Passenger Tires

Passenger and light truck types
High performance
High performance tires are designed for use at higher speeds, and more often, a more "sporty" driving style. They feature a softer rubber compound for improved traction, especially on high speed cornering. The trade off of this softer rubber is shorter tread life.

High performance street tires sometimes sacrifice wet weather handling by having shallower water channels to provide more actual rubber tread surface area for dry weather performance. The ability to provide a high level of performance on both wet and dry pavement varies widely among manufacturers, and even among tire models of the same manufacturer. This is an area of active research and development, as well as marketing.

Mud and snow
The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page.

Mud and Snow, (or M+S, or M&S), is a classification for specific winter tires designed to provide improved performance under low temperature conditions, compared to all-season tires. The tread compound is usually softer than that used in tires for summer conditions, thus providing better grip on ice and snow, but wears more quickly at higher temperatures. Tires may have well above average numbers of sipes in the tread pattern to grip the ice.

Dedicated winter tires will bear the "Mountain/Snowflake Pictograph" if designated as a winter/snow tire. Winter tires will typically also carry the designation MS, M&S, or the words MUD AND SNOW (but see All-season tires, below).

Studded, highly-siped, winter tireSome winter tires may be designed to accept the installation of metal studs for additional traction on icy roads. The studs also roughen the ice, thus providing better friction between the ice and the soft rubber in winter tires. Use of studs is regulated in most countries, and even prohibited in some locales due to the increased road wear caused by studs. Typically, studs are never used on heavier vehicles. Studded tires are used in the upper tier classes of ice racing[25] and rallying.

Other winter tires rely on factors other than studding for traction on ice, e.g. highly porous or hydrophilic rubber that adheres to the wet film on the ice surface.

Some jurisdictions may from time to time require snow tires, or traction aids (e.g. tire chains) on vehicles driven in certain areas during extreme conditions.

Mud tires are specialty tires with large, chunky tread patterns designed to bite into muddy surfaces. The large, open design also allows mud to clear quickly from between the lugs. Mud terrain tires also tend to be wider than other tires, to spread the weight of the vehicle over a greater area to prevent the vehicle from sinking too deeply into the mud. However in reasonable amounts of mud and snow, tires should be thinner. Due to them having a thinner wheel base, the tire will have more pressure on the road surface, thus allowing the tires to penetrate the snow layer and grip harder snow or road surface beneath. This does not compensate when the snow is too deep for such penetration.

All season
The All Season tire classification is a compromise between one developed for use on dry and wet roads during summer and one developed for use under winter conditions. The type of rubber and the tread pattern best suited for use under summer conditions cannot, for technical reasons, give good performance on snow and ice. The all-season tire is a compromise, and is neither an excellent summer tire nor an excellent winter tire. They have, however, become almost ubiquitous as original and replacement equipment on automobiles marketed in the United States, due to their convenience and their adequate performance in most situations. All-Season tires are also marked for mud and snow the same as winter tires but rarely with a snowflake. Owing to the compromise with performance during summer, winter performance is usually poorer than a winter tire.

All-terrain
All-terrain tires are typically used on SUVs and light trucks. These tires often have stiffer sidewalls for greater resistance against puncture when traveling off-road, the tread pattern offers wider spacing than all-season tires to remove mud from the tread. Many tires in the all-terrain category are designed primarily for on-road use, particularly all-terrain tires that are originally sold with the vehicle.

Spare
Main article: spare tire Some vehicles carry a spare tire, already mounted on a wheel, to be used in the event of flat tire or blowout. Minispare, or "space-saver spare" tires are smaller than normal tires to save on trunk/boot space, gas mileage, weight and cost. Minispares have a short life expectancy, and low speed rating.

Tire Safety

Studies of tire safety show that maintaining proper
tire pressure, observing tire and vehicle load limits (not carrying more weight
in your vehicle than your tires or vehicle can safely handle), avoiding road
hazards, and inspecting tires for cuts, slashes, and other irregularities are
the most important things you can do to avoid tire failure, such as tread
separation or blowout and flat tires. These actions, along with other care and
maintenance activities, can also:

• Improve vehicle handling

• Help protect you and others from avoidable
  breakdowns and accidents

• Improve fuel economy

• Increase the life of your tires.

This report presents a comprehensive overview of tire
safety, including information on the following topics:

• Basic tire maintenance

• Uniform Tire Quality Grading System

• Fundamental characteristics of tires

• Tire safety tips.

Use this information to make tire safety a regular part
of your vehicle maintenance routine. Recognize that the time you spend is
minimal compared with the inconvenience and safety consequences of a flat tire
or other tire failure.

Basic Tire Maintenance

Properly maintained tires improve the steering,
stopping, traction, and load-carrying capability of your vehicle. Underinflated
tires and overloaded vehicles are a major cause of tire failure. Therefore, as
mentioned above, to avoid flat tires and other types of tire failure, you should
maintain proper tire pressure, observe tire and vehicle load limits, avoid road
hazards, and regularly inspect your tires.

