How to Compare & Shop for Tires
- 1). Determine your tire size. Examine the side of a tire on the vehicle. Locate the sequence of letters and numbers written in the following format: P195/75R14. Your letter and number sequence will vary depending upon your vehicle. The P of this tire size refers to its primary intended use as "P-metric" or Passenger; 195 is the tire width in millimeters; 75 represents the sidewall height of the total tire width; and R14 is the diameter of the rim/wheel onto which the tire is mounted, meaning 14 is the size of that wheel.
- 2). Check your owner's manual to confirm that the tire and wheel size currently on your vehicle are what the manufacturer recommends. Let this always be your guide for buying the safest, best-use tires for your vehicle. Doing this also protects you if warranty issues arise.
- 3). Get to know your tire's important numbers. Study the other numbers from your owner's manual, comparing them to your current tires. These numbers are coded information for that particular tire. The number usually following the 14 of Step 1 tells you the code for the weight the tire can support. In the tire example above, it is 92. This is the code for 1,389 pounds per tire of total vehicle weight with that vehicle fully occupied. The letter next to the 92, in this example is S. S is the code for the speed rating of this particular tire, and represents 112 mph on the tire rating chart. This means that this tire may not be safe at speeds above 112 mph.
- 4). Study the other important tire buying information, found on the sidewall of your tire or your owner's manual. Pay attention to the grade or quality information. This includes: tread wear, traction and temperature. These are Department of Transportation labeling requirements. Tread wear is measured against other similar tread patterns and is only an estimate of tread life. Road conditions and personal driving habits make tread wear an inexact measurement. A number of 150 means under "normal" conditions, this tread pattern should last 1.5 times longer than other comparable tires. Traction measures direct/straight braking or stoppage and is designated AA through C, with AA being the best rank. For people living in climates with extreme heat, temperature is another important detail. Temperature is ranked A through C with A being the best heat tolerance rating.
- 5). Call at least five tire shops in your area and ask for price quotes. Begin by giving your tire size. Ask the person helping you to price at least three different brands with their various qualities and warranties. Ask for any of the above information that they may leave out, especially if there is a big price difference. Based on the best quality for the money, schedule an appointment to have the tires installed. Scheduling an appointment should cut down on your wait time at the tire shop.
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