doesnt always mean that the tires are too. Tires can differ based on trim level. An example of this is the 2015 Honda Civic Sedan. The original equipment tires for the LX model is 195/65R15 whereas the EX-L models are size 215/45R17. Therefore its always good to double check your manufacturers recommended tire size before making that all important decision on what tire to get.
Reading Tire Size Documentation
What do all these letters and numbers mean? Heres all the information on the tire sidewall quickly decoded:
- 1) The width of the tires in millimeters
- 2) Percentage height of the sidewall in relation to the width
- 3) Radial construction
- 4) Rim diameter in inches
- 7) Self-Supporting Run-flat tire
- 8) Mercedes Original Equipment key
- 9) Suitable for mud and snow conditions
- 10) Compliant with Department of Transportation motor vehicle safety standards
- 11) Week of manufacture
- 12) Year of manufacture
The documentation supplied with your vehicle outlines the recommended tire sizes for your car. Compatibility is determined according to its outer dimensions diameter/rolling circumference and width and labeled as a standardized tire size indicator on the sidewall.
Also, the size must comply with the vehicles requirements regarding speed rating and load range. Together, the load index and speed index make up the full service description for a passenger car tire. It must correspond to the information provided in the vehicle documents.
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Selecting The Right Tire Size For Your Car
There are three things to understand when buying new tires for your car the size, speed rating, and load index. Making the correct selection is very important to maintain optimal performance, safety, and fuel efficiency.
Fortunately, all of this information is easy to find. You can locate it inside the drivers door on your car, inside the fuel flap, or inside the glove compartment. Alternatively, you can consult your vehicle documentation and tire manufacturer specifications.
When considering tire size, there are two simple rules to follow.
Firstly, the replacement tires should be the same size, load index and speed rating specification as recommended by the vehicle or tire manufacturer.
Secondly, the replacement tires must never be of a smaller size or load-carrying capacity than the original specification.
What Do The Numbers On My Tires Mean How To Read Tire Sizes
Being able to quickly glance at the sidewall of your tire and determine the tire size your specific vehicle needs can save you time, trouble and money. Even still, not many people know how to actually read a tire size even though its printed right there on the sidewall. As a mix of letters and numbers, its not as easy to read as finding a size 9 shoe.
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How To Read Tire Sidewall Numbers To Know Tire Size Rim Size And More
There’s a lot of info there when you want to buy the best new tires for the best price.
Brian Cooley
Editor at Large
Brian Cooley is CNET’s Editor at large, following the big trends in car tech, smart home , healthcare, the future of food, digital entertainment and more. He’s known for his affable and informed take on technologies that fly or flop. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he remembers when Apple’s headquarters was mostly apricots.
You can read automotive tires like a book if you know the language, and doing so will help you buy the best ones and get the most miles out of them. Our video above takes you through the entire secret world hiding in plain sight on the side of your tire, but here are a few highlights.
Width Height And Size
Perhaps the most commonly discussed piece of data about a tire is a number in the format “XXX/XXRXX,” which describes a tire’s size and shape in a somewhat arcane way. Using 235/55R18 as an example, 235 is the tread width in millimeters. The higher that first number, the wider the tire. The 55 is the height of the tire expressed as a percentage of the width we just saw. The lower this number, the shorter and more aggressively the tire sits on the wheel. The R means the tire is of radial construction and the 18 is the diameter of wheel the tire fits, expressed in inches. This string is a real hodgepodge of numbers but it carries the essence of a tire’s applicability.
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What To Consider When Changing Tire/wheel Size
There are many reasons that a person may change their tire/wheel size. Often, it is done for aesthetic reasons. When changing the size of a tire or wheel, it is important to take certain things into consideration. Otherwise, there can be significant consequences, such as increased wear and tear to the vehicle’s suspension and brake components , which can affect handling or cause other mechanical issues affecting the transmission of the car.
There are many different sizes of tires, and different sized tires can be used on the same rim, as long as the middle of the tire is the correct size. A common change is to increase the size of the rims. One of the key considerations when increasing the size of the rims of a car is the change to the tire size. Generally, larger rims must be used with thinner tires because the tires must be small enough to fit inside the wheel well of the car. Generally, it is recommended to go with tires that have a diameter within 3% difference from the factory recommended tires.
Choosing The Correct Tire Size
Make your tire size selection in strict accordance with vehicle documents and tire manufacturer recommendations. If the combined wheel and tire diameter arent correctly matched, there may be drastic differences in ride height and speedometer readings.
For example, fitting 17-inch-diameter wheels to a car that is designed to have 14-inch-diameter wheels will change the ride height. That means the car body will be higher off the ground. There will also be a slight increase in top speed, and the speedometer will no longer be accurate. Last but not least, the car will accelerate slower.
