195/65 R15 91T
195 is the tire width in mm.
65 - Proportionality, i.e. ratio of profile height to width. In our case it is 65%. Simply put, with the same width, the larger this indicator, the higher the tire will be and vice versa. Usually this value is simply called “profile”.
R- means a tire with a radial cord (in fact, now almost all tires are made this way).
15 - wheel (disc) diameter in inches.
T- speed index. The larger it is, the higher the speed you can drive on a given tire (in our case IS - T - up to 190 km/h). ().
91 - load index. This is the level of the maximum permissible load on the wheel. For passenger cars, it is usually done with a reserve and is not a decisive value when choosing tires (in our case, ID - 91 - 615 kg.). ().
Tire seasonality
You can also find out what season this tire is intended for on the sidewall of the tire):
M+S- Mud + Snow: mud plus snow
As- All Season: all-season
Aw- Any Weather: Any weather
Rain, Water, Aqua, Aquatred or Aquacontact(or umbrella pictogram) - means that these tires are specially designed for rainy weather and have a high degree of protection against aquaplaning.
Pictogram * (snowflake) - the tire is intended for use in harsh winter conditions.
If there are no these markings on the sidewall of the tire, then this tire is intended for use only in summer conditions.
Tire stud designations
AD- the tire is studded with an aluminum stud.
SD- the tire is studded with a carbide core.
DD- the tire is studded with a stud with a rectangular core with a diamond edge.
O.D.- the tire is studded with an oval core.
M.D.- the tire is studded with a plastic stud with a carbide core.
Additional tire designations
Rotation- a directional tire, the direction of rotation of which is indicated by an additional arrow on the sidewall of the tire.
Outside And Inside(or Side Facing Out And Side Facing Inwards) - asymmetric tires, when installing which you must strictly follow the rule of installing the tire on the disk. The inscription Outside (outside) should be on the outside of the car, and Inside (inside) - on the inside.
Left or Right- means that the tires of this model are left and right. When installing them, you must strictly follow the rule for installing tires on a car: left ones only on the left, and right ones, accordingly, only on the right.
Tubeless- tubeless tire. If this inscription is not present, then the tire can only be used with a tube.
Tube Type- the tire must be used with a tube.
MAX PRESSURE- maximum permissible tire pressure, in kPa.
Vmax- permissible speed is more than 360.
SSR- emergency tire protection system in case of loss of pressure.
M3- tires developed for BMW.
N1, N2, N3- tires developed for Porche.
M.O.- tires developed for Mercedes-Benz.
M.L.- tires with rim protection, for Mercedes-Benz or Audi.
MFS(Maximum Flange Shield) - maximum protection of the disc edge.
C, LT, Reinf, RF- reinforced tire.
FR (Flange Rotector)- tire with rim protection.
LT (Light Truck)- tires for light trucks, minibuses, small commercial vehicles, heavy off-road vehicles.
XL (eXtra Load)- tire with increased load.
E17- compliance with European standards.
DOT- compliance with US standards.
PLIES: TREAD- composition of the tire tread layer.
SIDEWALL- composition of the tire sidewall layer.
MAX PRESSURE- maximum internal pressure in the tire, kPa.
D.A.(stamp) - minor manufacturing defects that do not interfere with the normal operation of the tire.
TWI D- tire wear indicator indicator.
MADE IN...- country of manufacture of the tire.
American size designation
There are two types of American tire markings:
The first one is very similar to the European one, only letters are placed in front of the standard size "P" (Passanger- for a passenger car) or "LT"(Light Truck - light truck). For example: P 195/60 R 14 or LT 235/75 R 15.
And another marking, which is fundamentally different from the European one.
For example: 31x10.5 R15
31 - outer diameter of the tire in inches.
10.5 - tire width in inches.
R- tire of radial design.
15 - inner diameter of the tire in inches.
Knowing these basic data, you can easily choose tires for your car.
| BLK | Black tire sidewall. | LT | LIGHT TRUCK - tire for a light truck. |
| REINFORCED(=RF) | Reinforced - for tires with increased load capacity. | LRO | LOW PLATFORM TRAILER - low platform trailer. |
| RRBL | RECESSED RAISED BLACK LETTERS - recessed raised black letters. | VSB | VERTICAL SERRATED BAND - vertical jagged strip. |
| ORBL | OUTLINED RAISED BLACK LETTERS - highlighted raised black letters. | ZR | Tires designed for speeds exceeding 240 |
| B.S.W. | BLACK SIDE WALL - black letters on the sidewall of the tire (indicating the tire brand). | OWL | OUTLINE WHITE LETTERS - outline white letters on the sidewall of the tire. |
Marking of reinforced tires:
| SSR | RUNFLAT (Self-Supporting Runflat Tyre) - developed by Continental. The tire has a special rubber reinforcement in the side wall, which takes on the weight of the car in the event of a loss of pressure in the tire. | MFS | MAXIMUM FLANGE SHIELD - The Maximum Bead Rim Protection system protects tires from damage from curbs and sidewalks - a rubber profile located on the bottom of the wall above the rim flange forms a buffer zone. |
| RF | RUNFLAT technology that allows your car to continue driving after a puncture or flat tire. | RUNONFLAT | RunOnFlat tires, formerly known by the abbreviation EMT, allow you to continue driving even with partial or complete loss of pressure. |
Tires for cars of some brands are marked with special symbols:
Other designations.
