Tyres: specifications, types

The time of the year the tyres are designed for.

Tyres designed for the warm season are called summer, for cold — respectively, winter (among the latter, studded and non-studded models are separated, see below for details). The need for separation by season is due to the fact that when the temperature drops, the rubber solidifies; therefore, cold weather requires softer tyres than warm weather. And the time when you need to change tyres is best determined by the average daily temperature: if it is above +5 °C, it is better to use summer tyres, if lower — winter ones. There are also more detailed recommendations regarding the time of changing tyres, they can be found in special sources.

Also note that there are tyres positioned as all-weather. Such models should be treated with some caution: they can be produced in countries where winters are very mild, without snow and severe frosts, and be designed specifically for such “all-season”; for a full-mean winter, such tyres may not be suitable. So the specific attributes of all-season tyres should be specified separately (including reviews). If there are no detailed info, such tyres are best considered as summer tyres with slightly increased resistance to cold, and if used in winter, then in simple conditions (for example, driving along well-cleaned city streets).

The type of tyre is the type of vehicle for which it is designed.

This parameter is determined mainly by the height of the profile in centimeters, and in some cases by the size and load index. In general, there are three main types of tyres - for cars and SUVs, for SUVs and vans. Here is a more detailed description of each option.

— Passenger car. Tires with a relatively low profile height for a wide range of passenger cars, aimed primarily at smooth roads and more or less favorable operating conditions. Among such products of the tire automobile industry you can find both rubber exclusively for passenger vehicles and tires for SUVs (SUVs, crossovers, city SUVs). SUV tires differ from their traditional passenger counterparts by increased radius and profile height, reinforced internal structure, as well as increased load indices.

— Off-road. SUVs are designed for more difficult conditions than regular cars; they often have to deal with difficult terrain or some high unevenness. Therefore, tires of this type have a significant profile height - more than 14 cm. It is worth considering that such tires can have different specializations - both all-terrain and off-road; For more details, see “Purpose”.

— Minibuses. Tyres designed for relatively heavy vehicles – minibuses and mini trucks. Such vehicles still does not reach the full-fledged f...reight transport, however, they have more weight than passenger cars. Accordingly, tyres for such vehicles has a high load index.

This parameter is indicated for models that are designed for a specific format of operation and differ markedly from conventional tyres for "everyday" use. In our time, there are such destinations: sports track tyres(namely, semi-slicks and slicks for track days and training on race tracks); off-road tyres - all- terrain (All-Terrain) and off-road (Mud-Terrain). Here is a detailed description of each of these options:

— Sports track. A special kind of "high-speed" tyres with a reduced tread depth. More precisely, this feature is characteristic of semi-slicks; in slicks, there is no pattern at all, the surface of such a tyre is completely smooth. This provides excellent speed performance. On the other hand, slicks and semi-slicks are intended mainly for specialized racing tracks with high quality even surfaces; the use of such tyres on ordinary roads is at least not recommended, and for some models it is completely prohibited.

- All-terrain (All-Terrain). Universal all-terrain tyres, designed mainly for dirt roads and off-road, but quite effective on even asphalt. They are inferior to off-road ones (see below) in terms of efficiency on rough terrain, but they behave better on hard surfaces. So it is precisely such rubber that will be the best choice for tech who, in addition to difficult terrain, often have to travel on ordinary roads. Externally, tyres o...f this purpose are characterized primarily by a rather deep tread and high profile.

- Off-road (Mud-Terrain). Tyres designed for maximum cross-country ability and efficiency on rough terrain, including complete off-road. According to these indicators, such tyres are noticeably superior to all-terrain tyres (see above); outwardly, it is distinguished by a very deep tread and a high profile height (in most models - 60% and above). But for regular driving on asphalt, tyres of this purpose are poorly suited. Therefore, paying attention to off-road tyres makes sense, first of all, to tech who have to drive on dirt roads and off-road most of the time.

Tire section width is the distance between the sidewalls of an inflated but not loaded tire. As a rule, this parameter is indicated in millimeters, but there are also inch designations for the profile width.

Width is one of the characteristics that determines the compatibility of a tire with a specific wheel (the second characteristic is the mounting size). It is worth noting that the width of the tire does not have to strictly correspond to the width of the rim; certain deviations are allowed. There are special tables that allow you to determine the permissible width values for a particular wheel; in addition, such recommendations may be indicated in the documentation for a specific car.

