"Learn to read your tyre sidewall for size and other useful data"
"Continental Tyres Airdrie, Car Tyres Airdrie ( 650+ words)"
[ "Learn to read your tyre sidewall for size and other useful dataThe functions of tyres are to support the weight of avehicle, provide traction, and bring the car to a safe stop. They also need torun at low pressures without risk of bursting or shredding, have enough grip inboth wet and dry conditions while being lightweight so that they don't affectfuel consumption too much. Additionally, they must be durable because driverscan't pull over if their ContinentalTyres Airdrie starts coming apart immediatelyTyre sizes are measured by an alphanumeric combinationrepresenting its three key dimensions: section width, rim diameter, and tyreprofile. The first number you'll come across is the section width - thismeasures the tires widest point when considering sidewall design (i.e. notincluding external thread). So if you see 185 section widths, then the enormousbulge that can fit into this tyre is 185 millimetres. Next, you'll come acrossthe rim diameter, so 26 inches in the case of OE fitments. Lastly, there'ssomething called a tyre profile - think about it as how 'pointed' or 'flat' thesidewalls are at their widest point. So, for example, if you've ever boughttyres online and noticed that its measurements are described as 80/90-10 or90/80-10, then this tells us that its sidewall measures an 80% (i.e. very flat)at its widest point where it meets to treadsThe final alphanumeric jigsaw puzzle is the load indexand speed index, which don't seem immediately apparent from a glance at atires size. The load index measures a tyre's maximum load-carrying capacityand the speed it can support before being damaged, so for example, if your OEtyres have a 94 as their load index, then multiplied by four, this equates to380kg. Suppose you replace those with 95 load-indexed tyres, assuming they'reall fitted to the same axle. In that case, this figure now becomes 390kg - notan enormous difference but certainly noticeable over time, especially if you'reregularly carrying that weight or more. Another essential thing to remember isthat these indexes are relative - there's no industry standard stating whichtyres should have what numbers, so every brand's sizing is differentBecause of this, it's always a good idea to check yourtyre size when replacing tyres in case you need to buy a different brand ormodel. You should also get your tyres checked if you've had any issues withthem because they could be dangerously underinflated or overloaded - both ofwhich are illegal and could land you with a hefty finePushing the boundariesAnother aspect engineers have to consider is what happenswhen the weather fails to play along. This can mean designing tyres that cangrip in wet conditions but excel at it too. Tyres for sports cars do this byusing unique asymmetric tread designs that can improve grip tenfold compared tonon-sports models through clever construction and design. However, unique treaddesigns aren't just limited to whizzy models - a look at the tyres of cars fromany decade will show you that there's been an ongoing quest for better grip,even with base-spec unitsTo get a better grip on wet surfaces, tyre engineers havehad to rethink how their treads work entirely. This has led to new and improvedcompounds that can provide more bite when it counts and revised siping designedto help water escape faster so that it doesn't become trapped in the treadblocks. There are also new tread patterns designed to churn through standingwater effortlessly while still reaching peak performance on dry tarmac roads.Combined with all these changes are advancements in the construction process,leading to an increase in sidewall rigidity. This has meant that tyres can nowbe designed with enough compliance to allow them to grip in wet conditionswithout skidding even when travelling at speedAll these changes have given rise to new tyretechnologies, which means you'll find all manner of acronyms on the side ofyour chosen rubber, but what do they all mean? Here are some of the mostcommonly used ones;S - The letter S stands for 'sport' and denotesa tyre Car Tyres Airdrie;built from a durable compound and reinforcedwith belts beneath its tread blocks. This makes it more structurally rigid todeliver improved levels of handling, whatever the weather conditionT - The letter T or 'turbo' denotes that a tyrehas been approved for the use of run-flat technology, which means it's designedwith an internal structure that constantly monitors its calorimetry and cansustain its performance even when pierced - this allows safe emergency drivingto a service station if your tyre is punctured on the motorway for example. ZR,VR, or W-rated tyres  ;This stands for 'performance' and denotes a tyrewith a high top speed rating, usually around 150mph, depending on manufacturerand model specification." ]