In addition to the above, there may be other symbols on the sidewall of the tire that carry a lot of useful information:
| TUBE TYPE | Tube design (mandatory use of a tire together with a tube). | TUBELESS | Tubeless tire design. |
| M.L. | Tire with rim protection for Mercedes or Audi. | WITH | Reinforced tire. |
| FR | Flange Rotector - a tire with rim protection. | EMT | RUN FLAT from Goodyear. |
| ALL STEEL | Tire with metal cord breaker and carcass. | REGROOVABLE | Cutting of the tread pattern is allowed. |
| TREADWEAR 380 | The wear resistance coefficient is determined in relation to the “base tire”, for which it is equal to 100. | TRACTION A TEMPERATURE A TREADWEAR 200 | categories of traction properties, heat resistance and wear resistance according to the classification standards of the US Department of Transportation. |
| TOUS TERRAIN | All-season tire. | R+W | Road + Winter - road + winter (universal) tire. |
| RETREAD | Retreaded tire. | RADIAL | Tire with radial design. |
| TRACTION A | Coefficient of adhesion. Has values A, B, C. Tires with coefficient A have the highest grip in their class. | E17 | The tire complies with European standards (has a European homologation certificate, the number indicates the country). |
| INSIDE or SIDE FACING INWARDS | The inner side of the tire installation has an asymmetric tread pattern (this inscription faces inward). | OUTSIDE or SIDE FACING OUT | The outer side of the tire installation has an asymmetrical tread pattern (this inscription faces out). |
| PLIES: TREAD | Composition of the tire tread layer. | SIDEWALL | Composition of the tire sidewall layer. |
| MAX LOAD | MAX PRESSURE | Maximum tire internal pressure, KPa and PSI. | |
| RIGHT | A tire with an asymmetric tread pattern, which is installed on the right side of the car. | LEFT | A tire with an asymmetric tread pattern, which is installed on the left side of the car. |
| ROTATION | The direction of rotation of a tire with a directional tread pattern (in this case, an arrow is marked on the sidewall of the tire showing the direction of rotation of the tire). | DA (stamp) | Minor manufacturing defects that do not interfere with normal operation. There may also be an additional speed limit stamp, for example, no higher than 140 km/h. |
| TEMPERATURE A | Temperature conditions. An indicator characterizing the ability of a tire to withstand temperature influences. It is divided into three categories - A, B and C. | M+S (mud and snow), Winter (winter), Rain (rain), Water or Aqua (water), All Season | Tires designed for use in specific weather conditions. |
| TWI D | Projector wear indicator indicator. The indicator itself is a protrusion at the bottom of the tread groove. When the tread wears down to the level of this ridge, it is time to change the tire. | DOT | Tire certification in accordance with the requirements of the US Department of Transportation. Includes several codes and contains information about the manufacturer, design and size of the tire. |
| MADE IN ***** | Country of manufacture of the tire. | Stud * | Spikes. |
* - abbreviation OD, DD, MD, AD, thorn. - means that the tires are studded with an oval stud (OD), a diamond stud (DD), a plastic stud (MD), or a cylindrical aluminum stud with a carbide core (AD, stud.)
The Rubber Association of Canada and the Rubber Manufacturers Association of the United States have adopted a special test method of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). This test evaluates tires in real snowy conditions. After much debate and discussion, all tire manufacturers agreed to accept this standard proposed by ASTM, along with a special snowflake symbol on a mountain background. The new standard was announced in February 1999.
These markings are not applied to the sidewall of the tire! This information is used by manufacturers in the naming of tires.
