If you’ve ever tried to work out exactly what size tires you need to put on your car, you have probably looked at the sidewalls and seen those lengthy sequences of numbers and letters. If you have ever tried to work out in the world they mean, this is the article for you. The team at Tire World Exports explain how to read and understand tire sizes.

What You Need To Know About Tire Sizes

Tire sizes seem difficult to decipher at first, but with a little explanation, it is actually quite easy to understand what all the figures on a tire’s sidewall mean. Let’s break down these long sequences into their elements:

You will see three different chains of numbers and/or letters, separated by a / symbol. The first one indicates the width of the tire in millimetres. For example, you might 205. This means that the tire you are looking at is 205mm wide.

After the next slash, you will see another number, which represent the tire’s aspect ratio. It could be 55, for example, or 65, among others. The aspect ratio is the ratio of the tire’s height to its width. So, a tire with an aspect ratio of 55 has a height that is 55% of its width.

Next up is a letter that indicates how the tire is constructed. It could say R, D or B, for example. R indicates that the tire is radially constructed. D stands for diagonal and B for belted.

The last number is the speed rating, which simply tells you the maximum speed the tire can accommodate.

Read our blog for more advice on the tire market and industry in South Africa.

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How Many Different Tire Sizes Are There?

Tires come in a vast number of sizes, with varying speed ratings, load ratings and other measurements for each size. Different manufacturers also make different tire ranges. In the motor industry, cars are built with wheel sizes ranging from 14 to 23 inches. There are numerous tire types to fit each of these sizes.

Trust Tire World Exports For Quality Tires, Batteries And Other Components For Your Car

Tire World Exports specialises in the supply of all brands of South African-made tires, batteries and more. If you are looking for top quality parts, including all-terrain tires from the world’s top brands, contact us.

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