The following tire width options are available on the modern market: 135 mm, 145 mm, 155 mm, 165 mm, 175 mm, 185 mm, 195 mm, 205 mm, 215 mm(in inches this is 8.5”), 225 mm, 235 mm, 240 mm(in inches this is 9.5”), 245 mm, 255 mm, 265 mm(in inches this is 10.5”), 275 mm, 285 mm, 290 mm(in inches this is 11.5”), 295 mm, 305 mm, 315 mm, 320 mm(in inches this is 12.5”), 325 mm, 335 mm, 345 mm(in inches this is 13.5”) and over 345 mm( over 13.5”).

Tyre aspect ratio. This parameter is usually expressed as a percentage of the width, since it is not the height itself that is of practical importance, but its ratio with the nominal section width.

In general, the lower the ratio, the more stable the tyre, the better it is suitable for high-speed driving on flat roads. Higher ratio, in turn, work better on rough surfaces and over obstacles, making them good for bad roads and off-road. If we talk about specific numbers, nowadays, the following options are spread on the market:

— Low profile tyres: 25%, 30%, 35%, 40% ;
— Medium profile : 45%, 50%, 55%, 60% ;
— High profile : 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 82%, 85%, and 90% or more.

Tyre inner diameter in inches. The key parameter that determines the possibility of installing a tyre on a car: the tyre diameter must match the diameter of the rim. It is worth noting that some vehicles have +/- 1 inch diameter tolerance; this point should be clarified separately in each case.

In modern passenger vehicle tyres, the following rim diameters are most widely used: 12", 13", 14", 15", 16", 17", 18", 19", 20", 21", 22", 23", 24".

The maximum weight load that the tyre is able to carry. It is denoted by a conditional figure, each of which corresponds to a certain value:

66 - 300 kg, 67 - 307 kg, 68 - 315 kg, 69 - 325 kg, 70 - 335 kg, 71 - 345 kg, 72 - 355 kg, 73 - 365 kg, 74 - 375 kg, 75 - 387 kg, 76 - 400 kg, 77 - 412 kg, 78 - 425 kg, 79 - 437 kg, 80 - 450 kg, 81 - 462 kg, 82 - 475 kg, 83 - 487 kg, 84 - 500 kg, 85 - 515 kg, 86 - 530 kg, 87 - 545 kg, 88 - 560 kg, 89 - 580 kg, 90 - 600 kg, 91 - 615 kg, 92 - 630 kg, 93 - 650 kg, 94 - 670 kg, 95 - 690 kg, 96 - 710 kg, 97 - 730 kg, 98 - 750 kg, 99 - 775 kg, 100 - 800 kg, 101 - 825 kg, 102 - 850 kg, 103 - 875 kg, 104 - 900 kg, 105 - 925 kg, 106 - 950 kg, 107 - 975 kg, 108 - 1000 kg, 109 - 1030 kg, 110 - 1060 kg, 111 - 1090 kg, 112 - 1120 kg, 113 - 1150 kg, 114 - 1180 kg, 115 - 1215 kg, 116 - 1250 kg, 117 - 1285 kg, 118 - 1320 kg, 119 - 1360 kg, 120 - 1400 kg, 121 - 1450 kg, 122 - 1500 kg, 123 - 1550 kg, 124 - 1600 kg, 125 - 1650 kg, 126 - 1700 kg, 127 - 1750 kg, 128 - 1800 kg, 129 - 1850 kg, 130 - 1900 kg, 131 - 1950 kg, 133 - 2060 kg.

While choosing according to this indicator, it is worth considering not only the maximum weight of the car for which tyres are going to buy, but also the distribution of weight along the axles. With passenger cars, everything is simple — the weight is distributed approximately equally, so to determine the load on each wheel, it is enough to divide the maximum mass of the car by 4 (the number of wheels). H...owever, in minibuses, light trucks and SUVs, the situation is different: the weight distribution can be unequal, so you should refer to the manufacturer's documents or other special sources to calculate the load on each wheel.

Anyway, the load index must not be exceeded — this creates the danger of an accident. In fact, the wheel load should be at least 10 – 15% below the maximum, this will give an additional guarantee in case of abnormal loads. Also note that in some high-speed tyres, with the speed maximum approaching, the permissible load decreases: for example, for tyres with the V index (see "Speed rating") with speed over 210 km/h, it is recommended to reduce the load by 3% for every next 10 km/h increase in speed, similar recommendations apply to models with indexes W and Y. These details are usually described in the manufacturer's documentation and other special sources.

The speed rating that the tyre corresponds to.