Recommended Tire Pressure and Load Limits

Tire information placards and vehicle certification
labels contain information on tires and load limits. These labels indicate the
vehicle manufacturer's information including:

• Recommended tire size

• Recommended tire inflation pressure

• Vehicle capacity weight (VCW–the maximum occupant
  and cargo weight a vehicle is designed to carry)

• Front and rear gross axle weight ratings (GAWR– the
  maximum weight the axle systems are designed to carry).

Both placards and certification labels are permanently
attached to the vehicle door edge, door post, glove-box door, or inside of the
trunk lid. You can also find the recommended tire pressure and load limit for
your vehicle in the vehicle owner's manual.

Understanding Tire Pressure and Load Limits 

Tire inflation pressure is the level of air in the tire
that provides it with load-carrying capacity and affects the overall performance
of the vehicle. The tire inflation pressure is a number that indicates the
amount of air pressure– measured in pounds per square inch (psi)–a tire requires
to be properly inflated. (You will also find this number on the vehicle
information placard expressed in kilopascals (kPa), which is the metric measure
used internationally.)

Manufacturers of passenger vehicles and light trucks
determine this number based on the vehicle's design load limit, that is, the
greatest amount of weight a vehicle can safely carry and the vehicle's tire
size.The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is referred to as the
"recommended cold inflation pressure." (As you will read below, it is difficult
to obtain the recommended tire pressure if your tires are not cold.)

Because tires are designed to be used on more than one
type of vehicle, tire manufacturers list the "maximum permissible inflation
pressure" on the tire sidewall. This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.

Checking Tire Pressure

It is important to check your vehicle's tire pressure
at least once a month for the following reasons:

• Most tires may naturally lose air over time.

• Tires can lose air suddenly if you drive over a
  pothole or other object or if you strike the curb when parking.

• With radial tires, it is usually not possible to
  determine under inflation by visual inspection.

For convenience, purchase a tire pressure gauge to keep
in your vehicle. Gauges can be purchased at tire dealerships, auto supply
stores, and other retail outlets.

The recommended tire inflation pressure that vehicle
manufacturers provide reflects the proper psi when a tire is cold. The term cold
does not relate to the outside temperature. Rather, a cold tire is one that has
not been driven on for at least three hours. When you drive, your tires get
warmer, causing the air pressure within them to increase. Therefore, to get an
accurate tire pressure reading, you must measure tire pressure when the tires
are cold or compensate for the extra pressure in warm tires.

How to maintain proper tire pressure:

• Step 1: Locate the recommended tire pressure on the
  vehicle's tire information placard, certification label, or in the owner's
  manual.

• Step 2: Record the tire pressure of all tires.

• Step 3: If the tire pressure is too high in any of
  the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing on the tire valve stem with
  the edge of your tire gauge until you get to the correct pressure.

• Step 4: If the tire pressure is too low, note the
  difference between the measured tire pressure and the correct tire pressure.
  These "missing" pounds of pressure are what you will need to add.

• Step 5: At a service station, add the missing pounds
  of air pressure to each tire that is under inflated.

• Step 6: Check all the tires to make sure they have
  the same air pressure (except in cases in which the front and rear tires are
  supposed to have different amounts of pressure).

If you have been driving your vehicle and think that a
tire is under inflated, fill it to the recommended cold inflation pressure
indicated on your vehicle's tire information placard or certification label.
While your tire may still be slightly under inflated due to the extra pounds of
pressure in the warm tire, it is safer to drive with air pressure that is
slightly lower than the vehicle manufacturer's recommended cold inflation
pressure than to drive with a significantly under inflated tire. Since this is a
temporary fix, don't forget to recheck and adjust the tire's pressure when you
can obtain a cold reading.

Tire Size & Tire tread

To maintain tire safety, purchase new tires that are
the same size as the vehicle's original tires or another size recommended by the
manufacturer. Look at the tire information placard, the owner's manual, or the
sidewall of the tire you are replacing to find this information. If you have any
doubt about the correct size to choose, consult with the tire dealer.

The tire tread provides the gripping action and
traction that prevent your vehicle from slipping or sliding, especially when the
road is wet or icy. In general, tires are not safe and should be replaced when
the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. Tires have built-in tread wear
indicators that let you know when it is time to replace your tires. These
indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread
grooves. When they appear "even" with the outside of the tread, it is time to
replace your tires. Another method for checking tread depth is to place a penny
in the tread with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see the
top of Lincoln's head, you are ready for new tires.

Tire Balance and Wheel Alignment

To avoid vibration or shaking of the vehicle when a
tire rotates, the tire must be properly balanced. This balance is achieved by
positioning weights on the wheel to counterbalance heavy spots on the
wheel-and-tire assembly. A wheel alignment adjusts the angles of the wheels so
that they are positioned correctly relative to the vehicle's frame. This
adjustment maximizes the life of your tires and prevents your car from veering
to the right or left when driving on a straight, level road. These adjustments
require special equipment and should be performed by a qualified technician.

