If you own your car for more then a few years and that includes most of us then you will endup needing to replace your cars tires.
Most States require replacement if your tire tread reached 2/32″ of an inch.
If you live in an area that sees lots of rain you should at least double that to 4/32″ and if you are in a snow area 6/32″ of an inch should be your limit.
Most Tires will have a wear bar integrated into the tread pattern and when your tread matches that bar height you can quickly see you need to replace your tires.
There is another method for measuring your tire depth with a penny. The distance on a good well stamped penny from the top of Lincoln’s head to the edge is 2/32″ of an inch. Place the penny in your tread head side down an make sure that part of Lincoln’s head is covered.
Wear Rating
The most common reason to replace your tires is general wear.
Most tires that you buy will be rated for a general wear lifetime expectancy. This can be anywhere from 30,000 miles for low grade tires that you should only really use as a spare tire since they will only last you about a year to 80,000 mile rated tires that you can expect to last 3 to 5 years based on your driving habits and care.
Lifetime Warranties for tread wear are also available and the manufacture will replace the tire if it wears out before its3 years but all manufacturers are different so take time to read your warranty. Most will come with a prorated warranty that will cover a percentage of the cost based on how many miles it has seen before it wore out. If you had a 40,000 mile rated tire that went bad in 30,000 miles you would get 25% of the original cost off on a new set.
So, what other ratings besides tread wear should you look for when you buy your next set of tires?
Seasonal Ratings of tires can be very important depending on where you live. If you live in Southern Florida, Southern California or another area that never sees snow or ice then you may be able to purchase a Summer rated tire. If you live in most states that will see only a short period of snow and poor road conditions then you should think about getting a All Season tire that can handle a range of conditions. Winter Season Tires are specifically for snow conditions. They may come with the option of Studs which can help with traction and they should not be used in summer months.
Some people will choose to buy 2 sets of tires and use the Winter Season specifically for heavy snow conditions this is a good option if you have storage and the ability to change your tires in conditions that might not be too nice outdoors.
Speed Rating is a good way to understand how well the tire is designed. All manufacturers will say their tires are made to withstand standard use and the highest rated street tire which is a W rated tire far exceeds the speed limit of any U.S. Road so why would you want to buy a higher rated tire then you drive?
Specific tire ratings give the maximum speed that the tire will withstand however if you are a weekend racer and like to take your car to the track or if you are a long distance commuter that normally drives extended distances at highway speeds then you can justify purchasing a tire that is rated in the top area of the scale. You may not need the maximum rating but you definitely will feel the difference over time if you go with a better product. You will also extend the wear range of your tires since they are built better.
Reading the Load and Speed Rating
On most tires the load and speed rating is just to the right of the size stamp.
For Example the Tire Size Stamp of
P185/75R 14 89T
The Load rating in this stamp is 89 and the speed rating is T
The load the tire is rated at is a number from 71 to 110 and the higher the number the more load the tire can carry. This is very important for trucks but just as important for all other cars.
The load rating on standard vehicles should be explained to you when you select your tire. Tire Dealers will use a standard vehicle chart based on your vehicles weight to select the right tire.
This is definitely the time that you want to notify your sales person if you often carry large loads in your truck, van or even in your passenger car.
If you normally carry a full passenger load of adults then select a tire with a higher load rating that will provide better stability, control while driving and more comfort for your passengers.
The Speed Rating is a Letter from M to Y with a few letters missing. This number tells you the top speed the tire is rated at.
You never want to buy anything less then a Q rated tire for any general purpose vehicle. Anything less should be used only on service vehicles. Q rated tires are often also used for Snow Tires and they wear very poorly.
Most standard sedan and standard cars should use an S rated tire or better and if you are racing your vehicle you want to pick a higher rated tire in the H or above class.
M 81 mph 130 km/h
N 87 mph 140km/h
P 93 mph 150 km/h
Q 99 mph 160 km/h Winter Tires
R 106 mph 170 km/h Light Trucks
S 112 mph 180 km/h Cars & Vans
T 118 mph 190 km/h
U 124 mph 200 km/h
H 130 mph 210 km/h Street Sports Cars
V 149 mph 240 km/h
W 168 mph 270 km/h Race Cars
Y 186 mph 300 km/h
These are a few of the considerations that you should look at when you are purchasing a new set of tires for your vehicle.
Remember that you should tell your sales person how you use your vehicle and what you expect from it. If you are a sports car enthusiast a higher speed rating will give you that extra control before you have to look into buying race tires. If you haul large loads in your van or truck a better load rating will give you better control and a better feel for your passengers.
Along with basic ratings you will want to look into Tread Patterns and other special features that manufacturers offer to increase or alter the quality of their tires.
It seems that every manufacturer thinks their tread design is best but after so many years of development by so many makers if a perfect design was found then Federal Transportation Laws would require its use.
For the most part aggressive tread patterns wear faster on the road but can improve some conditions in weather and off road use. Tires with less aggressive tread patterns (or more rubber) such as street slicks will provide better traction and grip in dry conditions.
The YouRepair Store carries a full line of Tires for all of your vehicles.