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Know Car Tyres

Buying New Tyres
Tyre Care
Safety
Modifications

Tyre Home

Know Car Tyre

Types of Tyres
How to understand marketing/ratings on tyre
How to identify tyre size

Buying New Tyres

A tyre buyer's guide
Tyre brands available in India with indicative positioning

Tyre Care
Wheel alignment
Wheel balancing
Tyre rotation
Proper inflation
Basic problem, DOs and DONTs

Safety

Safety tips on tyres

Modification
Nitrogen filling
Tyre sealants
Alloy wheels

Tyres

Tyres are made of vulcanized rubber which is inflated with air to support the vehicle. Vulcanisation
involves curing of the rubber with a curative like sulphur at high temperatures. This makes the
rubber harder, more durable and resistant to chemical reactions. Tyres grip the ground when the
vehicle changes speed or direction. The part of the tyre which is in contact with the road is known
as the contact patch and the friction between the road and the tyres ensures the car obeys the
driver's inputs.
95% of the car's weight is supported by the air and just 5% is supported by the tyre, hence
maintaining the correct tyre pressure is important. Tyre pressure is not just important for a safe
ride, but also for tyre life, handling, fuel economy and tyres also minimise the side-to-side
movement of the car, which can be felt in trains.
(Tyre diagram showing the various parts)

Cross ply or bias ply:

A few decades ago, the ply beneath the tread was made of cross steel ply inclined at an angle of 60
degrees in the direction of motion. These are called cross ply or bias ply tyres.
Radial Tyres:
Radial tyres don't have belts that cross over each other like cross ply tyres do. Here, parallel plies
radiate from one bead to another. They are softer and offer a more comfortable ride. As the ride is
soft the sidewalls are weak and there is no directional stability, and so stiff belts of steel or fabric
run around the circumference of the tyre between the plies and the tread.

Tube Tyres:
Tube tyres have an inner tube in between the rim and the tyre. It's this tube which has the air filled
in it. When the tyre is punctured, it's the tube which loses air immediately and the tyre goes flat.
This tube is doughnut-shaped and made of rubber. It has a valve which protrudes through a hole in
the rim. To repair a punctured tube, it has be taken off from the tyre and rim completely. If a nail
punctures the tyre tread, then the tube could have multiple punctures as the tube gets deflated and
rotates within the tyre.
Tubeless Tyres:
Tubeless tyres don't have tubes like the tube tyres. The tyre is sealed to the rim, to lock all the air
between the tyre and the rim. If a nail penetrates the tread, the air in the tyre doesn't escape as
quickly as it would in a tube tyre. The air will only rush out when the nail is removed.

Tyre Markings:
Markings

Description

Indicates the tyre manufacturer's name or

the model name given by the
manufacturer

Indicates the size of the tyre, its

characteristics and its speed ratings.

Indicates the type of tyre

This symbol M&S is used only when Mud

and Snow and such markings are relevant.

Maximum tyre pressure

Indicates the ECE approval marking and

the number

Country of manufacture

Tyre Size details:

185 stands for the tyre's 65 stands for the H is the speed R is the type of
13 is the diameter
width in mm from
aspect ratio of therating of the construction: in this case, of the tyre in
sidewall to sidewall, or as tyre
tyre
radial type
inches
viewed from above

Load Index:

Load Index (LI) is the maximum amount of load your tyres can carry. This is valid only up to the
speed of 210kph. At 210+kph the load-carrying ability of the tyre reduces.
The load index is easy to calculate. All you need to do is know the weight of your car and distribute
the weight equally among the tyres. Let us consider an example, if the car weighs 1000kgs, then
divide it by 4(4 tyres). So 1000/4= 250kg. So the Load Index of the tyre is 60 (see table.) It is
better to have a tyre with a high load index if you carry a lot of things in your car. Normally, tyres
for cars have a high load index so that even at high speeds they do not undergo much stress and do
not fail or rupture. They will fail theoretically at speeds and loads which cannot be attained by the
car. Most tyres have a load index between 75 and 105.
(Load Index Table)

