Choosing The Right Tire…

When it's time to shop for tires, it pays to understand some of the numbers written on the sidewall of the tire. The first thing you must do is to determine the size of the tire you intend to buy. Normally this number is on the sidewall of the tire you are going to replace. The tire size will be written as P215/75R15.

The "P" says the tire is a passenger tire. The 215 says the tire tread is 215 millimeters in width. The 75 means the tire's height is 75% as great as the width. The "R" means it's a radial tire and the 15 indicates the overall wheel size in inches. Also written on the sidewall will be maximum load as well as inflation information.

To allow you to compare brands, there is three other ratings normally written on the sidewall of the tire. The first is likely to say "Treadwear 300". A rule of thumb is a 300 rated tire is twice as good as one rated 150. Another way to compare this rating is to take the number, 300 and times it by 2 and add 2 zeros. In this case the number 300 would turn into 60,000. This represents the expected mileage under ideal inflation and rotation conditions.

The second rating is written as "Traction B". This is a rating of either A, B or C with A representing the best grade a tire can receive for it's traction abilities. A mud and snow tire or an all season tire will almost always have an A rating. A highway tread could have a B or a C.

The third rating will be written as "Temperature C". This rating represents the tire's ability to stand up to high temperatures with A the highest grade and C being the worst.

What's a good deal when buying a set of tires? Price is not everything. After the sale, SERVICE is also important. Is a road hazard warranty available?