We've been helping people find the right tires, wheels and performance parts since 1979. If you're looking for the best and most accurate information on all things tires, you've come to the right place.
A tire's most important job is to carry the load required of it, and the load range/ply rating branded on the tire's sidewall indicates how much load the tire is designed to carry (at a specific pressure). Whenever changing tire sizes or from one tire type to another, it's important to ensure...
A load index is an assigned numerical value that signifies a tire's maximum load carrying capacity. They're useful to help compare load carrying capacity of different-sized tires, and as you might expect, the higher the tire's load index number, the greater its load carrying capacity. Using the...
The term "blowout" is generally used by drivers to describe a bursting tire accompanied by a rapid loss of air pressure. While one might assume that all blowouts are caused by too much internal pressure bursting a weak spot in the tire, the main reason for them is just the opposite. Most...
Tires are manufactured by assembling components made of rubber, fabric cord and steel wire that are cured together in a mold. Under intense heat and pressure during the curing process, the rubber reaches a near liquid state before vulcanization takes place finalizing the tire's exact size,...
The contact patch of a tire that’s inflated with pressurized air is also called its tread footprint. The contact patch is the result of the vehicle’s weight pressing its round tires against the road, requiring their treads to conform to relatively flat surfaces. A tire’s...
Though tires may look simple on the outside, they are actually complex laminate structures made up of over 100 individual parts. The individual parts of a tire include steel, textiles and multiple rubber compounds, and they must all work together to achieve many, often conflicting, performance...
Regardless of its size, every tire's load capacity, durability, traction and handling is dependent on using the right inflation pressure for the application. Since both too little and too much inflation pressure sacrifices some of the tires' performance, maintaining the "right" inflation...
Most modern passenger car and light truck tires feature size designations that indicate the tire's dimensions in a combination of metric, mathematical and English systems. While this unusual combination of millimeters, percentages and inches is a byproduct of the evolution of global tire...
While it's often referred to simply as an "alignment" or "wheel alignment," it's really complex suspension angles that are being measured and a variety of suspension components that are being adjusted. This makes an alignment an important suspension-tuning tool that greatly influences the...
Most drivers realize that tire load capacity is determined by tire size and inflation pressure. Larger tires and higher inflation pressures provide more load capacity, while smaller tires and lower tire pressures provide less. An under-inflated tire will tend to wear the shoulder areas of the...
Most drivers realize that tire load capacity is determined by tire size and inflation pressure. Larger tires and higher inflation pressures provide more load capacity, while smaller tires and lower tire pressures provide less. Correctly inflated tires receive appropriate support from the...
Advantages of Correct Tire Inflation Maintaining correct tire inflation pressure helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy. Correct tire inflation pressure allows drivers to experience tire comfort, durability and performance designed to match the needs of their vehicles. Tire...
Everybody knows tires are black, round, and hold air, so it can come as a bit of a shock when brand new tires have a white, waxy film on the sidewalls and shoulder area. It doesn't wash off easily, and it "balls up" when you rub it with your finger. What is it? Why is it there? Sometimes it can...
New Tires Generate More Rolling Resistance Than Worn TiresIt's been observed that rolling resistance drops by about 20%, as a tread wears from its original molded depth to worn. While this reduction in rolling resistance over time is subtle, a switch from worn tires to a new set increase...
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