LI

KG

LI

KG

LI

KG

LI

KG

LI

KG

LI

KG

50

190

70

335

90

600

110

1060

130

1900

150

3350

51

195

71

345

91

615

111

1090

131

1950

151

3450

52

200

72

355

92

630

112

1120

132

2000

152

3550

53

206

73

365

93

650

113

1150

133

2060

153

3650

54

212

74

375

94

670

114

1180

134

2120

154

3750

55

218

75

387

95

690

115

1215

135

2180

155

3875

56

224

76

400

96

710

116

1250

136

2240

156

4000

57

230

77

412

97

730

117

1285

137

2300

157

4125

58

236

78

425

98

750

118

1320

138

2360

158

4250

59

243

79

437

99

775

119

1360

139

2430

159

4375

60

250

80

450

100

800

120

1400

140

2500

160

4500

61

257

81

462

101

825

121

1450

141

2575

161

4625

62

265

82

475

102

850

122

1500

142

2650

162

4750

63

272

83

487

103

875

123

1550

143

2725

163

4875

64

280

84

500

104

900

124

1600

144

2800

164

5000

65

290

85

515

105

925

125

1650

145

2900

165

5150

66

300

86

530

106

950

126

1700

146

3000

166

5300

67

307

87

545

107

975

127

1750

147

3075

167

5450

68

315

88

560

108

1000

128

1800

148

3150

168

5600

69

325

89

580

109

1030

129

1850

149

3250

169

5800

Speed Ratings:

Tyres are rated with a speed rating alphabet with these ratings indicating the maximum speed up to
which the tyres can survive a ten-minute test without actually undergoing cracks or fractures.
(Speed Rating Table)

Speed Symbol

Max Speed Cability Km/h

Speed Symbol

Max Speed Cability Km/h

120

180

130

190

140

200

150

210

160

240

170

*ZR W

270

300

240+

ZR Notation:
Tyres which have a speed rating of above 240kph may have a ZR notation on them. But the tyres
having a speed rating of above 300kph will possess a ZR notation along with them . m.If the tyre
service manual description isn't apparent, then ask a professional to obtain the manufacturer's
recommendation.

Tyre Profile:
Tyre profile is also known as aspect ratio. We have probably heard people talk about low profile
tyres, specially the ones who like performance modifications. If the aspect ratio is 50, then it means
that the height of the tyre (From the rim to the tyre tread) is 50% of the width of the tyre (tyre
track).

Types of Tyres:
Tyre profile is also known as aspect ratio. We have probably heard people talk about low profile
tyres, specially the ones who like performance modifications. If the aspect ratio is 50, then it means
that the height of the tyre (From the rim to the tyre tread) is 50% of the width of the tyre (tyre
track).
Performance Tyres:

Performance tyres are designed for sports cars or for people who drive swiftly.
These tyres are softer and have lesser life compared to normal tyres. These tyres are suited for dry
conditions as the treads of these tyres don't dissipate water to the extent that normal tyres do. As
they are softer, they grip better (in dry conditions) and are better at cornering. The best example of
performance tyres are slicks which are used in racing. The slicks have no tread on them. The
contact patch of the tyre with the road is more resulting in better grip. But if these very tyres are

used in wet conditions, they won't be able to pump out the water on a wet road . A Formula 1 slick
tyre is very soft and will not last beyond 200-300km.
These tyres grip more at higher speeds and are able to withstand higher temperatures. Performance
tyres are differentiated by high (usually H or higher) speed ratings and low aspect ratio (profile).
All Weather Tyres:

All weather tyres are used by manufacturers on most of their cars. These are
the normal tyres found on all cars which are intermediate. There are a compromise between slick
tyres and wet weather tyres. The tread design is also intermediate to let the water through when
driving on a wet road. A performance tyre is softer compared to this tyre and corners better, but the
common man won't feel that difference while cornering. These tyres are harder and have a long life.

Wet Weather Tyres:

Wet weather tyres are softer than performance tyres. These tyres need to get
up to a certain temperature to grip well. They are the best tyres for rainy weather. The treads are
designed to diffuse maximum amount of water coming in its waybetween the tyre and the road.

Snow & Mud Tyres:

Snow tyres have a deeper tread and suitable for snowy or icy terrain. The deep
tread is for more grip as other tyres will lose traction on normal roads. These tyres make a lot of
noise due to their tread design and wear out the tyre and the road if driven quickly on dry surfaces.

All Terrain Tyres:

Snow tyres have a deeper tread and suitable for snowy or icy terrain. The deep
tread is for more grip as other tyres will lose traction on normal roads. These tyres make a lot of
noise due to their tread design and wear out the tyre and the road if driven quickly on dry surfaces.

Mud Tyres:

These tyres have extra deep treads which help them grip on a muddy track with

loose mud where the normal tyres loose traction. These tyres cannot be used on normal roads as
the treads and the road will wear out and the tread noise will be excessive.

Tyre Buying Guide

Need a tyre? What's your requirement? You want a tyre for normal use? You want to go flat-out and
apex every corner? Else go off-roading? S tate your requirement and you will get the tyre.

Normal use:
If you intend to go for normal use, we suggest going for Tubeless Radial of the company
recommended profile is the best option.

Are you a quick driver?