This indicator determines the maximum speed that tyre is allowed to operate. It is designated by the letters of the Latin alphabet, each of which corresponds to a certain speed limit:

F — 80 km/h; G — 90 km/h; J — 100 km/h; K — 110 km/h; L — 120 km/h; M — 130 km/h; N — 140 km/h; P — 150 km/h ; Q — 160 km/h ; R — 170 km/h ; S — 180 km/h ; T — 190 km/h ; U — 200 km/h ; H — 210 km/h ; V — 240 km/h ; W — 270 km/h ; Y — 300 km/h ;

The maximum permitted speed must not be exceeded — this creates the risk of an accident. However, there are other rules associated with choosing a tyre by this factor. So, ideally, the actual driving speed should be at least 10 – 15% lower than the speed rating of the installed tyres — this will give an additional guarantee in case of emergency situations. In addition, in some tyre models, as the speed approaches the maximum, the upper limit of allowable load is reduced; see “Load Index” for details.

The shape of the tyre tread pattern:

— Directional. Pattern with a characteristic V-shape. Among other things, such rubber is considered to be especially effective on wet surfaces — in rain, on snow, with an abundance of melt water, etc.: the pattern provides effective water drainage, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and increasing grip. Also, these tyres are well suited for high-speed sports cars (although, of course, their speed rating and specialization may be different). When installing directional tyres, the direction indicated by the manufacturer must be kept.

— Symmetric. The pattern without signs of directionality is the same both on the outer and on the inner part of the tread. These tyres are easier to manufacture than directional or asymmetric tyres, and are generally cheaper, while still having good performance on a flat and dry surface. In addition, symmetric tyres are as simple as possible to install, they do not need to follow the direction. However, for hard conditions, particularly wet weather, they are poorly suited. So, typically, such tyres are designed mainly for city cars used on short trips on relatively high-quality roads.

— Asymmetric. Tyres with a different pattern inside and outside the tread. Each of these parts plays a role: the inner part provides water evacuation and reduces the risk of aquaplaning, while the ou...ter part provides the necessary rigidity for manoeuvrability and stability. While installing, you need to take into account the location of the outer and inner sides, they usually have the appropriate marking. Asymmetric tyres are considered the most advanced, although, of course, the actual characteristics and cost of such products may vary, depending on the brand and the general level. Such tyres are designed mainly for cars of medium and top levels; they are often supplied as factory equipment for advanced cars.

A variety of tyres (usually winter tyres) that are not equipped with studs, but have slots for their installation. The meaning of this decision is that, firstly, such tyres are typically cheaper than similar models with pre-installed factory studding, and secondly, the owner is given certain freedom of choice — to stud or not to stud the tyre. In fact, it should be noticed that tyres created for a stud are initially designed for operation with studs, respectively, without them, they will behave worse than ordinary non-studded ones. In addition, studs made after purchase take hold much worse than factory ones — with more or less intensive use, studs tend to fall out, especially if the tyre does not stud right away, but after some run.

Winter tyres (see “Season”), supplemented with studs — metal pins built into the tread. Studs improve traction on ice and packed snow: “biting” into such a surface, they do not allow the tyre to slide. On the other hand, on hard surfaces and in loose snow, studded tyres are noticeably inferior in efficiency to a non-studded ones.

A technology that allows the tyre to maintain its performance even being flat. If a conventional tyre fails after a maximum of a couple of kilometers with a loss of pressure, then you can drive several tens of kilometers on RunFlat tyre without any problems — this is usually enough to get to the nearest tyre service. Similar properties are achieved due to the reinforced structure, particularly the increased rigidity of the sidewalls. Different manufacturers may use names other than Run Flat for this technology, such as Flat Run or Zero Pressure.

We note separately, that tyres with this feature can only be used on vehicles equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system. Without such a system, it is likely that the driver will not notice tyre damage immediately — and this is fraught with several unpleasant consequences at once. Firstly, you can miss the time needed to correct the situation — as a result, the resource of a flat tyre may not be enough to normally get to the workshop or service station. Secondly, driving on a run flat tyre requires slowness and special care, driving in a normal style on such a tyre can lead to loss of control.

A technology that allows the tyre to fix automatically small punctures and keep moving almost without loss of air and wheel performance.

