Basic designations on tires. Designation of all-season tires. Decoding of the tire designation

When choosing and buying tires for a car it is very important to understand what all these incomprehensible letters and figures on the side surfaces of tires are, at first glance. Without certain knowledge to make the right choice, without resorting to the help of specialists, it is simply impossible. It is in these signs that the main parameters are laid down, according to which, in fact, rubber is selected.

The decoding of the tire designation does not require any ordinary knowledge from the ordinary buyer. In order to choose the right tires, it's enough to know what type of frame they need, and also how and when they will be used.

Where to begin

The manual for the car usually lists some recommendations for the correct selection of tires. Here we take into account the type of wheel disks (steel or light alloy), the season of use (summer, winter), and also the standard factory size. Naturally, not every driver adheres to such recommendations, because of what the car can be installed rubber, which in its parameters does not meet the requirements of the manufacturer.

So it's better to start by studying the standard requirements for a certain brand of machine tires . If you are satisfied with the look and size of rubber, which is installed on the car, you simply need to rewrite all the available designations.

Basic parameters of the tire: designations, marking

All the inscriptions on the tires are applied to the sidewalls on both sides. The main notations on the tires bear information about:

• Manufacturer;
• Standard size;
• Speed index;
• The load index;
• Seasonality of use;
• Date of manufacture.

In addition to these, there may be additional signs on the tires, informing about:

• Tire construction;
• Type of tire;
• The material from which the sidewall is made;
• The maximum permissible pressure;
• Direction of rotation;
• Heat resistance;
• Quality standard, etc.

Manufacturer info

Tire designations bearing the name of the manufacturer are printed on the side panels in large print. Do not notice it just is not possible.

The manufacturer is the first thing to decide. Such popular brands as, for example, "Nokian", "Michelin", "Dunlop", "Yokohama", "Pirelli", "Continental", "Bridgestone", in the presentation do not need. The tires of these companies are known all over the world for their quality and reliability. But there are other manufacturers whose names few people know. Here, in this case, it will take a specialist's advice or searching for objective feedback.

Tire size

This criterion is fundamental in the selection of rubber. It includes four parameters:

• Width;
• Height of the profile;
• Type of construction;
• Landing (internal) diameter.

The tire size designation looks like this: 185 / 65R15, where 185 is the width of the working surface of the tire (in mm), 65 is the percentage of the height of the profile from the width (185: 100 x 65% = 120.25 mm), R is the type of construction (Radial), 15 - inner diameter (in inches).

Some motorists often confuse the labeling "R" with the radius of rubber. In fact, this is not a designation of the size of the tires, but the type of construction, depending on the location of the cords. They can be placed either radially (R) or diagonally (D). Tires with a diagonal cord today are much less common, since radial tires, being more practical, have almost been replaced.

Speed index

This value indicates the maximum permissible speed of the machine, at which rubber is guaranteed to cope with its tasks. Despite the fact that manufacturers almost always overestimate this parameter, it is strongly recommended not to accelerate their car to this speed. It should also be borne in mind that foreign companies that produce tires have no idea about the state of our roads, so in no case should you try to verify these high-speed indices. On the tires the designation of the maximum acceleration is marked by one letter of the Latin alphabet, indicating the permissible speed. We often meet rubber, marked with the following letters:

• "L" - 120 km / h;
• "M" - 130 km / h;
• "N" - 140 km / h;
• "P" - 150 k / h;
• "Q" - 160 km / h;
• "R" - 170 km / h;
• "S" - 180 km / h;
• "T" - 190 km / h;
• "H" - 210 km / h;
• "V" - 240 km / h;
• «W» - 270 km / h;
• "Y" - 300 km / h.

For sports cars and cars participating in various competitions, a special designation of tires is provided. The speed index "ZR", for example, indicates that rubber can be used in critical speed modes, i.e. From 240 km / h.

Weight load index

This index indicates the maximum permissible load per wheel in kilograms. However, to choose suitable tires by dividing the car mass by 4 does not work. Here it is necessary to bear in mind that the weight of the machine is distributed unevenly between the axes, so the resulting index will be significantly overestimated. To begin with, it is necessary to take 20% of its value from the mass of the car (for off-road cars - 30%), and then divide by 4.

The designations on the tires of the load index contain two or three digits corresponding to a certain mass. To determine this criterion for different types of cars there are special tables, we also consider the basic approximate indicators for cars:

• 70 - 335 kg;
• 75 - 387 kg;
• 80 - 450 kg;
• 85 - 515 kg;
• 90 - 600 kg;
• 95 - 690 kg;
• 100 - 800 kg;
• 105 - 925 kg;
• 110 - 1030 kg.

It is also worth noting that the higher the load index, the thicker and rougher the carcass of the tire, which significantly reduces its depreciation qualities.

Winter and summer tires

By seasonal criterion, all tires are divided into three types:

• Summer;
• Winter;
• All-weather.