Tire Rotation

Rotating tires from front to back and from side to side
can reduce irregular wear (for vehicles that have tires that are all the same
size). Look in your owner's manual for information on how frequently the tires
on your vehicle should be rotated and the best pattern for rotation.

 

A Tire Rotation
Example

For maximum mileage, rotate your tires every 5,000 miles. Follow correct
rotation patterns.

Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)

To help consumers compare a passenger car tire's
tread wear rate, traction performance, and temperature resistance, the federal
government requires tire manufacturers to grade tires in these three areas. This
grading system, known as the Uniform Tire Quality Grading System, provides
guidelines for making relative comparisons when purchasing new tires. You also
can use this information to inquire about the quality of tires placed on new
vehicles.

Although this rating system is very helpful when buying
new tires, it is not a safety rating or guarantee of how well a tire will
perform or how long it will last. Other factors such as personal driving style,
type of car, quality of the roads, and tire maintenance habits have a
significant influence on your tire's performance and longevity.

Treadwear grades are an indication of a tire's relative
wear rate. The higher the treadwear number is, the longer it should take for the
tread to wear down. For example, a tire grade of 400 should wear twice as long
as a tire grade of 200.

Traction grades are an indication of a tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement. A higher graded tire should allow you to stop your car
on wet roads in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is
graded from highest to lowest as "AA", "A", "B", and "C".

Temperature grades are an indication of a tire's
resistance to heat. Sustained high temperature (for example, driving long
distances in hot weather), can cause a tire to deteriorate, leading to blowouts
and tread separation. From highest to lowest, a tire's resistance to heat is
graded as "A", "B", or "C".

The fundamentals of tires:

Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place
standardized information on the sidewall of all tires. This information
identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics of the tire and also
provides a tire identification number for safety standard certification and in
case of a recall.

Information on Passenger
Vehicle Tires

Please refer to the diagram below.

d

P

The "P" indicates the tire is for passenger
vehicles.

Next number

This three-digit number gives the width in
millimeters of the tire from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the
larger the number, the wider the tire.

Next number

This two-digit number, known as the aspect
ratio, gives the tire's ratio of height to width. Numbers of 70 or lower
indicate a short sidewall for improved steering response and better overall
handling on dry pavement.

R

The "R" stands for radial. Radial ply
construction of tires has been the industry standard for the past 20 years.

Next number

This two-digit number is the wheel or rim
diameter in inches. If you change your wheel size, you will have to purchase new
tires to match the new wheel diameter.

Next number

This two- or three-digit number is the
tire's load index. It is a measurement of how much weight each tire can support.
You may find this information in your owner's manual. If not, contact a local
tire dealer. Note: You may not find this information on all tires because it is
not required by law.

M+S

The "M+S" or "M/S" indicates that the tire
has some mud and snow capability. Most radial tires have these markings; hence,
they have some mud and snow capability.

Speed Rating

The speed rating denotes the speed at which a tire
is designed to be driven for extended periods of time. The ratings range from 99
miles per hour (mph) to 186 mph. These ratings are listed below. Note: You may
not find this information on all tires because it is not required by law.

 

* For tires with a maximum speed capability over
149 mph, tire manufacturers sometimes use the letters ZR. For those with a
maximum speed capability over 186 mph, tire manufacturers always use the letters
ZR.

U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number

This begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two numbers or
letters are the plant code where it was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year the tire was built. For example, the numbers 3197
means the 31st week of 1997. The other numbers are marketing codes used at the
manufacturer's discretion. This information is used to contact consumers if a
tire defect requires a recall.

Tire Ply Composition and Materials Used

The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number
of plies, the more weight a tire can support. Tire manufacturers also must
indicate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others.

Maximum Load Rating

This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by the tire.

Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure

This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.

UTQGS Information

Treadwear Number

This number indicates the tire's wear rate.
The higher the treadwear number is, the longer it should take for the tread to
wear down. For example, a tire graded 400 should last twice as long as a tire
graded 200.

Traction Letter

This letter indicates a tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement. A higher graded tire should allow you to stop your car on
wet roads in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is
graded from highest to lowest as "AA","A", "B", and "C".

Temperature Letter

This letter indicates a tire's resistance to
heat. The temperature grade is for a tire that is inflated properly and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat build-up and possible tire failure.
From highest to lowest, a tire's resistance to heat is graded as "A", "B", or
"C".

Additional Information on
Light Truck Tires

Please refer to diagram below.

d

Tires for light trucks have other
markings besides those found on the sidewalls of passenger tires.

LT

The "LT" indicates the tire is for light
trucks.

Max. Load Dual kg(lbs) at kPa(psi) Cold

This information indicates the maximum load
and tire pressure when the tire is used as a dual, that is, when four tires are
put on each rear axle (a total of six or more tires on the vehicle).

Max. Load Single kg(lbs) at kPa(psi) Cold

This information indicates the maximum load
and tire pressure when the tire is used as a single.

Load Range

This information identifies the tire's
load-carrying capabilities and its inflation limits.

Snow Tires

In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true snow tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs or placed on all four wheels. Make sure you
purchase snow tires that are the same size and construction type as the other
tires on your vehicle.

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