Tyres with this feature may have different markings of different manufacturers: Seal Inside (Pirelli), Selfseal (Michelin), Conti Seal (Continental), etc. However, the principle of operation of the puncture sealing technology is the same in all cases: on the inner side of the tyre, on the contrary tread, a layer of a special sealing substance is applied. When punctured, such a substance almost instantly penetrates into the resulting hole and seals it. In most models, Seal technology allows you to neutralize punctures up to 5-6 mm in size, including multiple ones; moreover, effective sealing is achieved even in cases where the object that caused the damage did not remain in the tyre. However, the specific properties of this feature should be clarified separately.

The rolling resistance rating that the tyre corresponds to. The higher this figure, the lower the resistance, the less fuel is spent to overcome it and the more economical the tyre is. Efficiency indices are denoted by letters of the Latin alphabet in descending order of efficiency: A(highest efficiency), B, C, D, E, F, G(lowest efficiency).

With other things being equal, more economical tyres tend to cost more, but the difference is offset by fuel economy.

An index that determines the overall performance of a tyre on wet pavement. Lettered from A(highest) to G(lowest); intermediate options, respectively — B, C, D, E and F.

The higher this indicator, the stronger the tyre grips to the wet road, the more efficient and safer it will be in difficult weather conditions. At the same time, it is worth noting that a low grip index does not mean unsuitability for driving in rain or snow — you just need to be more careful using such tyres. Conversely, a high index does not relieve the driver of the need to be careful in difficult weather conditions.

The average noise level created by a tyre while driving. The lower this indicator, the more comfortable this model will be, the less additional noise it will create.

Note that EU rules provide 3 categories of tyres in terms of noise. “Quiet” are considered models with an index of up to 68 dB, “medium” — 68 – 71 dB, “loud” — 72 dB and above.

Tyre wear resistance rate according to the Treadwear standard issued by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This rate indicates how far the tyre is able to travel until the tread reaches a critical level of wear. Treadwear is indicated in conditional points; formally, every 100 points correspond to 48,000 km (30,000 miles). However, it should be noted that testing according to this standard is carried out under perfect conditions — on flat roads, without numerous sharp accelerations and brakings, at a stable temperature, etc. Therefore, real wear resistance, usually, is lower by at least 20 – 30 %; and for a full guarantee, the claimed indicator is generally recommended to be divided by two. For example, formally the value of Treadwear 240 corresponds to a mileage of 48 × 2.4=115.2K km — however, in fact it is hardly worth counting on more than 90K km, and it is best to keep on the value of 55 – 58K km.

Generally, Treadwear ratings up to 250 are considered fairly low, 251 – 300 are considered average, 301 – 350 are above average, and over 350 is typical for the most durable tyre models. Note that this characteristic is given mainly for summer, less often — all-weather tyres; winter tyres should be quite soft, which makes it difficult to achieve more or less worthy wear resistance rating.

The position that tyre model took in the rating based on test results. The sources of such information are major automotive magazines, car clubs, expert organizations, etc. (see "Rating Source”). Of course, tyres with similar properties are usually compared with each other — for example, winter studded tyres, summer tyres for compact cars (golf class), off-road tyres of a certain size, etc. In our catalogue, you can choose tyres of Top 3, Top 5 or Top 7 different ratings.

Rating info can be very useful given that there are a wide variety of tyres on the market with similar performance. This can mislead even a specialist, not to mention ordinary motorists. And the place in the test allows you to determine the quality of tyres with a certain degree of accuracy without delving into unnecessary subtleties — and the quality is not only “on paper”, according to official info, but also in fact. However, it should be noted that the rating is given for a specific year (usually the year of manufacture of the tyre or the next one after it), and over time, the place of a certain model in the test may change — usually, it shifts down as new, more advanced tyres appear.

The source where the data of the tyre test results are taken (see "Rating (top list position)"). As such sources, mainly well-known and authoritative publications and organizations are used, however, each user can decide for himself how much he trusts this or that source.

Vehicle manufacturer's recommendations for ideal tyres for a specific vehicle model. Homologated tyres take into account the technical and design features of machine, up to factory suspension settings, thanks to which it is possible to unleash the full potential of the “iron horse”. It is recommended that tyres approved by the manufacturer be installed only on the wheels of suitable vehicles, and in some cases, without the use of homologated tyres, machine risks losing the warranty. Tyre sharpening for a specific brand and model of car is indicated by specialized homologation markings.

On the shelves of tyre stores, homologated tyres are most often presented for the following car brands: Audi(including Audi RS, Alfa Romeo, BMW / Mini, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz(including Mercedes AMG), Maserati, Porsche, Tesla, Volvo, Volkswagen.