How Do Understand The Tyre Dimensions? (The Beginner’s Guide)

What are Tyre Dimensions?

If you ever notice, the sidewalls of your tyres are packed with information, much of which plays a big part in how your car runs on the road. Knowing the information won’t change your life, but it’s better to know what the letters and numbers mean, especially when you are planning to purchase a new set of tyres.

Among all the information mentioned on the sidewalls of a tyre, the dimensions are the most important characters and will be mentioned in a format like this: 205/55 R16 91V. As far as the tyre’s dimensions are concerned, this is the only information you need when looking for new tyres.

How Do I Read My Tyre Size?

The first number in the row is the tyre’s width, which is measured in millimeters, so in this example, we can tell that the tyre is 205mm wide. It is a common width for sedans and family cars. The next number shown is the tyre’s height, but this is shown as a ratio rather than in measurement. So in our example, the height is 55% of the tyre’s width; 55% of 205mm is 112.75.

The R in the row shows that this is a radial tyre, which is a common type in most modern cars, and the last number is the inside diameter of the tyre measured in inches. It shows the size of the wheels fitted to your car, also measured in inches.

What Does the Tyre Size Mean?

The size of your car’s tyres contributes significantly to the way it runs on the road, which is why it is important to choose the right tyre size for your car when replacing them.

The width of your car tyre determines how much grip is present for braking, cornering, and acceleration. The wider the tyre is, the bigger the contact surface, the bit of the tyre in contact with the road, and the bigger the contact surface, the more grip is available.

Although there are many other factors involved, in general, the wider tyre has a higher rolling resistance, which is a trade-off for the increased grip. This is the reason cars with modest performance and high economy have narrower tyres for efficiency. But you will notice high-performance cars have wider tyres, which prioritize grip over efficiency.

The aspect ratio of tyres can also contribute to the way your car behaves on the road. The higher the aspect ratio, the taller the tyre, and the shock absorption will be higher.

Tyres that have a taller sidewall tend to offer a more comfortable ride by helping to absorb bumps in the road, but the trade-off is that these tyres deflect more during cornering, giving a less precise response through the steering wheel. A high-performance car will usually have a low aspect-radio tyre for this reason, whereas comfort- and economy-based cars will have higher aspect-ratio tyres.

In general, wider and lower-profile tyres will tend to cost more than narrower ones, and the popularity of a particular tyre size can also play a big role in the cost.

Can I Change the Size of My Tyre?

The simple answer is yes. You can change the size of your car tyres. But there are a lot of qualifiers. You may want to install a different tyre size on your car because you want to install different alloy wheels. Some people choose different tyre sizes to improve the performance or economy of their cars.

But you have to compromise with the performance of your vehicle if you install a tyre that does not match the vehicle recommendation tyre size. In your car, there are some components that are calibrated to work with the original equipment tyre sizes, including speedometers, gear ratios, and electronic safety systems. Changes in your car tyres inverness specification can affect its behavior while moving on the road.

If you still want to change the wheels and tyres of your car, safe things to do to avoid problems is to choose a wheel and tyre combination that is compatible with other versions of your car.

There are a lot of popular models that offer a variety of wheel sizes depending on the specification, so you can upgrade your wheels and tyres safely in the knowledge that your car will continue to function properly and have problems in performance and safety.

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