The tire is where your vehicle meets the road, and the braking, handling and steering your vehicle is designed to do is relying your tires. That makes your tires seriously important items and there are a few things you should know before buying them. Yes, there are tires for sale online and to buy tires online you will need to know where to find your tire size. When ordering tires for sale online there is no service person to read your tire size for you so you will need to know where to find your tire size.
The manufacturer’s original tire size can be found first in the owner’s manual. If that is not available you can check the driver’s door jamb or possibly the glove compartment door or fuel hatch door. If the tires that are on your vehicle are the manufacturer’s suggested size then of course you can read the sidewall.
How to Read the Sidewall
Most sidewalls will have designations similar to this 235/60R18 97T M+S. Using this as an example from left to right the 235 would be the width of the tire in millimeters. The number 60 after the hash mark is your tire ratio, meaning the height is 60% of the width. The R that follows is indicating a radial tire. The 18 is the diameter of the wheel the tire is designed to fit on. The 97 is a load index indicating how many pounds the tire can carry. The T is a speed rating and M+S simply means Mud and Snow.
How Many Tires?
In the case of an emergency where one tire has been damaged, this is the only time buying one tire at a time is recommended. Because you want to keep all four tires the same for proper performance. It is actually recommended that you replace all four at the same time. If finances prevent this then two at a time will have to suffice. Though when the time arises to replace the second two be sure to get the same type as the first two.
What Type of Tires?
There are tires for sale online that are made for specific conditions. There are Summer tires, Winter or snow tires, all-season tires and more. What you will need to consider is the type of conditions you have and driving you will be doing. Do you mostly drive in the city with lots of stop and go traffic or do you frequently drive long distances on the interstate? Do you live in a rainy climate and often drive in slippery or muddy conditions? You’ll need to think about your specific circumstances and purchase accordingly.
Price
We don’t often think of tire pricing or cost over the long term. Because not having a quality set of tires will cost you in gas mileage and earlier replacement, it is many times less expensive to purchase the higher quality tires at the outset. After all, tires are the biggest safety feature your car has.