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Tyre Buying Guide: Choosing...

Tyre Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Tires and Wheels

Over a decade of years, tyres have evolved to meet the current standards and requirements. The current issues of increasing fuel prices and poor car performance can be solved simply by buying the right set of tyres.

Here are some criteria that can be followed to get a good grip on the car tyres:

Tyre Compounds

Tyres are mainly classified as soft compound tyres and hard compound tyres. Soft compound tyres have a superior grip but less life, whereas hard compound grip have an average grip and a longer life. Most of the Indian car buyers go for longevity and chuck out grip from their context. It’s always better to buy a tyre with superior grip because they give better fuel efficiency. These days, the most common tyres found on Indian roads are radial tyres. Radial tyres are tubeless tyres with steel belts running laterally from one edge of the tyre to the other. High strength, low rolling resistance and high deformation resistance have increased the demand of these tyres.

Tyre Tread

Tread is the grooved surface of the tyre and plays an essential roll in the car performance. There are basically three types of tread designs: directional, asymmetrical and symmetrical. Directional tyres are designed with a ‘V’ shaped groove, having the lowest rolling resistance and enhanced straight line acceleration. These tyres have good road grip under all weather conditions. Asymmetrical tyres are designed with larger tread blocks on the outer end of the wheel and smaller blocks on the inner end. The design is optimised for increased stability and good grip under all weather conditions. Symmetrical tyres are designed with consistent tread pattern and are usually found on small cars or commercial vehicles. These tyres have a longer life than directional and asymmetrical.

Tyre Tread Depth

Tyres with deep treads are always better to own. The legal reading for tyre depth is about 1.6 mm. It is advisable to buy tyres equipped with the tread wear indicators that can be used to check the legal limit.

Tyre Size

The size of the tyre is completely depends on the car specifications. Every car has a different requirement depending on the size, use and built of the car. The size of the required tyre is always mentioned in the owner's manual. If the manual is misplaced, the size can even be checked in the gas cap or door jam. Remember, the car speedometer and odometer is linked on the tyre size so any alternation in the size will definitely change both of these.

Tyre Pressure

Tyre pressure is another criterion to consider before buying a good pair of tyres. The owner’s manual or car handbook also specifies the correct tyre pressure. Pressure inflation is the key to increase the fuel efficiency of any car. Operating the tyres with low pressure reduces the car performance and mileage whereas tyres with high pressure help in improving mileage as well as performance. High pressure wears down easily and so a regular check is essential.

Reading the Tyre

Every tyre is engraved with a series of alphabets and numbers written as 123/45 A67 89B. In this series, 123 is the tyre width in mm, 45 is the sidewall height, alphabet A means the radial construction and 67 denotes the rim diameter in inches. 89 and B are the ratings for load and speed, respectively. It is always advisable to get a car with a rating of at least 30–40 kph. There is also a manufacturing code stated as 0208, indicating that the tyre was manufactured in the second week of the year 2008.

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