Tire Service

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIRE MAINTENANCE

Did you know that you can improve your vehicle’s handling, increase the life of your tires, and drive more safely simply by checking your tires every month to ensure that they are properly balanced and inflated?

Are your tires right for your car or truck? Are they in good repair and properly inflated? Stop by and let our staff of tire experts take a look. If need be, we’ll gladly provide you with any of our professional tire services you may need:

Tire Inspection & Rotation
Tire Mounting & Balancing
Wheel Alignment

At Downtown Tire & Auto, our specialty IS tires, and our tire specialists perform a wide range of services to help extend the life of your vehicle’s tires and keep you safe.

I have trusted Chris and his staff of professionals with my tire and service needs for over 12 years now, and I’ve never been disappointed. Downtown Tire & Auto is my go-to place for tires!

Rick Lanier

UNDERSTANDING TIRE MARKINGS

For example, let’s assume the numbers on your tires reads:

P215/65-R15, 89H

Now, let’s explain those numbers and letters:

The letter “P” stands for Passenger Tire, if the letters were “LT“, that would stand for Light Truck, and so on. There are several tire designations that our experts can help you with.

Next, the number following the “P”:

215 represents the overall width of the tire in millimeters
65 represents the sidewall height (distance from rim to tread) as a percentage of the tread width (known as aspect ratio)
R represents tire construction, R stands for Radial (there is also B for Belted Bias, and D forDiagonal Bias
15 represents the size of the wheel in inches
In this example, the tire has the number 89H. This represents the weight capacity of the tire. However, in most cases, you will not see this heading on the sidewall.
A speed rating is sometimes put in front of the R (or B or D). An R rating means that it is rated for speeds of up to 100mph. The manufacturer does not recommended this tire for speeds greater than 100 mph. Other speed ratings are: S=112mph, T=118mph, U=124mph, H=130mph, V=149mph, & a Z rated tire is for speeds in excess of 149mph.
The V and Z rated tires have excellent dry pavement grip/traction but due to their soft rubber compounds, do not have a long life.
A tread rating indicates how long a tire should last. This figure is written in small letters on the sidewall of your tire. The higher the number, the longer the tire should last. 100 is the basic tread wear rating.
The traction rating works just like grading – ‘A’ being the best, ‘B’ is good, and ‘C’ is acceptable. This number is also found on the sidewall.
Temperature ratings work the same – ‘A’ best, ‘B’ good, ‘C’ acceptable. If you drive your car very hard, you want a temperature rating of ‘A’ because a ‘C’ would fail faster under these conditions. Again, look for this number on the sidewall.