Knowing the size of your tyres is crucial information that can help you identity whether your tyres are ready for the road or not.
If you’re looking to have brand new tyres fitted or simple want to read up for future reference when dealing with tyres, this post should most definitely help.
How to Check the Size of my Tyres
Firstly, checking the size of your tyres is necessary for a number of reasons. Not only does it provide road safety it also means you can completely avoid purchasing the wrong size tyres.
So what is the best way to go about checking the size of your tyres? One option is to read through the car manual for tyre size information. This will tell you exactly the tyre size needed and eliminate any doubt you might have. Another way to check your vehicles’ tyre size is within the car drivers’ door as many cars come with this information placed there.
Still can’t find check the size of your tyres? If you’re taking your vehicle to a garage, consider asking your engineer as they could find this out for you.
How to Read Your Tyre Size
Moving on to understanding the jumble of letters and numbers on your existing tyres, this could also give you an indication of your tyre size (Providing your tyres are fitted with the correct size as they should be).
On first sight, you will see something like this “195 / 65 R 15 79T” Each part of this jumble of letters and numbers has refers to different characteristics of your tyre.
Firstly, the 195 refers to the tyre width in millimetres. As for the number 65 in this example, this refers to the aspect ratio. The letter ‘R’ identifies the type of tyre it is (which in this example means ‘radial’) and the number 15 refers to the rim’s diameter in inches.
Moving on to the next number, 79, this figure represents the load index, indicating the weight the tyre can safely hold up. Finally, the letter ‘T’ refers to the speed rating. The speed rating tells you the max speed at full load for the tyre.
Do I Need New Tyres?
Whether you decide to have new tyres fitted is entirely your decision, however the condition of your tyres should also be a deciding factor. Remember to check your tyres on a regular basis for tyre pressure, tread depth etc. This way, it will help you identify if the time has come to replace them with new tyres.
With this post, you should hopefully have a better understanding of how to check the size of your tyres and recognise meaning of the letters and numbers displayed printed on the side of a tyre.
