How to Buy Car Tires


In order to be able to buy car tires one must familiarize themselves with some basic information about tires, and how to choose the proper tires for your car. Although many tire shops can give you proper advice on tires and which will be best for you, it is still important for you yourself to know about tires, in order to save time, to go in knowing what you want, and to avoid getting lied to when you do buy the tires.

Basics of How to Buy Car Tires

One of the first things to distinguish different tires is their size, and type. The dimensions of tires are usually written on the sidewall of every automobiles tire. An example of this code will be "P225/60/16 95H M+S." One of the most important things in replacing tires is finding the correct size to buy. The tire size is indicated by the3 sets of numbers indicating its width, aspect ratio of sidewall compared to width, and diameter of the rim.

Type, Speed Rating and Load Index of Car Tires

The type of tire is indicated sometimes by either a P or LT meaning passenger (P) or a light-truck (LT) tire. The next set of alphanumeric code (e.g 95H) is the load rating and speed rating. These numbers and letters indicate the tires ability to dissipate heat at high speeds, and the load carrying capacity. The final set of number indicates the purpose of tire. For example M+S is all season tires. These basics are very important to know when buying car tires.

In order to get the best performance and fuel economy is recommended to use the manufacturers recommended tire size and dimensions. The manufacturer of your vehicle will usually have this number on a sticker in your inside panel of the driver door or the gas tank door.

Buy Car Tires Based on Treadwear

To determine the wear and tear time you should look for the tires UTQG or Uniform tire Quality Grading. This will tell you the tread wear, the temperature resistance, and traction of the tire. The UTQG rating of wear and tear is a numerical rating system and an alphabetical grading system like A to C is for temperature, and AA to C is for traction.

You Can Buy Car Tires that are Technologically Advanced

Many manufacturers have technologically advanced tires that make your driving experience more comfortable, and slightly safer, consider these when you buy car tires for more of an edge to your driving experience. One of the most popular types of technologically advanced tires is run-flat tires. Run-flat tires are designed tough to withstand punctures, and flattening out when a nail or tear affects it. These tires have a tough sidewall and it keeps it from deflecting. Some run flats have different ranges you can drive on them while flat; one of the best systems is the PAX system which can take you up to 125 miles at 55mph.

Read Reviews Before You Buy Car Tires

Before you purchase any car tires, you should look up the brand and model, including all the extra technology that it comes with and read reviews about it. Personal experience can really give you better understanding about what others think about this, and also professional reviews can sometimes be better than any of the research and studying you can do on your own.