How to choose tires for a car?

The safety, comfort, handling and patency of your car depends on the tires installed. When buying new tires, you need to take into account the make of the car, the climatic conditions and the condition of the roads in the area where the car will be used, as well as the driving style.

What tires are on the car? Tire types

The weather and the quality of the roads determine which category of tires you need.

• Highway or summer (HIGHWAY) - for driving on paved roads in dry and rainy weather in the warm season. Not suitable for use in winter on snow or icy roads.
• Winter (SNOW, MUD + SNOW, M+S) - give good grip on snow and ice. Designed for use in frosty weather.
• All-weather (ALL SEASON or ALL WEATHER) - contrary to the name, they are suitable mainly in the off-season. It is permissible to use it in warm, but not hot weather, and in winter - with a slight frost, but only on a dry, snow-free and ice-free road.
• High-speed (PERFORMANCE) - are used mainly on sports cars and executive class cars. Increase handling and provide reliable grip on the surface. They have high thermal stability. The reverse side of the coin is accelerated wear and additional discomfort on rough roads.
• All-season high-speed (ALL SEASON PERFORMANCE) - developed recently and appeared on the market only a few years ago.

Depending on the frame, tires are:

• diagonal - better soften shock loads when driving on roads with minor errors. They have a simple design, but are difficult to repair;
• radial - have better grip than diagonal. These tires also have more load-bearing capacity, higher top speed, more radial elasticity and less heat.

According to the method of sealing the internal volume:

• chamber - consist of a tire and a chamber with a valve. To date, manufacturers almost do not produce this type of tire for passenger cars.
• tubeless - more reliable due to the lack of rapid depressurization. Easy repair of simple damage - for small punctures, a special paste is used, while the tire is not removed from the car. Gives more mileage.

Type of drawing:

• summer - the main feature of this type of tire is to maximize the removal of moisture. For the drawing, oblique deep lines are used, which are located from the center to the edges.
• all-weather - have an asymmetric pattern. The pattern located closer to the outer part of the wheel has the same design as in winter tires. Closer to the inside - there is a "summer" pattern   
• winter - most often the pattern consists of geometric shapes. Also, small serifs stand out on the tire, which help the tires to better grip on slippery surfaces.

According to the cross-sectional profile:

• low-profile - driving a car is easy, the braking distance is lower due to the large contact area;
• ultra-low profile - great for high-speed traffic, but picky about the road surface;
• wide profile - a good option for cars with a high load capacity.

How to choose tires and what to look for?

The main thing to consider when choosing this is the size. It has a universal representation formula - A / BC, where:

• A is the cross section of the profile, i.e. its width, indicated in mm;
• B - tire height, indicated as a percentage of the width;
• C is the diameter of the inner seat ring, measured in inches.

The diagram below shows a 205/55 R16 tire. Also, on each instance, speed and load indices and other parameters are indicated. If you want to understand the marking of tires, stop at these characteristics. Basic and additional symbols about other information on tires will be discussed below.

The very first digit in frame size (A) is width tires. For a tire in the diagram with a size of 205/55 R16, it is 205 mm. The choice of width is dictated by the characteristics of the vehicle. Many motorists, in order to make their car look more solid and have a more powerful look, choose articles with a larger width.

Height is the next standard parameter in the tire size (B). For marking 205/55 R16 it turns out that the height is 55% of the width. To calculate it, you need to perform simple steps: 205 55% (0,55) = 112,75 mm.

The more B in the formula, the higher the tire will be and vice versa. This parameter is very important when choosing a tire. So, when choosing a tire with a size of 205/55 R16 instead of 215/55 R16, you should know that the height will increase along with the width, and this is not always acceptable. Higher wheels can cause an upward shift in the center of gravity, which reduces the stability of the vehicle when cornering and increases the risk of rollover.

The installation of articles with a higher profile is advisable for vehicles with a rigid suspension in order to improve driving comfort. It should be borne in mind that as the operation progresses, the tread wears out and the wheel height decreases.

The indicator C in the general formula describes landing diameter tires on the disc. For the model in the diagram, it is 16 inches, which is equal to 40,64 cm (1 inch corresponds to 2,54 cm). The diameter of the inner rim determines the total height of the wheel, which is the sum of the diameter of the disk and twice the height of the tire. Using the formula 205/55 R16 as an example, it turns out:

• Rim diameter - 40,64 cm.
• Height - 112,75 mm, which is equal to 11,275 cm.
• The total height of the wheel is 40,64 + 11,275 2 = 63,19 cm.

During operation, the height of the wheel decreases due to abrasion of the tread. For summer tires, the tread height is 7,5-8,5 mm, for winter analogues - 8,5-9,5 mm.

What does the R next to the diameter stand for? Many people think that the R next to the diameter of the inner seat ring stands for "radius". But this is not at all the case, since such a designation reflects tire construction type. The letter R indicates that this tire has a radial carcass. Most tires are made with this cord due to better performance.

Because of the letter R, the persistent expression “tire radius” appeared. But it is enough to make simple calculations to refute this version. If R16 meant "radius 16" then how high would the wheel be if the diameter is 2 radii.

Speed ​​index. On the tire diagram, the size is indicated several times. Under the number 16, it has another additional designation - 91V. The letter designation is the speed index. The parameter declares the maximum available speed for a specific tire model. The letter of the Latin alphabet is applied to the tire, you can find out the value of the speed in the table.