Switching to different tire sizes can only be done in compliance with all legal requirements and regulations plus the recommendations of the vehicle, wheel, and tire manufacturers. At the very least, the wheel must have complete freedom of circular motion and the tires adequate load capacity must be observed.
The internal construction of tires fitted on any vehicle must either be radial or bias-ply. Fitting mixed tire constructions for cars, caravans, and other light trucks is unsafe and illegal. The only permissible exception is the use of a spare tire for an emergency.
Concerning the choice of wheels or rims, the same guidelines apply. Motorists must use the standard wheels or rims approved by the vehicle manufacturer as recommended.
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Are There Any Benefits To Larger Tires
Larger tire sizes may offer a larger contact patch with the ground which can increase traction and braking performance. However the extra weight will decrease your vehicles performance and also may increase fuel consumption.
Patrick McCann
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How To Read Truck Or Off
If you have a truck or SUV, you may be seeing a completely different-looking tire size on your sidewall, called a flotation tire size. As an example, the tire pictured here shows 35×12.50R17LT.
Flotation tires are typically found on off-road vehicles. These are called flotation tires because they are constructed to be able to float across softer soils and off-road terrain better than other tires can.
If you have flotation tires, the tire size reads in the same order as standard tire sizes as shown above: Width/Height/Rim Diameter. The main difference with flotation tire sizes is that the numbers are in inches .
- Flotation tire height: In the example above, 35 simply means that the tire is 35 inches tall simple as that.
- Flotation tire width: In the example above, 12.50 means the tire is 12.5 inches wide.
- Rim diameter: As you guessed it, in the example above, the 17 is the diameter of the rim that the tire can be mounted on.
- LT: And, yes, you guessed it: LT means light truck. Youve got this tire-size thing down!
Hopefully, this has made finding the right size tires easier for you. If not, please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have. Its very important for safety and performance that you understand what size tires you should get for your vehicle, and we can guide you through your tire-buying journey from start to finish to make your vehicle safe, and even fun to drive!
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How To Find Your Tire Size
The saying “on size fits all” is not the case when it comes to tires. Each vehicle requires it’s own unique tire size to fit the frame of your car and to also make sure your tires can handle the weight or speed of the vehicle. Whether you’re looking into purchasing new tires or just want to know what tire size fits your car, it’s wicked easy to find out! Check out the two locations on your vehicle where your tire size is listed and also find out what those numbers actually mean below.
A Guide To Vehicle Wheel Sizes: Do They Matter
Simply put, the larger your tire, the more of a grip your vehicle has on the road. As a tire’s width increases, it covers more surface area on the road.
Many drivers give little thought to the sizes of their wheels and tires except for cosmetic purposes. But, wheel size and the size of tires you put on them matter. Using improper tires can be costly and sometimes even dangerous.
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Where Can I Find My Tire Size
The tire size for your vehicle and wheels can be found in two places:
Tire Size Example: 255/55 R18 XL
Width
- The first three numbers of a tire size measures the width in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall.
- If the tire size is 255/60 R16, the width of the tire is 255 millimeters.
Aspect Ratio
- The two digit number after the slash mark is the aspect ratio which measures the tire’s cross-section to it’s width.
- If the tire size is 255/60 R16, the 60 means that the height is 60% of the tire’s width. The bigger the aspect ratio, the bigger the tire’s sidewall will be.
Construction
- In between the Aspect Ratio and Rim Diameter, is the construction of the tire.
- If the tire size is 255/60 R16, the “R” stands for Radial, which means the layers of the tire run in straight lines across the tire.
- If there is a “B” instead of an “R” listed on your tires, the “B” stands for Bias construction which means the layers run diagonally across the tire.
Wheel Size
- Located after Construction is the wheel size, which tells us the size of the wheel/rim that the tire is intended to fit and is measured from one end of the wheel to the other.
- If the tire size is 255/60 R16, the 16 means that the wheel is 16″ in diameter.
Load Rating/Index
Speed Rating
Additional Tags
Do Wider Tires Have A Larger Contact Patch
A contact patch is the area of your tire that actually touches the ground when youre driving. Its important because its what helps transfer all of the force from your car to the road. The size of your contact patch can be affected by a few different things, but one of them is tire width. So, do wider tires have a larger contact patch?The answer is: sometimes. It depends on the specific tires and how theyre designed. Some tires will have a wider tread than others, which means theyll have a larger contact patch. But other factors can also affect the size of your contact patch, like pressure and inflation levels. So its not always as simple as saying that wider tires = larger contact patches.In general, though, if youre looking for increased traction and grip, you might want to consider going with wider tires. Just keep in mind that there are other factors that can affect yourcontact patch size, so make sure to do your research before making any decisions!
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