Tires 101 - Everything You Need to Know About Tires | BFGoodrich USA

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TIRES 101

Everything printed on your tire means something, and once you can read it, buying and maintaining tires stops being guesswork. This hub covers the four things every driver should be able to do: read the sidewall code, understand how a tire is built, know what your speed and load ratings mean, and confirm the correct size for your vehicle. Your correct tire size and pressure are in your owner's manual or on the OEM sticker inside the driver's door.
Tire Speed Rating Chart

Speed ratings are not just about speed. They correlate directly with ride comfort, treadwear, and cornering ability. Typically the higher the speed rating, the better the grip and stopping power, but the shorter the tread life. Ratings run from A at the lowest to Y at the highest, and the chart is not strictly alphabetical: H sits between U and V, a holdover from when H stood for high performance.

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Tire Anatomy & Tire Construction

A radial tire is built from six main parts, and knowing what each does explains why some damage is repairable and some is not. The tread grips and resists wear. The carcass ply cords determine strength. The beads clamp against the rim for an airtight fit. The sidewall absorbs impacts from curbs and rocks and carries all the printed specs. This structure is the fastest route to understanding tire performance.

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Find the Right Size Tire for My Car

Your correct tire size is printed in two places: the sidewall of the tires on your vehicle now, and the OEM placard inside your driver's side door. That same placard gives you the correct cold inflation pressure. For an accurate pressure reading, check when the tires have not been driven for three hours, because friction creates heat and heat raises pressure, giving you a false high reading.

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How to Read a Tire Sidewall

A tire’s sidewall is pretty much what it sounds like – the outer and inner “walls” on the sides of a tire, if facing a tire on its side. Every sidewall has its own unique information that is divided into four main sections:

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