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The Uniform Tire Quality Grading rating is a quality rating system developed by the Department of Transportation. It is designed to tell consumers the relative performance of passenger tires (but does not apply to winter tires). Example:150A B The "150" indicates the treadwear rating the "A" indicates traction the "B" indicates temperature The Treadwear rating is based on a wear test performed on a 400 mile government test course covering specified sections of public roads in Texas. A group ...

Below is a quick legend to notations describing the appearance of the tire's sidewall.  

Here are some other markings you may find on your tire's sidewall:   The M+S (also displayed as M&S or M-S) indicates the tire has all season capabilities. You will find this on almost all all season and winter tires. Summer tires will not have this designation. For a tire to get this designation it must have a specified tread-to-void ratio; however it does not mean that the tire has passed any actual tests for it effectiveness in severe conditions. DOT stands for Department of Transportati...

The load rating for any tire (load index) indicates the maximum weight that each tire is able to support. Here is a quick rating of common Load Indexes:  

The speed rating of any tire is a measurement of the top safe speed the tire can carry a load under specified conditions. It is also an indication of how the tire will handle at lower speeds. A higher rated tire will give you better traction and improved steering response even at 50mph. Below is a listing of common speed ratings: Q     =      99 MPH, 160km/h S     =     112 MPH, 180km/h T     =     118 MPH, 190km/h U     =     124 MPH, 200km/h H     =     130 MPH, 210km/h V     =     149 MPH, ...

When it is time to replace tires, there are five factors worth considering: Selection, prices, mileage, warranty, and retailer Selection There are advantages to choosing from a good selection of tires. Seek a tire professional that not only offers different brands, but several choices within each brand that will also offer a broad price range and quality Price Tires are sold in large price ranges. A single price range may come with a certain set of characteristics such as mileage, traction,...

People replace their tires for a variety of reasons. Some people just want a "better looking" tire on their vehicle. For example, they want outlined or raised white letter tires - something that will set their vehicle apart. Other people want to improve the performance of their vehicle, so they look to replace their tires with ones that will deliver better performance. Most of us replace our tires simply because we need to. "Appearance tire" case, you are not usually overly concerned with pric...

Driving around on underinflated tires is just a bad idea all the way around. Underinflated tires increase a car’s rolling resistance, meaning a drop in fuel efficiency since it takes more energy to move the vehicle down the road. A single tire that’s down by ten pounds of air means a 3.3 percent drop in fuel economy…multiply that by all four tires, and you can figure on giving up ten percent of your gas mileage. The added friction and rolling resistance also means more heat is generated, an...