Buying TiresIt’s the season for buying new tires. Your current set may be getting too noisy, cracking, or old. You might have a problem with one of your sets. It may have exploded on your way to the grocery. Now you are looking for information on what to do and where to get new ones. We hope you’re not in this situation, but we are here to help you find the right information to buying tires for your beloved ride.

There are many things to consider when buying tires. We’re sure that there are some who make a mistake and regret their purchase, but that’s not you. If you’re reading this, you’re doing your research. Responsible tire shopper, A+!

It is Difficult To Know Which Qualities Are Important

Let’s begin with the basics. There are many quality factors to tires that can vary depending on your needs. Some tires are faster than others and some may be heavier than others. You need to know your car’s specific needs and driving habits so you can narrow down your choices to find the right product for you. Although this is a generalization, it is a huge one. Knowing exactly what your tires need to do will make your buying experience easier.

Avoid Buying Tires With a High Enough Speed Rating

What is your speed? We aren’t police officers, but we are asking because tires have a Speed Rating. The Tire Speed Rating is a measure of how fast the tire can handle without expanding or exploding. It’s safe to say that you don’t want this to happen to you. How do you determine this on a tire? Tampatiresandwheels.com has a selection of speed-rated tires. When looking at the tire size there is a string of numbers and letters that look like this:

185/65R15 (88H) (24.5″)

The Speed Rating Letter is what we need to determine our Speed Rating. It’s simple enough. This letter can be found at the end (before the height measurement in brackets). Some tires have a speed rating of “H” in this instance. What does the letter “H” stand for? We’ll take that letter and look at the Speed Rating Chart online. Although it looks alphabetical at first glance, the Speed Rating Chart can be confusing as it moves around a lot. This chart is an excellent example. “H” appears towards the end.

According to the chart, a tire with an H Speed Rating can travel up to 130 mph. You shouldn’t go that fast in most situations, and Wheel Identity strongly supports following traffic laws. It’s important to know that your tires can travel 130 miles an hour. You wouldn’t.

You should pay attention to speed rating. A tire rated “L” can only travel 75 miles an hour, so be aware of it. You would still be exceeding the speed limit, so you should allow for some space between your maximum capacity and what you normally do.

Avoid buying tires with a high enough load index rating

Next, let’s talk about the Load Index. This rating scale determines how long your tires can last before they start to crumble. Or, more likely, exploding. We’ve also covered whether we want it to happen.

You will find the Load Index Rating for your tire in the same number string we mentioned earlier.

185/65R15 (88H) (24.5″)

If you need both the Speed Rating letter and the Load Index Number quickly, this is the number we are looking for. The Load Index Number is a rating on our Load Index Chart. This chart can also be found online. We look at some tires and see an “88” after the “H.” Then we head to our Load Index Chart, to see that these tires have a rating of 1,235 pounds.

Remember that this rating is per tire. In our case, each tire can carry 1,235 pounds. Multiplying four tires gives an overall rating of a maximum of 4,940 pounds.

When determining the maximum weight for your tires, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Although you can easily calculate the car’s weight, it is not the vehicle. Consider the maximum weight that you may be putting on your tires. There’s a friend in each seat and a large heavy box with bottles of liquid (which we’ll call water) in the trunk. Keep in mind that this will add some extra weight. As we mentioned with the Speed Rating, it is a good idea to exceed what you think you may need. Trust us, it’s better to have less than too much.

Buy Tires For The Wrong Season

This is a simple one: Tires are designed for specific seasons and occasions, such as all-terrain tires and sport tires for winter or spring. The spec list will often include “all-season”, which is a fine tire to have all year. But if you live somewhere that snows a lot, you might want to consider tires that are specifically for snow, usually classified as “winter” tires. You don’t want to ride on winter tires throughout the year. Winter tires will wear faster than summer tires. However, winter tires will bring more stability and grip to the roads. Make sure you have enough summer tires in your vehicle to change out when necessary.

Buy the Wrong Size

You want your tires to fit your wheels. Wheel Identity offers many options to help you find the right match for your desired wheel upgrade. Wheel Identity makes it easy to find the right tires by making it quick and simple using our chat service. Let’s suppose you would like to find out how big your tires should fit because you love knowing all about your car. As you should. Let’s go back to the string numbers and letters that we have been using, but we are going to do something different this time. We know you enjoy a challenge.

All-season tires will get you there no matter the road conditions.

This could be the size information string for some All-Season tires:

225/55R16 99H (25.7″)

It is clear that they have both a Speed Index rating (H) and a Load Index rating (99), which is quite impressive. Now we want to find the size. This can be done by looking at the numbers that precede the ratings.

The width of the tire measured in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall is “225”. The second number, 55, is the tire’s aspect ratio. We aren’t actually watching movies with the tire. In this instance, the aspect ratio is the ratio between the tire’s height and its width. These are 55% taller than their width. Remember that this refers to the height of the tire from the sidewall to the tread and not from the ground to its highest point.

It is quite common to see the “R” symbol on tires. This simply means that the inner layers of the tire are constructed in a radial fashion. This number, which is located before the Load Index number, indicates the maximum diameter that the tire can take.

High Quality Without Compromising On Price

Wheel Identity is committed to providing the best price on the best tires. With our flexible monthly payment plan, it’s easier and more affordable than ever to get the highest quality rubber. Sometimes these numbers can become a bit overwhelming, so you may want to rush to the lowest possible option. Tires are an investment that will last six to ten decades. You don’t want tires to be the only thing between your dream car and the rapidly passing pavement.

Wheel Identity

This one is serious. The biggest mistake anyone can make is simply not purchasing their tires from Wheel Identity. Our prices are the lowest for tires and rims. We also have a team of professionals who can help you choose the right option to drive away with.

We want your tire experience to be as easy as possible. We have a recipe for success with the information you now have after doing your research. So contact us today to get you rolling in style on the streets!

Defining Your Identity Starts Here

Tell us about your vehicle needs and we’ll let you know how we can help. If you have any questions or requests contact us today and we’ll be happy to help get you back on the road, in style!