If going flat-out everytime is what you do, then performance tyres should be the ideal choose. They
are soft and corner well but you have to compensate in terms of tyre life. Else, we can suggest to
go for tyres with a greater contact patch. Remind you, though they grip more, that doesn't mean it
has to go well with the suspension design. It could affect your steerability, hence performance tyres
will be the ideal choice.

Off-Roading/Snow:
If your vehicle is meant to be driven more off-road or in snow or mud, all-terrain, snow or mud
tyres will be the suitable tyre choice respectively.

Bling Bling:
Want to show off your tyres. Switch to alloys and low profile tyres to make your car look cool and
attractive. Maybe chrome coated alloys could be your choice depending on the colour of your car.
Avoid going overboard and go for ultra-low profile tyres as they will burst easy if the tyre goes into
huge potholes.

Tyre Brands:
Apollo: Apollo tyres are another Indian tyre manufacturer, which owns Dunlop tyres and has now
even acquired a Dutch tyre company. The company manufactures tyres for cars, trucks and tractors.
Apollo even manufactures asymmetric tyres for passenger cars.
Bridgestone: Bridgestone is a Japanese tyre manufacturer which holds a good grip in most of
famous motorsporting events. Bridgestone is the sole supplier to the top notch motorsport known as
Formula 1, supplies tyres to some Moto GP teams and many other racing events. Bridgestone is the
second largest year manufacturing company after Michelin.

CEAT: Cavi Electrici Affini Torino (CEAT) an Italian based company is a part of Indian Automotive
Industry since 1958. The company has two plants in India (Mumbai and Nashik) and it
manufactures tyres for heavy-duty trucks and buses, Light commercial vehicles, earthmovers,
forklifts, tractors, trailers, cars, motorcycles and Scooters and auto-rickshaws.
Continental: Continental is a German company which manufactures tyres, brake systems and
other automotive spares and is the fourth largest tyre manufacturer in the world. The company
produces tyres for passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles.
Goodyear: Goodyear is a tyre company based in the US, and it's the third largest tyre company
across the globe. The company manufactures tyres for automobiles, race cars, commercial trucks,
light trucks and aeroplanes. They have a great motorsporting background and Goodyear holds the
maximum share for supplying tyres to Formula 1 in terms of number of years. Goodyear invented
vulcanized rubber and its use in cars.
JK Tyre: JK Tyre like MRF is another Indian brand that manufactures tyres for passenger cars,
tractors and commercial vehicles. JK also sponsors a huge number of Indian Motorsporting events
like the JK National Rotax Karting Championship, and most of the Indian Rally and Formula
championship held across the country. The manufacturer goes on to sponsor many Indian racing
drivers like Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok and Armaan Ebrahim. The JK tyres are also a bit
harder like the MRF and tend to last longer than softer tyres.
Michelin: Michelin is a French based company famous for their high speed tyres. The French rubber
producer supplies tyres to most of the motorsporting events like GP2 racing, World Rally
Championship (WRC) and many to follow. The single tyre supplier for all teams rule made Michelin
quit the Formula 1 circus. Michelin even supplies tyres to high speed cars capable of crossing 270km
mark. Michelin tyres have built its image for manufacturing soft tyres which grip and handle well.
Michelin is the largest tyre manufacturer (January 2009). Michelin is the pioneer of the radial ply
tyres.
MRF: Madras Rubber Factory (MRF) manufactures tyres for cars, bikes and Formula racing in India.
MRF's factory lies back in Chennai and the company has been promoting motorsports across the
country through the MRF 4-stroke Karting Championship and a few rally championships. The rubber
used by MRF on normal car tyre is a bit hard and tends to last longer than most of the other brands.
TVS Tyres: TVS Tyres manufacture tyres for two wheelers, three wheelers and agricultural
applications like tractors. This is a child company of the TVS group.

Tyre Care/Maintenance

Wheel Alignment:
Wheel alignment is done for proper returnability, less tyre wear, reduce load on suspension and
better handling. The three main parameters of alignment are camber, caster and toe.
Returnability is the ability of the steering the wheels back in a straight line once they are steered.
Camber is the inclination of the tyres when viewed from front. If the top of the wheel is leaning
inwards then the camber is negative and if it is leaning outwards then the camber is positive. Tyres
used to have positive camber for the highly cambered roads to drain water during rains.Today's cars
have a small positive camber angle of between and 1 degrees. The positive camber is

present on the front tyres for them to stay in a straight line when driving on a straight road. Rear

tyres have zero camber.

Caster is the inclination of the steering pivot in the front or behind direction, to adjust steerability.
If the angle is in front then the caster is positive and if it is behind then its negative caster. Rear
wheel drive cars have positive caster and front wheel drive cars have negative caster. Caster is
there only for front wheels as only the front wheels steer.

