Tire facts…P1
In less than one year I have to change my tires! I know, we (my family) do a lot of driving for the year, approximately 34000 kms but, I would usually get about 18 months or 51000 kms service life out of my tires. This time we got 30000 kms, and this left me baffled initially. Why would we only get this amount of service from our tires? Our driving pattern has not changed, the distance we covered remained constant, even the conditions in which we drove were relatively constant. The only thing that is different were the tires, this was the second set of tires for the vehicle since it’s purchase, and, to be totally honest I did not look at the tire rating when it was replaced.
There is a science to tires that should be appreciated! It’s one of those things that we ignore until a failure happens, which can be avoided if we take the necessary precautions. There is important information that you need to know when purchasing tires. If, the vehicle you own was pre-owned (foreign used or second hand) and you are unable to verify the age of the tires the video below will assist you to do so. There are other nomenclature on the tire wall which are just as important, and, we’ll look at that also. Lets look at the video below that explains what are the things we must look for on our tire wall:
In my country (and I’m sure in yours) there are persons who will skimp on purchasing new tires. This consumer behavior has given rise to a used tire market, where, you can purchase used tires for your vehicle. Yes, (I kid you not!) there is a market for this, and, we have persons willing to risk it all by purchasing used tires for their vehicles. One of the guilty parties to this practice are vehicle owners whose intent is to maximize profitability while keeping expenses for the vehicle operating at a low cost, which means all consumables and operating cost will be ‘managed’ (tires included!).
Personally I do not endorse the reuse of used tires as there are many risks associated with it and top of mind are:
- Endangerment to other road users including yourself
- Vehicle damage because of tire failure
- Loss of life because of a tire blowout
- Loss of loved ones or family members because of tire blowout
- The snowball effect of such a decision, and, I’m sure that you can add many more reasons to my list.
In the video above we saw the importance of the nomenclature, as it describes the tire. Now, lets look more closely at the nomenclature and its purpose.
Reading and Finding your Tire Size
The wall of your tire has a lot of information, and it is important that you understand what it means especially when tire replacement is required. The image below will do a better job than I can explaining where to find your tire size, what is your rim size and you tire wall height. It is a pictorial representation of what we saw above. I would like to stress on the importance of understanding this as it can make a significant impact on your pocket, the driving feel of the vehicle, the road noise you’ll hear in the cabin and your safety.
I know that the usual question asked is, where do I find my tire size information. The image below has the most common places where you’ll find that information.
Great, now that you know your tire size, and the necessary info for your tire there are some finer details that you need to know, such as your Speed Rating and Load Index. The design of the vehicle inform these two details and are used to ensure that the handling characteristics remain true to its design. This means that users of the vehicle can brake/stop, corner and carry the designed load safely. Lets take a quick look at the video below:
In our next episode we’ll explore the aesthetics associated with replacing your wheels and the ripple effects of such (including speeding tickets!).
Finally here’s an old video that covers some of the things we spoke about above, and, highlights the importance of reading your tire wall.
Safe driving out there!