You can find your car’s tyre size written on the sidewall of your current set of tyres, in your vehicle’s handbook or on a sticker in the door jam or inside the fuel cap door.
- What tire size fits my car?
- What tire size fits your car is the same as your stock tire size. You can get this information from your owners or the sticker by the driver’s door frame. However, manufacturers also allow upsizing or downsizing, so to get the recommended range, check your vehicle tire chart.
- Do I need to know my tyre size?
- Knowing your tyre size may not be important in your day-to-day life, but it is vital if you are looking to buy new tyres. One of the most common questions our tyre professionals are asked by customers is ‘what size tyres do I need?’ If you ask people what size tyres are fitted to their vehicle, most will not know straight away.
- Where can I buy new tyres for my car?
- After you have found your tyre size and now you know what it means, you may have begun the process of browsing for new tyres for your car. At National Tyres and Autocare, we stock major tyre brands such as Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Michelin, Goodyear and Dunlop.
- How do I search for a tyre?
- On our website, you can search for a tyre by tyre size, or by entering your vehicle registration number. If you decide to search by reg, it is important that you manually check whether the tyre size is correct to ensure the tyres can be fitted.
Contents
What does R mean on tyres?
Radial construction
This letter indicates the type of construction used within the casing of the tyre, which in our example is “R” for Radial construction. Other examples are “B” for Bias-ply or “D” for Diagonal construction. Radial tyres are the most common tyres on the road today.
- What does the letter “R” Mean on a tyre?
- This tells you how a tyre is constructed. In this example, the “R” means that the tyre has radial construction. This is where the internal ply cords extend across the casing from bead to bead, in a radial direction. Less common tyre constructions include diagonal or bias ply, represented by the letter “D”. 4. Rim diameter in inches
- What are tyre markings?
- Next in our series of tyre markings is a letter instead of a number. This letter indicates the type of construction used within the casing of the tyre, which in our example is “R” for Radial construction. Other examples are “B” for Bias-ply or “D” for Diagonal construction. Radial tyres are the most common tyres on the road today.
- What does B mean on a tyre?
- ⦾ B: bias belt (sidewalls are the same material as the tread, leading to a rigid ride) This number represents the diameter of the wheel rim that the tyre will be attached to which the tyre will be fit in inches. This measurement is of the diameter of the wheel that the tyre is designed to fit.
- What does 17 mean on a tyre?
- R means radial which refers to a common tyre construction for passenger vehicles. The final number is a measurement in inches of the diameter of the wheel the tyre will be fitted to. In this case, 17 means the tyre is fitted to a 17-inch wheel. Yes, inches. Tyres mix metric and imperial measurements. Just to keep you on your toes.
What does XL mean on a tyre?
Extra Load
Generally speaking, the tyre name XL is used for heavy duty tyres. However, the labelling varies between tyre manufacturers. Sometimes you might have XL tyres that are also labelled “reinforced” (RF or RFD), or models labelled EL (Extra Load).
- What are XL tyres?
- The acronym XL stands for Extra Load. But it doesn’t apply to cars carrying a heavy load ‑ although they’ll probably need XL tyres. It refers to the weight of the vehicle the tyre will have to support. It’s worth checking whether your car needs these.
- Why do XL tyres need higher air pressure?
- The load capacity of a reinforced tyre also decreases with decreasing air pressure, so XL tyres need higher air pressure. This is the only way to ensure a higher load-bearing capacity. The stipulated tyre speed rating and load index of your XL tyres can normally be found in the last characters on the sidewall.
- Can You exceed the maximum load rating on XL tyres?
- It’s worth noting, however, that you should never exceed the maximum load rating for your vehicle – regardless of the maximum load rating of the tyres fitted. What’s the difference between XL tyres and Runflats?
- What is the difference between xL and extra load tires?
- XL Tires are long-lasting load tires, XL best tires for heavy loads. Extra Load tires have better damage resistance. In the normal world, XL means extra-large. However, in the tyre terminology, XL means ‘Extra Load.’
How do you check tyre quality?
- 1) Check Tread Depth. → All tyres, car or bike, lose a certain amount of tread rubber after their daily usage. …
- 2) Check Sidewall. → Just adjacent to the tread is the sidewall of a tyre. …
- 3) Check For Uneven Wear. → A tyre wears unevenly due to these reasons:
- How do I check my tyre pressure?
- Your Owner’s Handbook should set out the recommended tyre pressures (which may be different between front and rear tyres), and you can check these at most petrol stations. If your car is equipped with a spare, do remember periodically to check its pressure. An easy way to check tread depth is to insert a 20p coin into the tread grooves on the tyre.
- How do I know if my tires are bad?