Speed ​​index	Maximum allowable speed, km/h
L	120
M	130
N	140
P	150
Q	160
R	170
S	180
T	190
U	200
H	210
V	240
W	270
Y	300
Z	> 300

The value of this parameter of car tires varies from a minimum of 40 km / h - the letter "A" to 300 km / h - the letter "Z". The speed category is assigned to each model after testing on a special stand. The V index in the 91V marking corresponds to a maximum speed of 240 km / h. The manufacturer informs that the operation should be carried out at a speed that is 10-15% less than the maximum value.

In the 91V marking, the number 91 means load index. The load index is deciphered using a table. Depending on the country of origin, the designation of the load in kilograms or pounds may vary. So, the value 91 corresponds to 615 kg. It shows what maximum permissible load one wheel can withstand when operating under conditions of maximum pressure inside.

For passenger cars, indexes from 50 to 100 are typical, in indicators over 100, values ​​for truck tires are presented. The load index for minibuses and trucks is more important, so it must be observed. For passenger cars, this parameter is usually done with a margin, so it does not play a decisive role when choosing tires. But manufacturers strongly recommend not to exceed the threshold values, as this leads to wheel deformation and provokes accidents on the road.

In addition to the basic characteristics, the surface of the tire is applied Additional information. Here you can see the date of production and evaluate the "freshness" of the product. The products also indicate their type:

• Tubeless tires are marked TL (TubeLess). The presented diagram shows exactly the tubeless model (item No. 8).
• Articles with a chamber are identified as TT (Tube Type).

What other information does the tire marking help to get:

2 - TWI, designation of the location of the wear indicator.

3 - danger warning in case of non-compliance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

4 - the maximum allowable load and pressure.

6 - the number of balls, the type of carcass cord and backer.

7 - the degree of tire quality according to the US standard.

10 - compliance with the US standard.

11 - date of manufacture.

12 - a symbol of homologation for compliance with European standards.

13 - number of the approval certificate for compliance with European standards.

15 - the country of origin, in particular, it is Ukraine (MADE IN UKRAIN).

17 - RADIAL, another designation that the tire has a radial design.

How to choose tires for a car?

One of the criteria that you should pay attention to when looking for a tire is the type of vehicle. It takes into account the carrying capacity of the vehicle, as well as the design features of the wheels. Typically, the manufacturer provides recommendations for the use of certain tires.

The choice of tires for SUVs involves an assessment of the load limit indicator and load capacity. Proper assessment reduces tire wear and minimizes the risk of suspension problems.

Today, the tire market offers tires for all types of wheeled self-propelled vehicles, from cars and SUVs to heavy special-purpose vehicles.

For passenger cars, they combine good driving performance (handling and braking), low noise level and a high maximum speed index. Tires for passenger cars are the most common. Marking example - 170/70 R14 84 T.

For 4x4 off-road vehicles - they are distinguished by an increased load capacity index and a pronounced tread pattern that provides high off-road flotation. The marking of such tires has features, for example, 8.20 R15.

For minibuses, commercial vehicles - they are characterized by an increased load capacity index, a simple tread pattern, and wear resistance. The flip side of these benefits is reduced handling and braking. The letter C is often found in the marking of such tires (for example, 195/70 R14C).

How to match tires to rims?

First of all, it is necessary to be guided by the advice of the tire manufacturer on the use of disks. Because they are standardized all over the world. In this way, optimum performance of the tire and vehicle can be guaranteed. Therefore, it is so important to take the selection of rubber for disks with all seriousness.

To choose wheels for a car, it is necessary to take into account their technical characteristics. They can be found in the marking, which is generally represented as 5J × 13 FH2, where:

• 5 – disk width in inches (1 inch – 2,54 cm);
• J - all-wheel drive car (there may be letters P, D, B, K and J or a combination of them);
• FH - hump (protrusions on the landing shelves of the rim for sealing the tire);
• 13 is the disc diameter in inches.

In order to correctly select discs, it is important to know the principles of tire marking. It contains important information regarding the dimensions of tires. All these parameters may be needed when selecting wheels for a car.

The easiest way is to choose wheels by car brand. To do this, just look in the operating instructions for the car or under the glove compartment cover. But this is not always possible. In this case, you can use special sites. On a specialized site, as a rule, the user is prompted to enter the year, make and some other data of the car. After entering the required information, the system will display the result.

To choose tires for your car, you need to consider the following nuances:

• The discs must match in the central hole. If this cannot be achieved, then a setting ring must be used (if the hole in the disc is larger than required).
• The rims must be strong enough to support the weight of the vehicle. Usually they are made with a large maximum load. But if you refused to select discs by car brand and decided to rearrange them, for example, from a passenger car to some kind of crossover, the maximum load should be clarified. It can be found in the product data sheet. If not, you should go to the manufacturer's website and find the right model there.

Trying on rims is an important step before beading a tire. This will help to avoid a situation where even if all the parameters match, the disk does not rise as it should. A preliminary fitting of disks on a car will allow you to check if it rests on a caliper or suspension.

Experts recommend choosing wheels and tires of standard sizes, which the manufacturer of the machine indicates as preferred. That is why the best option would be to choose tires by car brand. It is equally important to perform the installation correctly, since the ride comfort depends primarily on the quality of the installation.