How to purchase tires?

This is not a insignificant matter. Although new automobiles come with tires that are already corresponding to the performance requirements of the car, you may want to improve to different or more sophisticated tires.

If you’re looking to change worn tires on an older car, the choices can seem overwhelming. Spending some time exploring various designs and discovering a tire dealer you can have confidence in can help you get the most out of your investment.

When you buy a new set of tires, it’s acceptable to make price a significant consideration, but be sure to look for tires that supply the performance level you actually want. Otherwise, you may get tires that suit into your price goals but fail to make your car ride as well as it should.

Choosing the type.

There are several different types of tires from which to select:

All Season tire classification is a compromise between one developed for use on dry and wet roads in summer and one developed for use under winter conditions. The kind of rubber and the tread pattern finest matched for use in summer conditions cannot, for technical reasons, offer reliable performance on snow and ice. The all-season tire is a compromise, and is neither an first-rate summer tire nor an outstanding winter tire.

Touring designs are finest suited to sports automobiles. They offer improved handling but are not as versatile as all season tires.

High performance tires are calculated for use at higher speeds, and more frequent, a more “sporty” driving style. They introduce a softer rubber mix for improved traction, in particular on high speed cornering. The trade off of this softer rubber is shorter tread life.

Snow tires provide a wide tread pattern with “lugs” that penetrate the snow. A number of models give metal studs for additional grip in icy environment.

Choosing the size.

All the information on the face of tires can be confusing, but it pays to know what they mean. If you see a tire stamped with P185/65-R15 82S, for example, here’s what it means:

The P implies that it’s a passenger tire. If it had LT embossed on it instead, that would stand for a light truck.

The three-digit number that follows, such as 185, indicates the width of the tire in millimeters.

The next number, 65, is the fraction of sidewall height to width.

R indicates that it is a radial tire.

15 is the diameter of the tire in inches.

The tire’s load index, or how much weight it supports, is indicated by 82 (an random number).

The last letter, S, is the car’s speed rating. In this case, the tire is rated to a speed of 113 mph. An H rating means the tires are rated to 130 mph, and a Z rating denotes they’re safe up to 149 mph