We understand that shopping for new tires in the market can be an exhausting activity. Users have very little knowledge on which tires can be able to provide them with a good grip, short stopping distance after hitting the breaks, and which ones can last longer.
That is why we have compiled this guide to help users with their tire needs. Users should not shy away from spending more on high-quality tires that are known to not only last long but comes with good grips. It may be costly, but it would be worth every penny of it.
For instance, users may be tempted to opt for cheaper all-season tires at $87 which will need replacement after 55,000 mileage coverage. The user could have easily opted for a $ 130 tire that would last way longer than the cheaper ones. Remember that users always incur reinstallation charges which end up making cheaper tires to end up being expensive.
But with our guide, users can be able to find some recommended tires that come with reduced rolling resistance that can get one up to 3 mpg when compared to tires that come with increased rolling resistance. What is even more interesting is the fact that there was no added penalty when used by an everyday driver.
Users are equally advised to always check their tire pressure on a regular basis so as to have increased fuel efficiency.
It is always advised to replace old tires with similar new tires that were originally installed on your car. Checking the tire ratings will go a long way to reducing your chances of being involved in an accident as it will ensure that you get good braking and handling capabilities. Users should always be keen to trace the models that are highly rated in areas that are significant to them.
Modern days have the tendency of equipping vehicles with similar all-season tires that are just the same as those found in passenger tires.
Tire type
Whenever you see the letter P in any tire size labeling, one should always know that tire is a P-Metric tire that is typically intended for passenger type of vehicles. No letter on the tire size labeling means that the tire is a Euro-Metric tire. Notable, Euro-Metric and P-Metric tires have different tire load capabilities.
The presence of the letters LT on the tire size labeling presupposes that the tie is designed for light trucks. Notably, such tires are known to require increased inflation pressures when compared to passenger tires.
Knowing your tire’s width
The first three digits on the tire size labeling always indicate the tire width. For instance, the tire width for a tire labeled as P215/65 R15 is 215. Width measurements are always given in millimeters.
Knowing your tire’s aspect ratio
The two digits that come after the slash sign translates to the tire’s aspect ratio. For instance, the tire aspect ration for a tire labeled as P215/65 R15 would be 65. Normally, this suggests that the tire’s height is equal to 65% of its tire’s width.
The R letter indicates that layers in the tire are radically distributed across the lane of the tire.
Knowing your tire’s diameter
The wheel diameters indicate the resultant wheel size that a given tire is supposed to fill. The wheel diameter for a tire labeling indicated as P215/65 R15 would be 15.
Knowing your load index
The load index translates to the maximum load that the tire can comfortably support after it is fully inflated.
Knowing your speed rating
Speed rating translates to the maximum speed that a tire can run. In many cases, a tires speed rating is the same as the top speed performance. A good example would be that of H-speed rating which translates to one’s car having a maximum speed capability of 210 km.hr.
How to know if the tire specs are standard
Tire specs always come as being standard as there exists a standard set of interchangeability manual that is governed by a well-respected body that oversees the manufactures of all tires in the United States.
Tread Pattern for Tires
Symmetric tread pattern
The symmetric tread pattern is the most commonly used tread pattern in most of the passenger tires. The inner and outsides of the tread come out as being systemic. That is to say that they are a perfect mirror image of one another. In fact, symmetric tread patterns are often referred to as being multidimensional due to their ability for easily being mounted on a wheel and being able to be rotated in any direction.
Asymmetric tread pattern
This is yet another popular type of passenger tires. With this type of patterns, the outer and inner halves are slightly different coming with different tread blocks and channels. The design was heavily adopted as a way of ensuring that they end up enhancing car performance on surfaces such as snow, water dispersal, and dry grip. A good example of this fact can easily be deduced from the Bridgestone Turana Serenity Tire where the outer side of the tire treads has a notable element of chunkier trade blocks that end up providing a larger contacts area. Additionally, the inner side of the tread patterns has more channels fitted with smaller tread blocks which goes a long way in helping with moving water away ensuring improved tread traction.
Directional tread patterns
There are some tread patterns in the market today that are customized with a goal in mind; to move in one direction. For Potena RE960AS, the tire features a V-shaped design. The presence of the V-shape ensures that water can be directed towards the outer end facilitating a hydroplaning resistance in the process. The only way to move directional trade patterns is by moving them using the back-to-front pattern and front-to-back movement. Normally, the directional tires come with a directional arrow that would showcase the direction that they tire need to be rotated once it is mounted on the vehicle.
Things to be aware of before purchasing new vehicle tires
Quality, price, safety, and handling capability are some of the most important features that ascertain what a good tire is. Depending with you need such as having a tire that can handle an icy, snow or rainy surfaces or tires that would provide you with more grip and being perfect on dry roads, one will know which elements to look for in a new tire.
Factors that determine how long your tire will last
The following are some of the key factors that would determine how long your tire can last;
- The tread life expectancy of your new tires
- Your preferred driving style
- If you practice the good habit of always inflating your tires to the right pressure.
- Whether or not you are disciplined enough to rotate your tires after each and every 6,000 miles.
- If you always keep your tires and wheels perfectly balanced all the time.
- If you the type of driver that shy away from aggressive driving as well as completing that part with a disciplined maintenance schedule.
- If you are the type of driver that never voids your tire warranty which means that you can make a legal claim to have replaced if they era down very quickly.
The best type of tires to choose for your car
- All-season tires that are perfectly customized to handle wet and dry surfaces. If you are the type of driver who never engages in extreme driving, then all-season tires would be perfect for you.
- Winter tires that are customized to enhance movement in icy and snow driving surfaces. The rubber used to make them are highly customized so that they can be able to remain pliable even in extreme weather conditions. To ensure that your tires have more grip, winter tires have a way of removing water from its surface. Users are advised to always store their tires in a cold and dry place. The tires should also be placed on the floor while they are stacked on top of each other. The pile should never exceed a maximum of four tires.
- Summer performance tires are perfectly customized to enhance more handling in warm weather conditions as well as providing more grip in the process. The only demerit with this type of tires is the fact that they are a little bit noisy which may make one’s driving to be less comfortable. But that is a compromise that many drivers are always willing to make.
- Winter performance tires come with an added tread performance that provides an enhanced grip of the road in icy and snow-like surfaces. For drivers who typically do most of their driving on winter driving conditions, then this is a must-have acquisition.
- All-season performance tires that have a way of combining both the features of performance tires with the all-season tires performance capability. As such, they can be relied upon both in cold and summer driving conditions.
- Run-flat technology tires that allow drivers to easily travel at 50 miles per hours for a 50 miles distance even after the tire undergoes a puncture. The use of a run-flat technology comes in as an added safety measurement which will benefit many drivers.
Wheel Offset
There are a few different considerations you must make if you are looking to change the wheels on your car. One very important one is the wheel offset — the distance between the mounting plate and the centerline of the wheel in millimeters. The mounting plate is the surface of the wheel that is connected to the rotor, and the centerline is the line that runs around the barrel of the wheel. Most wheels have a positive offset which means that the face of the mounting hub is ahead of the centerline. When the offset is negative, the mounting hub is inside the wheel’s barrel. See Wheel Offset Explained.
