The tire index. Index of tires: decoding. Load index of tires: table

Tires for the car are like human shoes: they must match not only the season, but also the technical characteristics of transport. The concept of "uncomfortable shoes" is familiar to everyone. The same happens with incorrectly acquired tires.

One of the important indicators of automotive rubber is the tire index, which determines the maximum load and the permissible speed per wheel.

Criteria for tire selection

Sometimes it seems that choosing car tires is not difficult: come-saw-bought. In practice, things are quite different. To find a really good rubber, you need to follow a number of rules. Do not be tempted by little-known brands. They will cost, of course, several times cheaper, as indicated by the questionable quality. Select only proven brands.

Change tires should be simultaneously on all four wheels. In this case, the tires should be from the same manufacturer and have the same technical characteristics.

"Seasonality" of tires

Winter, summer or "all-weather" - each of these types of tires is characterized by its advantages and disadvantages. It is best to buy two sets of rubber - one for winter, and another for summer. Winter tires are softer, so it tolerates strong frosts and perfectly behaves in the snow. Summer tires have a hard rubber composition, designed specifically for hot asphalt. The all-season tire type is suitable for both winter and summer, but in quality it differs from seasonal tires. They wear out more quickly and lose their characteristics.

Tire size

This is the main criterion when choosing tires. For each brand of car, the manufacturer recommends several tire sizes. It all depends on the radius of the car's wheels, engine power, and also the season of use. You can find out the appropriate size for your transport from its technical characteristics.

Bus index

Such a criterion is necessary to calculate the maximum load and speed per bus. Correctly selected index will prolong the life of tires and increase comfort at the wheel.

In addition to the main criteria, you should also pay attention to:

• Tread pattern.
• Presence or absence of thorns.
• Location of the cord.

Not the last place when choosing tires, is the financial side of the issue. It is better not to save on tires. Often accidents on the roads happen precisely because of the low controllability of the tires.

Load index of tires (table)

This indicator determines the most allowable load on the tire of the car at maximum speed. Indicates the index of the tire number from 50 to 100. Depending on the brand of the manufacturer, the load index can be expressed in kilograms and pounds.

The tire load index affects the life of the tire, as well as the nature of the vehicle's movement. So, rubber with a low load index softens the ride on the road and behaves almost noiselessly. The lack of such tires - they quickly wear out. Tires with a high load index are less amenable to wear, but they are very noisy on the road.

The load index is an indispensable indicator for drivers involved in cargo transportation. Thanks to him, you can choose the rubber that best matches the load of the car.

Index of speed

The speed indicator is closely related to the load index. The tire speed index is indicated on the side and indicates which maximum speed is allowed at a certain load per wheel.

You need to choose tires with such a high-speed index, which is recommended by the car manufacturer. Otherwise, the controllability of the car may decrease, and at the same time the safety of passengers will worsen.

The high-speed tire index is indicated by the letter:

I-100 km / h, K-110, L-120, M-130, N-140, P-150, Q-160, R-170, S-180, T-190, Y-200, H-210 , V - 240, W - 270, VR> 210, ZR> 240, Z> 300.

Basic marking of tires

Any self-respecting driver should be able to "read" the marking of tires. After all, all the necessary information about the tire can be found not only from the seller-consultant, but also directly from the bus itself. To do this, remember what letters and numbers are marked tires and what they mean.

The marking is always applied to the sidewall of the tire. On each tire you can see approximately this code - 225/45 R 16 90V. He deciphers quite simply.

225/45 - width and height of the tire. The width is in millimeters, and the height is the percentage of the width (225 * 45%). To find out what width and height a tire is needed, it is enough to look at the technical characteristics of the car.

The letter R means that the tire model is radial. Rubber for cars can be with diagonal and radial arrangement of cord threads. Most cars have radial tires - they are more comfortable to operate, and also have less weight.

16 is the diameter of the tire in inches.

90 is the tire index (load), and the letter V is the maximum permissible speed (240 km / h). Table of tire indices is the thing every driver should know. So you can protect yourself from the inappropriate advice of inexperienced sellers.

Additional designations on tires

In addition to the basic notes, tires can also see other information that carry additional information. These include - the manufacturer's brand, the direction of the tread pattern, the date of manufacture of the tire, etc.

On the US-made rubber, there are often letters "P" or "LT", where the first means that the tire is designed for a car, and the second combination is a light truck tire.

Additional information also includes such inscriptions:

M + S - off-season or winter tires. The fact that tires are intended for winter, says the inscription "Winter" or a symbol in the form of a snowflake. If there are no such inscriptions, summer tires.

The phrase "All Season" means that tires can be used in any season.

On some models of tires there can be signs Left / Right (left / right) or Outside / Inside (external / internal side). Such tires should be installed, adhering to these recommendations.

The word Tubeless says that rubber is tubeless. Tubeless tires, even with the strongest puncture, will allow the driver to reach the nearest service station without problems. However, the disadvantage of such models is that when the rubber is damaged, the disks can be severely degraded.

Inscriptions Rain, Weather or a picture with an umbrella indicates that the tires are designed specifically for rainy weather. The special composition of such rubber provides high adhesion to the wet road and minimizes the sliding effect.

Tires that meet all standards and are not counterfeit, be sure to have sidewall information about the manufacturer, as well as the number of compliance with the ECE.

A few words at a time

The choice of tires for your car is a common thing. However, it's worth taking responsibility with him. After all, the quality of rubber depends not only on the comfortable management of transport, but also on the safety of passengers.

To buy a new set of rubber was quickly and successfully, remember the basic notation on the tires. Height and width of the profile, tire diameter, size, tire index - the decoding of all these indicators should always be at the driver's fingertips.