Choosing tires for your truck is just like choosing a pair of shoes. You want something that’s comfortable, effective, and durable. They’re what keep you going, and when it comes to tires, there are three important areas to familiarize yourself with first.
Tire Specs
Tire specs are essentially the fundamental details of your tire. They tell you the size, tread depth, speed rating, and more. Obviously, these are very important things to be aware of before you get motoring and so it’s important to familiarize yourself with your tire specs.
Department of Transportation Safety Code
Compliance with relevant safety codes is of the utmost importance when choosing tires, as without it, you’re technically not allowed to drive on your new tires. On the sidewall of your tire, you should find a code that states your tires’ specs and compliance details. Let’s take the sample code P195/60R16 63H M+S as an example.
P – Type of tire
195 – Width of the tire across the tread in millimeters
60 – Aspect ratio of the sidewall compared to the width
R – Radial construction
16 – Diameter of the rim in inches
63 – Tire’s load rating
H – Tire’s speed rating
M+S – Tire is suitable for all-season driving
UTQG Code
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) is a test established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to test tires in accordance with government prescribed methods and relied on three key factors:
Treadwear: This states the rate at which your truck tire will wear out. The baseline guidance is 100, so, in theory, a rating of 300 would mean your tire will last three times as long as a tire at a baseline level.
Traction: There are four different traction grades – AA, A, B, and C, from highest to lowest. This rating represents a tire’s ability to stop on wet surfaces, and any tire under a C rating is not roadworthy.
Temperature: This grade can be A, B, and C and states a tire’s ability to dissipate heat. Again, any tire below C is not roadworthy.
Featured image: DepositPhotos – DenysKuvaiev
