Winter tires - how to read the tire label?

With the winter season approaching, it's time to prepare your car for harsher weather conditions. Changing tires to winter tires improves driving comfort and safety on snowy and icy roads. How to choose the right winter tires? And finally - how to read the markings on the tires so that they correspond to the right models?

Winter conditions can cause a lot of trouble for drivers. Even if you feel confident behind the wheel every day, driving on frozen asphalt can be a source of great stress. If you are properly equipped, you will have a harder time finding dangerous situations on the road. That's why it's worth purchasing the right winter tires, the design of which is appropriately adapted to the external conditions.

Winter or all-season rubber? 

There are more and more supporters of all-season tires among Poles. Most, however, use seasonal models, replacing them twice a year. All-season tires are more comfortable to use, but wear out faster, so the savings are basically obvious. In addition, their design is a kind of compromise between summer and winter tires. As a result, they cope with changing conditions and provide the driver and passengers with relative comfort and safety.

Winter tires, on the other hand, are the right choice for the whole season – they have treads specially designed for driving on snow, icy or slushy surfaces. What's more, typical winter models provide sufficient traction when the outside temperature stays a few degrees or drops below zero.

If you use winter tires, you should learn how to decipher the markings on them so that it is easier to evaluate the parameters of the tire and adjust the model to your needs.

Tire age - how to check? 

The maximum service life of seasonal tires is set at 5 years. After this time, it is better to replace them with new ones. Unfortunately, the use of a tire affects its condition and changes its properties. This is an irreversible process, regardless of the degree of use, although, of course, occasional driving slows it down significantly. But how do you know when to replace a tire if you can't remember when you bought it? Just look at the tire labels.

Age is determined by the DOT code. The tire was manufactured with the last four digits. The first pair of digits indicates the production week, the second - the year. This is a simple and effective way to check the age of a tire.

Winter tire markings - what do the symbols mean? 

On the tires you can find various numbers and letters. They are difficult to decipher, especially if you are buying tires for the first time. If you are buying online, you should also look for any markings on the tire in the product data sheet.

To begin with, the time has come for the numbers that stand at the beginning of the marking. The numerical values ​​on the tires indicate the width of the tire, as well as the ratio of its height to width, which is expressed as a percentage. You will need these parameters regardless of the type of bus you choose.

Tire designation: speed index 

The speed rating is an important parameter that determines the maximum speed that can be achieved with these tires. It is marked with letters - from H to Y. Each letter corresponds to the maximum speed - starting with J at a maximum speed of 100 km / h, ending with Y at 300 km / h. This parameter is usually specified last. Keep this in mind as the letters can also refer to other tire properties.

Tire designation: rotation 

If you have chosen winter tires with directional tread, the rotation arrow indicates the direction in which the wheel rolls.

Tire designation: tire load index 

The tire load index is determined by the numerical value placed at the end - next to the tire speed index. Never install tires with a load index lower than recommended by the manufacturer. If you are not sure which parameter is indicated, go back to the car's owner's manual - you will definitely find a hint in it.

Tire marking: tire structure

As already mentioned, the letters indicate not only the maximum speed, but also the structure of the tire. Depending on the model, you may see the designation D (diagonal tyre), R (radial tyre), RF (solid tire) or B (belt tyre).

What to look for when choosing winter tires?

In addition to the above parameters, when choosing winter tires, you should also pay attention to several other aspects. The first is the protector. In winter tires, it should have much deeper grooves, which greatly improves the grip of the tire on snow or icy surfaces. Treads can have different shapes. You can choose symmetrical, asymmetrical or directional tread. The first is suitable for driving in standard conditions, with an average load. Asymmetric treads, such as those found on the MICHELIN ALPIN 5 215 or Michelin Pilot Alpin Pa4 tires, provide optimal properties to prevent hydroplaning and improve traction. In turn, directional treads are great for water evacuation and driving in difficult conditions.

Winter and summer tires - how do they differ from each other?

The two types of seasonal tires differ from each other both in construction and in the material from which they are made. Summer tires are stiffer because they usually run on smooth surfaces. This solution allows you to achieve higher speeds. Winter tires, on the other hand, are much softer. They have a higher rubber content in their composition. Thanks to their flexibility, they better cope with uneven and slippery surfaces. In the case of winter tires, a tread with deeper gaps makes it much easier to move on snow. Thanks to them, the car retains better grip on slippery surfaces.

Summer tires in winter are not the best option due to reduced grip, which greatly increases the risk of accidents and reduces reaction time in emergency situations. When should you change summer tires to winter tires? It is usually recommended to change when the minimum temperature during the day falls below 7 degrees Celsius. Similarly, it is best to change winter tires to summer tires when the minimum temperature during the day exceeds the same value.

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