Photo Credit: tirechoice.com
Have you ever noticed all the letters and numbers on the sidewall of your vehicle’s tires New Jersey? Well if you have, they may look a bit overwhelming and seem to make no sense at all. However, all those numbers are filled with important information about your tires. The following is a breakdown on how to decipher all those letters and numbers using the example P215/65H 15 95H.
P: Service Description
The service description may or may not appear on your vehicle’s tire, but it is helpful to know what it means. The letter “P” indicates passenger car and refers to the U.S. method of tiring sizing. Others letters consist of “LT” for light truck, “ST” for special trailer and “T” for temporary such as a spare tire.
215: Tire Width
This number refers to the distance of the tire from one sidewall edge to the other. This is measured in millimeters and the generally, the larger the number the wider the tire.
65: Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio is the height compared to the width. With a 65, the sidewall height is 65 percent of the section width. This number primarily indicates the purpose of the tire. If the number is lower as in a shorter sidewall, the tire will have overall better handling and steering response.
R: Internal Construction
The letter “R” indicates the type of construction of the tire, in this case radial. This has been the industry standard in passenger-car tires for the last 20 years. Radial construction gives better handling to the tires.
15: Rim Diameter
This number stands for the tires diameter measured in inches. Should you decide to change your tires, you will need to make sure that the diameters match.
95: Load Index
The load index of a tire indicates the amount of weight that each tire is able support. The higher the number of your tire’s load index, the greater the load capacity.
H: Speed Rating
This letter indicates the speed at which your tires can operate at, for an extended period of time. The letter “H” means that your tire can run at up to 130 miles per hour for long periods of time. Since not all tires will have a speed rating of “H,” be sure to check yours and the corresponding rate of speed.
For more information on reading your tire’s sidewall visit Edmunds.com and you will be able to decipher all those letters and numbers. And the next time you visit your local new and used New Jersey auto dealer, Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall, you will know exactly what they mean!
