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...
Tread depth is a vertical measurement between the top of the tread rubber to the bottom of the tire's deepest grooves. In the United States, tread depth is measured in 32nds of an inch. Because it is difficult to accurately measure tread depth with a ruler, tread depth is best measured with a...
The purposes of the Tire and Rim Association, Inc., include the establishment of interchangeability standards for tires, rims and allied parts for the guidance of manufacturers of such products, designers and manufacturers of motor vehicles, aircraft and other wheeled vehicles and equipment,...
High-Speed Rated Winter TiresPerformance Winter / SnowPassenger | Light Truck/SUV Developed as high-speed winter tires for European driving conditions, these tires typically trade some deep snow and ice traction for enhanced dry and wet road traction, handling and high-speed capability....
What happens to rubber balloons in the days after a party? The air pressure inside them escapes through the rubber and the balloons go flat. And while air also escapes through the rubber of tires for cars and trucks, today's more robust tubeless tire designs experience air pressure losses of...
It's Not Just About Wear. Do You Know When to Say When? There are many reasons why tires should be replaced. Here are some Tire Rack recommendations based on currently available information: The vehicle manufacturer owner's manual may have specific instructions covering tire inspections...
Should Drivers Replace Old Tires Even if Their Treads Aren't Worn Out? While most drivers' past experience might not indicate it's necessary, the growing realization that tires are perishable means tires on some vehicles will possibly age out before they wear out. Composed of steel belts,...
Also called tire tread designs, tire tread patterns are the arrangement of continuous ribs, independent tread blocks, circumferential and lateral grooves, as well as the thin sipes molded into the tread to fine-tune noise, handling, traction and wear. Tire tread patterns feature different basic...
Anti-Lock Brake (ABS), Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Systems Anti-lock brakes, traction control and vehicle stability systems help make it easier to utilize a tire's full potential; however, none of these systems actually generate more traction. For that matter, they only begin to...
Experience indicates that searching by wheel size, offset and/or bolt pattern alone are not specific enough criteria to ensure an exact fitment. Attention to detail prevents vibration, wheel/tire interference and unbalanced handling. A vehicle's critical components are measured with...
Vehicle manufacturers are required to maintain an average fuel economy for the fleet of new vehicles they sell each year In the United States. Vehicle manufacturers must pay a penalty if their annual vehicle fleet uses too much fuel. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) identifies the...
Tire rolling resistance is defined as the force required to maintain the forward movement of a loaded pneumatic tire in a straight line at a constant speed. And just like the laws of physics and forces of nature, it is an obstacle every vehicle has to overcome to transport passengers and cargo...
What Are All Those Lines, Numbers and Letters on a New Tire's Tread? While tires may appear to be a homogeneous piece of rubber after they are vulcanized during curing in their molds, most tires feature dozens of fabric, metallic and/or rubber components that must be shaped, sized and...
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