Understanding Your Tyres
Discover how to read your tyre by looking at its sidewall marks. As an illustration, 195/55R15 85V:
- 195-Tread Width: 195 means the tyre is 195 millimeters wide. The tyre gets broader as the millimeters increase, and it gets narrower as the millimeters decrease.
- 55 -Aspect Ratio: The height, represented as a percentage, is 55 on the sidewall. It shows the width as a percentage.
- R-Tyre Construction: There are two letters that could represent radial and bias construction, respectively: R and B. The distinction is that radial features steel wires that are 90 degrees apart and extended from bead to bead.
- Rim Size: In this case, the wheel’s diameter equals the rim size, which is 15 inches.
- 85: Load Index The load index is 85. It indicates the maximum weight a tyre is capable of supporting. Verify your load index, measure each of your four tyres, and avoid overloading the car as this could make it dangerous to drive.
- T-Speed Rating: V is the tyre’s speed rating. The car may accelerate more quickly the higher the letter. V in this case indicates that the vehicle could reach 240 km/h.