Decoding Your Tires

How to read the sidewall of your tire

On the sidewall of each tire is a code that can tell you a lot about the tires you have on your vehicle. This can help when you’re looking for a replacement tire after a flat or a whole new set to give you a starting point to get the best tires for your vehicle and driving habits. So, let’s break it down:

Decoding Your Tires

The tire code is located on the sidewall of your tire. It can tell you the size of your current tire, the dimension and construction, among other things.

P-Metric

The starting letter of the series of characters, the P-Metric tells you the class of the tire:

• P – Passenger vehicle US standard tire
• LT – Light truck tire, does not part of the P-Metric but also built to US standards

If there’s no letter, it’s a tire built to European standards.

Section Width

The next three numbers identify the tire width from sidewall to sidewall. This is measured in millimeters.

Aspect Ratio

After the section width is a forward slash followed by two digits, the aspect ratio tells you the sidewall height as a percentage of the section width. So, an aspect ratio of 65 means that the sidewall height is 65% of the total section width.

Construction Type

The aspect ratio is followed by one of two letters: R for radial construction, or D for diagonal bias construction. This determines the difference between the angles of the tire’s plies, or internal layers of the tire, as 90 degrees (R) or lower than 90 degrees (D)

Wheel Diameter

The last numbers on the tire code represent the wheel diameter in inches. This is used to determine the diameter of the wheel that the tire can be mounted on.

Need Tires? We Can Help!

Now that you can read tire codes, the next time you need a new tire, the experienced tire specialists at Hialeah Auto Care Center are here to help! We have a variety of tires to fit your driving needs, from all-season to all-terrain, and even touring tires! Call our office or stop by our location today when you’re ready.