Note : Tyre vs. Tire. For British motorists, the rubber wheel-covering is called a tyre – for the Americans, it’s a tire.
Road Safety And Aspects Of Tire Safety
Studies of tire safety show that maintaining proper tire pressure, observing tire and vehicle load limits, and inspecting tires for cuts, slashes, and other irregularities are the most important things you can do to avoid tire failures, such as tread separation or blowout and flat tires.
These actions, along with other care and maintenance activities, can also:
- Improve vehicle handling
- Help protect you and others from avoidable breakdowns and accidents
- Improve fuel economy
- Increase the life of your tires.
Quick Links:
- ALL ABOUT TIRES, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF NUMBERS ON THE TYRE? WHAT IS INSIDE THE TYRE?
- WHEN TO PUT YOUR VEHICLE IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE?
- WHEELS: PARTS, SIZES, BOLT PATTERNS, WHEEL OFFSET, ONE-PIECE VS TWO-PIECE WHEEL AND HOW THEY MADE
- THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO RUN FLAT TIRES
- NOISY TIRES?
- KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAR TIRE ROTATION VS ALIGNMENT
- GEAR RATIO AND TIRE SIZE CHART
- HOW TO RESET TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Information You Should Know About The Tyres On Your Vehicle
- Temperature Resistance
- Traction
- Treadwear
- Max. Load Capacity /tire
- Speed Symbol
- Manufacturing Date
Where you can find this information?
Temperature Resistance
These letters indicate a tire’s heat resistance.
From highest to lowest, a tire’s resistance to heat is graded as “A”, “B”, or “C”.
| Symbol | Area |
| A | Hot Area |
| B | Normal Weather Area |
| C | Cold Area |
Treadwear Number
This number indicates the tire’s wear rate.
The higher the treadwear number is, the longer it should take for the tread to wear down.
For example, a tire graded 400 should last twice as long as a tire graded 200.
Traction
This letter indicates a tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement.
A higher graded tire should allow you to stop your car on wet roads at a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade.
Traction is graded from highest to lowest as “AA”, “A”, “B”, and “C”.
Max. Load Capacity & Tyre Speed Symbol
The number indicates the max. load that can be carried by the tire.
The symbol indicates the max.
The speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for extended periods.
Related Content:
Manufacturing Date
Tire Expiry
Vehicle tires are often given a 4-year validity period from their Date of Manufacture (DOM). [ not a legal stipulation] Thereafter, the tire expires and may burst whilst in use.
How to find out whether your tire has expired?
Check for a stamp like this: (*2603*) There is an asterisk at the beginning and the end of this serial number.
The first two numbers 2 6 will tell which week of the year has it been manufactured.
NB: One year has 52 weeks. The last two numbers represent the year of make.
Therefore, *2603* shows that the said tire is manufactured in the 26th week of the year 2003. *2699* this shows that the tire is made in the 26th week of 1999.
Check all your tires for safety purposes. Do not use expired tires.
They are likely to burst (especially when running in hot weather) because the rubber component may have hardened and cracked.
4002 means DOM is Week 40 of year 2002.
Steps for Maintaining Proper Tyre Condition
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