- Another way to check the condition of your tires is by feeling them. Put your hand on the tire and press down firmly. If you can feel any bumps or bulges, this could be a sign that the tire is damaged and needs to be replaced. You can also use a penny to check the tread on your tires.
- How often should I Check my tyres?
- Tyre pressures, tread depth and evenness of wear should be tested on a regular basis, and fortunately this can be done quite easily by the average motorist. Your Owner’s Handbook should set out the recommended tyre pressures (which may be different between front and rear tyres), and you can check these at most petrol stations.
- What are the common tests involved in the tire inspection process?
- The common tests involved for this inspection process are: • Tire Balance and Performance Analysis – all of the tires will be placed on mechanisms to emulate the vehicle specified to check tire balance and if tires are structurally sound and round.
What are the 3 numbers on tyres?
The first three numbers, in this case 195, refer to the section width of the tyre. This is the measurement, in millimetres, from the tyre’s inner sidewall to its outer sidewall.
- What are the three numbers on tire size?
- The three numbers on tire size represent the width, height, and diameter of the tire, respectively. The width is measured in millimeters and indicates how wide the tire is from side to side. The height is measured in a height-to-width ratio. The diameter is measured in inches and tells you the size of the rim or wheel that the tire will fit onto.
- How to read tyre size?
- When it comes to how to read tyre size, the first five digits of the code are the ones to concentrate on. The first three digits belong together and indicate the width of the tyre (in millimetres). In the example above, the tyre is 195mm wide. The two digits following the first slash are what is known as the aspect ratio.
- What is the second number on a tyre?
- The second number refers to the profile of the tyre or the height of the tyre’s sidewall. The number isn’t in millimetres but is instead an aspect ratio measurement of how the height relates to total width. In our example, the tyres profile is 45% of the total 235mm width. Unnecessarily tricky? Maybe, but stick with us.
- Why do the numbers on tires matter?
- The numbers on tires matter for a number of reasons. For starters, it tells you the size of the tire, which is important to know. Putting the wrong sized tires on your car can lead to a number of hazards, such as rubbing against the body of your vehicle and catching important electrical lines.
How do you read tire sizes?
The two-digit number after the slash mark in a tire size is the aspect ratio. For example, in a size P215/65 R15 tire, the 65 means that the height is equal to 65% of the tire’s width. The bigger the aspect ratio, the bigger the tire’s sidewall will be.
- How do you find the width of a tire?
- The numbers indicating the width of the tire are found after those that indicate the tire type (if there is one), and before the forward slash symbol. This number is the tire width, in millimeters. The measurement is taken from one sidewall to another.
- What do the numbers on a tire mean?
- In the tire size, the first three numbers refer to the width of the tire. As an example, if your tire size is P225/65R17, the width of the tire would be 225 millimeters. 3. Aspect Ratio After the slash mark, the next number you will see is the tire’s aspect ratio. The aspect ratio of a tire is the height of the cross-section compared to the width.
- What is a metric tire size?
- The first number in a metric tire size is the section width of the tire. The aspect ratio on this tire size is 60. The second number in a metric tire size is called the aspect ratio and means that the sidewall height is 60% of the section width. The tire construction of this tire size is R for radial. This letter is for how the tire is constructed.
- How do I know if my car tire is good?
- By knowing how to interpret the numbers and letters on a car tire, you can know the speed rating, temperature resistance, load index numbers, as well as the tire’s width and rim diameter. Read the manufacturer and the tire name. These are printed in large letters toward the outside of the tire.
How long will 3mm tyres last?
10,000-20,000 miles
With all the possible variables taken into account, the minimum average period 3mm of tyre tread depth will last before it reaches the legal limit of 1.6mm is between would be 10,000-20,000 miles but it could be considerably more than that.
- How long do tyres last?
- In 5 years, your tyres will probably have been run over many different surfaces and perhaps have suffered shocks. After 5 years of use, have them checked by a professional at least once a year. This will ensure that they have not been damaged prematurely and that they do not endanger you or your passengers. Tyre DOT: how to tell tyre age?
- Is it wrong to change tyres when tread wears to 3mm?
- Last week Michelin courted controversy by announcing that changing a tyre when the tread wears to a 3mm depth is essentially wrong, and that drivers should keep using their tyres right down to the 1.6mm legal limit.
- How often should I replace my tyres?
- You should inspect your tyres regularly – at least once a month. Check the list below to see if your tyres need replacing: Tread Wear Indicators: most tyres have tread wear indicators – you can only see these indicators when your tread depth has gone beyond the limit, which is generally 1.6 mm.
- How much would you spend on tyres?
- Due to less block movement and heat build up as tyres wear, tyres wear more slowly as the tread reduces. This means, the 1.4 mm of tread between 3 mm and 1.6 mm is 20% of the tyres life. This means that world wide, consumers would be spending an extra 6.9 billion euros per year.
