Understanding the Language of Tire Ratings and What It Means for You
Understanding the Language of Tire Ratings and What It Means for You
Posted on June 3, 2023
Service Department Parts Department Myers Tire Centre
You must be educated as soon as possible if you’ve never heard of tire ratings. Tire ratings play a vital role in prolonging the health of your tires and the overall maintenance of your car.
Let’s understand more about tire ratings here.
Decoding Tire Ratings: What Those Numbers and Letters Really Mean
Tire Sidewall
The sidewall of your tires gives you a lot of information. This is where you’ll find all the details about your tire, from the manufacturer's name to other information you might not necessarily understand. Don’t worry - we’re here to explain what this information means and how understanding the tire ratings will help you purchase the perfect tire for your car.
Treadwear Grade
A treadwear grade is a numerical rating written on your tire's sidewall. This rating is based on multiple tests conducted in a controlled environment, and it’s the closest representation of your tire’s wear rate.
Let’s look at an example. If the treadwear is grade 300, the tire will wear out 300 times better than one graded 100 under the same conditions. Although this does give you a fair understanding of what to look for when choosing tires, specially for tough condition and Canadian winters. You must know this is a representation based on a controlled environment.
Multiple other factors, including the speed you drive, the road and weather conditions, and most importantly, driving habits (hitting the brakes too hard or too often), also contribute to your treadwear.
Traction Grade
The traction grade is also mentioned on the sidewall of your tire. This represents the ability of the tire to maneuver efficiently when on a slippery or wet surface. There are four traction grades - AA, A, B, and C.
AA is the top-level traction grade, while C is the worst. So people who live in snow-prone areas where it tends to rain a lot should always look for an AA-grade tire for better traction.
Temperature Grade
The temperature grade is the ability of the tire to withstand heat. The grades from lowest to highest are A, B, and C. When choosing good quality tires, always look for a high-grade tire to withstand high temperatures because the ones with a lower grade are more prone to the tread wearing out faster, bubbling sidewalls, and the scariest of all, tire blowouts. This grade is significant for travelling long distances or in hot weather.
What is a Speed Rating on Tires?
The tire speed rating refers to the top speed your tires can handle or manage safely over time. Basically, it’s the fastest speed it can run at before it starts to perform poorly or not as it was designed to do. If this rating is higher, it means you can drive at higher speeds.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the tire ratings meaning and choose tires that are better graded than others, you can head to Myers Dealership to pick the best tires for you or learn more about your car tire health.
Visit Myers Nearest Tire Center!