Summer tires usually do not have any special markings. Visually distinguish it from other types can be along the longitudinal grooves designed to drain water. In addition, they are devoid of a microscope. Summer tires are quite tough, which ensures optimal durability and maximum grip with the road at plus temperatures.

The designation of winter tires may contain either the word "Winter" or an icon in the form of a snowflake. They are much softer than summer ones, and they have a pronounced high tread with a microscope. The designation of winter tires with a snowflake guarantees their safe use in conditions of severe frost.

Very often motorists, seeing on the tires marking in the form of letters "MS" or "M + S", mistakenly take them for winter. But this is not a winter tire designation. This is a marking indicating the possibility of using rubber under special conditions.

The designation "MS" on tires is "Mud and Snow", which is translated from English as "mud and snow". It can be applied to any tires, regardless of seasonality. In other words, the designation "MS" on tires is a sign indicating that this rubber is designed for driving off-road or on asphalt covered with wet mud or snow slurry. Such tires are also called lugs, and they are used mostly for rally cars, or for off-road vehicles.

All-season tires: designations, markings

There are universal tires that can be used at any time of the year. The designation of all-season tires depends on the conditions of their operation and may have the following abbreviations:

• "AS" (All Season, Any Season) - all seasons;
• "R + W" (Road + Winter) - all season for cold regions;
• "AW" (Any Weather) - vsesezonka for any weather.

In addition, the designation of all-season tires often contains the inscriptions "Aqua", "Water", "Aquacontact", "Rain" or an umbrella pattern. This means that the rubber is capable of effectively removing water from the contact plane with the road surface, which significantly reduces the likelihood of aquaplaning. These tires are called rain tires.

But do not forget that all-season tires - the concept of a conditional enough, and use it under extreme conditions is strongly discouraged.

Date of manufacture

At the date of manufacture, it is necessary to pay attention not only when buying tires that were in use, but also when purchasing a new one. The thing is that unscrupulous sellers often buy at a low price rubber, which for years lay in unclaimed warehouses.

Tire manufacturers argue that their long storage leads to the fact that tires lose their shape and performance. Naturally, there is no question of any safety when using such rubber.

Find out the date of release of the tire is easy. The marking is also applied to the side surface and consists of four digits, denoting the week and year. For example, the inscription 1609 indicates that the tire was produced on the 16th week of 2009. Virtually all world tire manufacturers adhere to this marking, so its absence on the sidewall is the first sign of uncertified products.

By the way, before 2000, the date was indicated by five figures, the first two of which are the week number, and the other three are the year code of production.

Other notations

But besides the basic designations very often rubber has also other markings:

• "Max Pressure" with a digital indicator - indicates the maximum permissible tire pressure (usually in kilopascals or bars);
• "Inside", "Autside" - indicate that the tires are asymmetric;
• "Rotation" with a directional arrow - indicates that the tire has a directional design, should be installed accordingly;
• "Temperature" A, B, C - index of heat resistance (A - maximum);
• "Traction" A, B, C - index of inhibition, which determines the effectiveness of emergency braking (A - the best);
• "Tubeless" - tubeless tire;
• "Tube Type" - a tire designed for use with a camera;
• "RSC" is a special tire with the Run Flat System Component technology, which allows you to continue driving on the car when the tire is punctured or cut. Such rubber is capable of passing up to 100 km with complete absence of internal pressure;
• "TWI" - an inscription indicating that the tire has a special "beacon" located in the groove between the tread, which is an indicator of its wear;
• "PR" - the strength of the carcass of the tire, estimated by the number of layers of rubber.

Why tires need colored mugs

Probably, you had to meet tires with colored circles on the sides. There are a lot of rumors about their origin, beginning with the fact that they are technological labels that are necessary only in the process of rubber production, and ending with the fact that the manufacturer or seller thus marks a poor-quality or defective tire.

In fact, these multi-colored circles indicate the features of the design of the tire. Explanation of the designation of tires marked with yellow or red spots is as follows:

• Yellow circle - the lightest area of the tire;
• Red circle - the heaviest part of the tire;
• Green circle - tires for initial installation on the car at the factory

But why should anyone know where the easy site is, and where is the heavy one? It's simple! Usually for tires with cameras, the tire is fitted with the lightest zone to the nipple. This helps achieve an ideal balance when rotating.

In some cases on the sidewall of the tire one can find a marking consisting of a number in a circle, a square, a triangle, painted with white paint. This is a kind of mark that the product passed quality control (like our OTC). In addition , this stigma indicates a specific controller who is responsible for the verification.

Color lines on the tread

Almost all new tires have multi-colored stripes on the working side of tires. They also do not represent a particular interest for the car owner and do not carry any useful information for him. The color designation of the tires is designed to simplify their identification in storage.

When thousands of tires are stacked in a warehouse, the employee does not have the ability to determine their type and size without seeing the markings on the sidewall. It is with the help of these color bars arranged in a certain order, you can clearly identify the type of tire and its size.