| BCS | BLACK CIRCUMFERENCIAL SERRATION | Black peripheral teeth. | B.L. | BLACK LETTERS | Black signs. |
| BSL | BLACK SERRATED LETTERS | Black jagged marks. | BSB | BROKEN SERRATED BAND | Intermittent serrated stripe. |
| ENWL | EXTRA NARROW WHITE LETTERS | Very narrow white signs. | ROBL | RAISED OUTLINED BLACK LETTERS | Embossed outlined black marks. |
| OWL | OUTLINED WHITE LETTERS | Circled white signs. | OBL | OUTLINED BLACK LETTERS | Circled black marks. |
| OGL | OUTLINED GOLD LETTERS | Circled gold signs. | ORBL | OUTLINED RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Outlined raised black marks. |
| ORWL | OUTLINED RAISED WHITE LETTERS | Outlined raised white marks. | OWL | OUTLINED WHITE LETTERS | Circled white signs. |
| RBL | RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Embossed black marks. | RWL | RAISED WHITE LETTERS | Raised white marks. |
| RRBL | RECESSED RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Recessed raised black marks. | SBL | SERRATED BLACK LETTERS | Jagged black marks. |
| SRBL | SERRATED RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Jagged raised black marks. | SOWL | SLANTED OUTLINED WHITE LETTERS | Slanted outlined white marks. |
| SVSB | SLANTED VERTICAL SERRATED BAND | Vertically inclined serrated strip. | VSB | VERTICAL SERRATED BAND | Vertical serrated stripe. |
| W.L. | WHITE LETTERS | White signs. | W.S. | WHITE STRIPE | White stripe. |
Question, which is better to buy non-studded tires or studded, faces many car owners. For the most part, the majority of drivers, according to statistics, are inclined to buy studded tires, despite the fact that their prices are practically the same. However, the rating of winter studded and non-studded tires published on our website shows that quite a lot of people prefer non-studded tires, which have good performance on relatively clean dry or wet asphalt.
Studded tires are more stable in various conditions and if you do not have much experience, then it is better to give them preference. With them it is more difficult to get stuck in uncleared yards and to “climb” an icy slope.
If you have experience using studless tires, and the car will be used in urban conditions, when the roads are watered with de-icing agents, then you can buy winter tires without studs. In this case, you need to use a more careful driving style on icy roads, especially at negative temperatures close to zero degrees.
When choosing winter tires, it can be useful to read the opinions of other users on the page
Today, car tire manufacturers offer a huge range of their products designed for different weather conditions and different operating conditions. And if you take any car for example and look at what is written on the sidewall of the tire of this car, you will notice a large number of different inscriptions and symbols that carry a lot of important and useful information. Let's try to look at an example:
For example: Michelin Energy Saver 215/60 R16 97T, Where
Michelin - brandtires
Energy Saver - modeltires
215 - tire width, mm; (tire width is measured in millimeters)
60 - tire profile height, (tire height is measured as a percentage). This is the percentage ratio of the tire height to its width.In this case, 60% of the width of 215 mm is 129 mm (i.e., the height of the tire is 129 millimeters).Some tire sizes do not have this indicator, for example, 215 R16 C 105Q. These tires are called full profile tires.and the ratio of the tire height to its width in this case is 80% or 82%. Typically designed for light duty truckstransport.
R - indicates that the tire designradial.
16 - indicates the diameter of the rim on which a tire of this size can be mounted
97 - index of permissible load on the tire in kg. Below is a table of load indices.
T - speed index. This indicator shows the maximum permissible speed at which the tire maintains its performance characteristics. Below is a table of speed indexes.
XL - (Extra load). This marking indicates that the tire has an increased safety margin.
Load index table
| Load index | Load index | Load index | |||
| 70 | 335 | 90 | 600 | 110 | 1060 |
| 71 | 345 | 91 | 615 | 111 | 1090 |
| 72 | 355 | 92 | 630 | 112 | 1120 |
| 73 | 365 | 93 | 650 | 113 | 1150 |
| 74 | 375 | 94 | 670 | 114 | 1180 |
| 75 | 387 | 95 | 690 | 115 | 1215 |
| 76 | 400 | 96 | 710 | 116 | 1250 |
| 77 | 412 | 97 | 730 | 117 | 1285 |
| 78 | 425 | 98 | 750 | 118 | 1320 |
| 79 | 437 | 99 | 775 | 119 | 1360 |
| 80 | 450 | 100 | 800 | 120 | 1400 |
| 81 | 462 | 101 | 825 | 121 | 1450 |
| 82 | 475 | 102 | 850 | 122 | 1500 |
| 83 | 487 | 103 | 875 | 123 | 1550 |
| 84 | 500 | 104 | 900 | 124 | 1600 |
| 85 | 515 | 105 | 925 | 125 | 1650 |
| 86 | 530 | 106 | 950 | 126 | 1700 |
| 87 | 545 | 107 | 975 | 127 | 1750 |
| 88 | 560 | 108 | 1000 | 128 | 1800 |
| 89 | 580 | 109 | 1030 | 129 | 1850 |
Speed index table
| Index | km/h |
| N | 140 |
| P | 150 |
| Q | 160 |
| R | 170 |
| S | 180 |
| T | 190 |
| U | 200 |
| H | 210 |
| V | 240 |
| W | 270 |
| Y | 300 |
| Z | over 240 |
American tire markings
For example: B.F. Goodrich All Terrain31X10.5R15 , Gde
B.F. Goodrich- Tire brand
31 - outer diameter of the tire in inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm)
10.5 - tire width in inches;
R- indicates that the tire design is radial;
15 - inner diameter of the tire in inches.
