In order to accurately select tires for a car, manufacturers apply tire markings to their sidewalls. It carries information about the parameters of the rubber. The fact is that the car is equipped with wheel disks of a certain size, and therefore the tire must be selected appropriately. First of all, the decoding of the inscriptions on the tires is carried out according to the main indicators that determine its size, because the rubber should ideally fit on the rim and correspond to the current season.
In addition to the basic designations, the markings on the tires also indicate the constituent elements of the tire, such as the tread, sidewall, belt layers, carcass and bead. Also, the designation of tires includes information about their type: radial or diagonal, which depends on the orientation of the cords, which act as the backing of the carcass. Today, radial tires are mainly manufactured because they have higher performance characteristics. Therefore, rubber markings most often have the letter “R” to make it clear that this is a radial type. It is characterized by high rigidity and spot shape stability. Tire decoding allows you to determine the parameters of any seasonal models, as they differ markedly.
Additional markings on rubber
Additional designations make it possible to define extended tire parameters. They are designated mainly by 2-3 Latin letters and indicate the following:
XL - the designation XL on tires indicates the presence of a reinforced structure, so it can withstand increased loads.
ZR - the ZR designation on tires defines a fixed speed index that allows tires to operate at more than 240 km / h.
SUV - The SUV designation on the tires indicates that the tires are designed for all-wheel drive car models.
MS - MS tire marking is applied only to winter and all-season tires and indicates that they can be used on snow and puddles of mud.
FR - the FR designation on tires is indicated on tires that have a rim protected from external factors.
FP - marking of tires FP have car tires with a flange to protect the rim.Given that the above designations have different meanings, the decoding of tire marking must be carried out correctly so that the tires maximize the driving performance of the vehicle.
Seasonal marking of car tires
Such designations are the easiest to decipher. For example, the marking of summer tires does not have any symbols indicating their belonging to winter. Often they are marked with M / T symbols – mud tires or an umbrella pattern, which means they belong to rain tires. It is specially designed to prevent aquaplaning of the vehicle. Winter tires are marked with the word “Winter” or a snowflake pattern. If such designations exist, the tire is intended for winter. These tires are made of soft rubber, often with the MS marking, which allows it to be used when there is mud and snow on the roads.
All-season tires are marked with the Latin letters AS on the sidewall of the tire. They also have additional designations MS, and therefore can be operated all year round in any weather. This is possible due to the averaged parameters and rigidity of the material of manufacture. The designation of all-season tires can be realized by means of the inscription R + W or Aw. In the latter case, we are talking about all-weather tires, which is the same with all-season tires. It is difficult to confuse the designation of tire seasonality, so no one should have any difficulties in this matter.
Decoding rubber by indices
There are general standards for these rubber products. For marking car tires, a unified system of standard sizes and indices is used. In total, two indices are accepted: maximum load and speed limit. They allow you to determine from what mass the tire can withstand the load, as well as the maximum possible acceleration at which the rubber can be used.
Tire markings: speed index
This symbol defines the design speed that must not be exceeded during operation. The designation of the speed on the tires is realized by means of Latin letters from A to Y. Index A means that it is impossible to accelerate more than 5 km / h on such tires. Accordingly, if the letter Y is indicated, there is no faster bus. Index A is not found on passenger car tires. The most common tire speed markings are indicated by the following letters:
T - acceleration to 190 km / h;
H - allowed to reach speeds of up to 210 kilometers per hour;
V - maximum acceleration 240 km / h;
W - it is not recommended to accelerate more than 270 kilometers per hour;
Y is the maximum for which the tires are designed - 300 km / h.The standard tire speed index marking is expressed by the letters T and H. And the designations V, W and Y classify tires as high-speed.