Table of Contents
Tyres are an indispensable part of our vehicles. We know this because they take us to our desired destinations bearing all the harshness that the roads have to offer them. Going by this fact, you must know the vital statistics of your tyres. When you drive your vehicle, your life is dependent on these tyres to quite a large extent. You’d like to know whether your tyres meet the required safety standards. Apart from this, what’s the maximum speed from the vehicle that your tyres can go up to or the amount of load your tyres can bear is some other information that you’d like to know.
All this information and many more such facts are all imprinted on the tyres. These are called tyre markings. As a user of these tyres, you must know everything about them. You’d find this information in the form of signs and symbols on the tyres. With these markings on the tyres, you’ll know what kind of car tyres online you’re driving and the size of your tyres as well. If you’re still confused about how to read these markings, then this blog is specifically for you. Let’s read further.
Tyre markings – Get to know them in detail
If you’ve ever looked at your tyres carefully, you’d probably find a series of numbers on them. These numbers mainly talk about the size of the tyre. You must know the size of the tyre. Correct size helps you in handling your vehicle better on the roads. Most importantly, the size of the tyres should be the one mentioned in the handbook of the vehicle. Tyres that are fitted to your vehicle by the manufacturers are done so after lots of research. You must follow the guidelines stated by them as the manufacturers know very well the exact size that’d suit your tyres.
As an example, you’d see markings somewhat like this on the tyres –
254/ 56 R17 104V
- Here, 254 is the width of the tyre in millimetres. It’s measured from one part of the sidewall to another.
- Next in line is 56. This is the aspect ratio of the tyre. This is the height of the tyre concerning the width of the tyre. It’s expressed in percentage. That means the height of the tyre is 56% of its width.
- ‘R’ refers to the type of construction of the tyre which is radial here. Most of the tyres are radial nowadays. Other types are bias belts and diagonal. In that case, letters ‘B’ and ‘D’ are printed on the tyres.
- The next digit is 17. This is the size of the rim of the wheel in inches. The tyre is fitted to this rim.
- The 104 that you see on the tyre is its load index. It means the maximum load the tyre can take on its shoulders.
- The last one is the speed rating. Here ‘V’ implies the maximum speed the car tyres can stretch up to.
Other markings on the tyres
Apart from the above markings, there are some important markings on the tyres which give you some crucial information about the tyres. Let’s get to know it further.
- The brand name of the tyre is written in big letters. This is the name of the manufacturer.
- There are myriads of patterns of tyres available in the market. For instance, you can find symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns. Then there are tyres with directional or non-directional patterns on the tyre. This can be seen on the sidewall of the tyres.
- The country of manufacture can also be seen on the sidewall.
- Most of the tyres come with tread wear indicators now. A tread is one of the most significant parts of the tyres and it’s the only part that comes into contact with the roads. It’s quite obvious that it wears out the most. The minimum legal limit for the tread is 1.6mm. If it goes anywhere below this, you must change your tyres immediately. These tread indicators can be found in the grooves of the tyres.
- It’s very important to know when your tyres were manufactured. Whether tyres are used or unused, if they’ve become ten years old, shouldn’t be used at all.
- Your tyres ought to be safe as they’re the ones carrying you to different destinations. Tyres approved by the European Union are proof that they’ve passed all safety standards. You can find this on your tyres with the letter ‘E’ along with the country code imprinted beside it.
- Tyres fitted to your vehicle are also ranked in terms of wet braking or dry braking. You can generally find these rankings from ‘A’ to ‘E’ on the tyres.
Tyre markings are the foremost things that you must check in a tyre. They’ll give you an insight into the performance of the tyres on the roads. Moreover, when you know about the signs, symbols, and markings, you can make an informed decision about the tyre you’re going to buy.