Additional information that is printed on the sidewall of the tire.
| Designation | Description | photo |
| M+S | (Mud + Snow translates as “mud plus snow”). Tires with this designation can be used as winter or all-season tires | |
AS (AllSeason) | all-seasontirefor any weather. |
|
A.W. (Any weather) | all-seasontirefor any weather. |  |
| "Snowflake" | involves using the tire in harsh winter conditions. The absence of such a pictogram indicates that the tires can only be used in summer conditions. | |
| "Umbrella" | These tires are designed for rainy weather and are not subject to aquaplaning. | |
| RAIN,WATER,AQUA | These tires are designed for rainy weather and are not subject to aquaplaning. | |
| Rotation | directional bus. The direction of tire rotation is indicated by an arrow on the sidewall. |  |
| Outside and Inside | outer side of the tire. The inscription itselfOutside must be located on the outside of the vehicle.This designation is used on asymmetrical tires. InsideorSideFacingInwards - the inside of the tire. The inscription itselfInsidemust be located on the inside of the vehicle. This designation is used on asymmetrical tires. |  |
| Left orRight | Tires with this designation are left and right. Accordingly, tires with the inscriptionLeft installed on the left side of the car, and with the inscriptionRight to the right. | |
| Tubeless (TL) | tubeless tire. | |
| Tube Type ( TT) | tire with tube | |
| Max Pressure | maximum permissible tire pressure, in kPa. | |
| Max Load | ||
| XL - (Extra Load) | reinforced tire. | |
| " LT" (Light Trucks) | tires for light trucks, small commercial vehicles, minibuses and heavy SUVs. | |
| Reinforcedor Reinf | reinforced tire (consists of 6 layers) | |
| "C" | reinforced tire (consists of 8 layers) | |
| "P" (Passenger) | tires for passenger cars | |
| Steel Radial or Steel belted | radial tire with metal cord | |
| MFS | (Maximum Flange Sheild). The Maximum Bead Rim Protection system protects expensive wheels from damage to curbs and sidewalks - a rubber profile around the circumference of the tire, located on the lower part of the wall above the rim flange, forms a buffer zone. | |
| RunFlat | (running on a flat tire) is a technology that allows your car to continue driving after a puncture or flat tire. Even if the tire pressure is completely lost, this technology allows the car to travel at least another 80 km, at speeds up to 80 km/h. Reinforced tires, as a rule, have several layers of rubber with a heat-resistant cord in the side parts, which, in the event of complete loss of pressure, prevent the sidewalls of the tire from folding or creasing. Each tire manufacturer has its own RUNFLAT technology marking |
Darkness and haste when parallel parking lead to bumps and rubbing against curb stones. And here it depends on your luck: at best, the disc will be scratched, and at worst, it will become deformed or crack. Neither of these will happen if you use tires with rim protection. Professional tire sellers in Minsk inform buyers whether the tire has such protection. If you buy tires without help, tires with rim protection can be identified by characteristic features or by markings on the sidewall.
What does rim protection look like on tires?
To understand whether the tire protects the rim from damage, look at the bead area. If it has a protruding lip or is sealed, tangential impacts will most likely not affect the integrity of the wheel rim. As a rule, manufacturers provide wheel protection in low-profile tires. Today, these include tires with a profile (or series) less than 55. Tires with a profile from 55 by themselves protrude beyond the vertical plane of the disk, which protects it from rough influences - additional elements in the side area are simply not needed.
How are tires with rim protection marked?
Manufacturers do not have a uniform rule on how to label tires with rim protection. In this case, a letter designation is practiced, and it is different for different brands. Examples of what is sold in Minsk:
- for Goodyear tires - FP (Fringe Protector, translated as “edge protection”);
- Dunlop tires have MFS (Maximum Flange Shield);
- Yokohama tires have RPB (Rim Protection Bar).
Bridgestone, Continental and Pirelli also use their own markings, but Michelin tires do not have them.
It is important to mention: disk rim protection can be provided for all standard sizes of a certain model, as well as for selected ones. Moreover, the same model in the same standard size for the original configuration may have protective elements in the side area, but not for the secondary market.
Is it worth buying
Just as taking ascorbic acid does not guarantee the resistance of the immune system to viruses, tires with rim protection do not guarantee that the wheels will not have to be painted or repaired. If the contact turns out to be a blow, the shock-absorbing properties of the rubber are simply not enough. At the same time, it is still worth hunting for such tires in Minsk stores if the car has expensive alloy wheels. Namely, low-profile tires are used on expensive light-alloy wheels.
