Trying to get new tires might be a very challenging task, as most of us cannot really determine which provides the best grip, or longest shelf life by sight only. I’m here to take you through what you need to know in choosing your tire sizes.
As we all know tires come in different sizes mostly within the range of 13inches and 22inches. One way to determine your right tire size is by checking the information placard inside the driver’s side door.
When purchasing a tire you should check the sidewall of the tires, there is always a series of letters and numbers at the sidewall of the tires.
Using this tire detailed specification as an example P225/70R16 91S,
For most vehicles, you’ll come across the letter “p” first which is a designation for “passenger car, while in other cases you might come across “LT” instead of “P” which represents “Light truck” meaning it is for vehicles capable of carrying heavy cargo or pulling trailers. In other cases where there is “ST” that means special trailer .
The next set of numbers as in P225/70R16 91S, represents the width representing this particular tire as 225 millimeters.
While the aspect ratio P225/70R16 91S which denotes you how tall your tire is..delivered in percentage. This means the tire’s height is 70% of its width.
The next set of set of Letter P225/70R16 91S is quite important as this deals with your tires stability. It represents the construction of your tire. However, there are two types
- R- Radial
- D- Diagonal or Bias Ply
The next number is the diameter code represented in inches, for example, a tire with P225/70R16 91S means it would fit a rim with a 16-inch diameter.
The load index representing how much load the tire can endure when fully inflated is as P225/70R16 91S. this doesn’t necessarily represent to a specific load capacity listed in an index
The last letter indicated as in our example P225/70R16 91S corresponds to a particular speed capability subject on a standardized laboratory.
However, tires with higher speed ratings often offer better handling performances.
