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Tyres Explained

Tyre Sidewall Explained

The markings on the sidewall of a tyre above may look a bit confusing but they are important because with tyres size really does matter! The markings will help you quickly identify what size of tyre you currently have so you make sure that you order the right ones for your car. Below we have broken down and explained the different markings so they will make a bit more sense:

205 – This is the width of your tyre in millimetres.

50 - This is the height of your tyre sidewall as a percentage of the width. Sometimes people call this aspect ratio.

R – This means you tyre is radial construction. All our tyres are of radial construction.

91 – This is the load capacity of your tyre.

V – This indicates the maximum speed for the tyre at full load.

Speed Rating Explained

The speed rating symbol is important and shows you the maximum speed the tyre can handle under full load. You should always try to replace your tyres with ones of an equal or higher rating. The table below shows you the rating symbols and their limits.

Speed Symbol	Speed Kph	Speed Mph
Car
S	180	112
T	190	118
U	200	124
H	210	130
V	240	149
W	270	168
Y	300	186
VR	210+	130+
ZR	240+	150+

Speed Symbol	Speed Kph	Speed Mph
Winter/Reinforced
Q	160	99
R	150	106
Van
N	140	87
P	150	93
Truck
J	100	62
K	110	68
L	120	75
M	130	81

Checking Your Tyres

The treads on your tyres allow them grip in the wet and the UK law states that your tyres must have a minimum of depth of 1.6mm across the centre three quarters of the tyre as shown in the diagram.

To make things easier most tyres these days have tread bar indicators in between the treads at 1.6mm. If you can see that these little bars are level with the tread then your tyres are illegal and need changed. Unless you have some spare change if you get caught by the police you are looking at a fine of up to £2,500 per tyre and maybe penalty points. Not worth the risk really is it.

Balancing Explained

Failing to balance the wheel can cause a very annoying shake and even mechanical damage to your car in severe cases. As standard all our fitting centres will be balance your wheel once your new tyre has been fitted.

Valve Explained

The valve allows your tyre to be inflated to the correct pressure. It ensures the pressure is maintained correctly but can become damaged over time. For your peace of mind all new tyres fitted through MacSamsTyres will be fitted with a new valve.