Toe-in, Toe-out:

Toe measurement is the difference of the lateral distance between the front end of the front tyres
and the rear end of the front tyres. Toe-in means front end of the tyre is closer and in toe-out it is

the opposite.

Tyre Rotation:
Tyre Rotation is a must for longer tread life and even tread wear. With the front tyres having some
positive camber angle, the inner edge of the tyre wears faster, hence swapping a front tyre with the
diagonally opposite rear tyre will increase the life of the tyre; the tyre which is now at the rear will
wear from the centre as the rear end has no camber. The tyres should be rotated every 10,000km if
there is no mention of it in the manual.

Proper Inflation:
Tyre pressure is an important aspect in the deterioration of the tyre. If the tyre pressure is less than
recommended, then more energy is required to turn the wheels. Also, the centre of the contact
patch doesn't touch the ground reducing the contact patch and tyre wear increases. When the tyre
is overinflated, the contact patch is less, the efficiency increases a bit but the handling deteriorates.

Wheel Balancing:

For the tyre assembly to rotate smoothly and not to give any kind of vibrations, the entire assembly
has to be well balanced. If a wheel isn't balanced, then one segment of the tyre will become lighter
and the diametrically opposite end will become heavier causing the vibrations.
Static Balancing: In static balancing, the wheel and tyre assembly is mounted on a hub and is
rotated by hand. The tyre rotates and eventually slows down. While slowing down, the tyre begins
to oscillate with reducing amplitude. Once the tyre comes to a halt, the lowest point is marked with
a chalk and then again rotated after moving the mark end to 90 degrees from the lowest point. If
the marked point again comes to a halt at the lowest point then this indicates that it's the heaviest
point on the assembly and weight is added to the opposite side. This is continued till the wheel is
balanced.
Dynamic Balancing: In this form of balancing, the wheel assembly is attached to the machine,
which spins the whole assembly and calculates the amount of weight required at different locations
to balance the wheel and tyre.

Tyre Safety

A vehicle's contact with the road is through the tyres. If anything in the tyre goes wrong then its
time to get worried. If special care is taken of the tyres, they won't just improve the handling of the
car but they could increase the fuel efficiency.
Tyres are inflated with air and 95% of the weight of the car is supported by the air pressure and just
5% on the tyres. Therefore, the correct tyre pressure is very important. Other important factors are
the manufacturing date, load rating, air pressure range, speed rating and size.

Manufacturing Date:
Most tyres today fail because of ageing and not because of usage. Most of the tyres manufactured
across the world have a DOT marking on it for the date of the manufacture of a tyre. For example if
it's the 16th week of 2006, it will written 1604 after DOT. Tyres over five years old should be
inspected at a tyre dealer from time to time.

Load Rating:
The entire weight of the car is taken by the tyres, so the load rating is an important aspect. Load
Rating of a tyre is always mentioned on the tyre. The load rating is always greater than the
maximum possible weight of the car. Hence, load rating shouldn't much of an issue for the common
man.

Maximum Air Pressure:

Every tyre has its maximum pressure rating. Never ever increase the pressure of the tyre above the
maximum rating. If the tyre is underinflated, then the tyre will wear out faster. To know what the
optimum pressure for your car is, go through your car manual. There might also be a sticker on
either one of the front doors or on the inside of the fuel filler flap that specifies the correct
pressures.

Fill air when your tyres are cold as the pressure increases if the tyre is hot. So the gauge won't
show the correct pressure. If tyres are unde inflated, the tyre wear is more and more fuel is
consumed by the car. If they are overinflated, then the tyre contact patch is less than ideal, offering
less grip, compromising safety and more pressure is applied on the tyre sidewalls.

Tyre Tread:

The tyre tread depth is an aspect that can indicate the condition of your
tyres. The job of the tyre groove is to pump out water, sand or anything else coming between the
tyre and the ground.
If the groove depth is reduced, so does the car's grip in the wet. The easiest way to check if you
have enough tread depth is by putting a Re 1 coin on the innermost groove. If the Rupaiya'
lettering on the coin is visible, then its time to change your tyres as they do not have enough tread
left.

Bulges:

TBulges and swellings on the tyre are an indication that the tyre has internal damage, avoid using
such tyres until you get them checked.

Cuts:

Any cuts on the tyre which are deep should be repaired or the tyre should be replaced, whichever is
appropriate.

Mixing of different types of tyres:

Mixing of different types of tyres isn't safe. As cross ply tyres have a firmer ride than radials, the
ride will be uneven and grip will be compromised.

Spare Wheel:
Always carry a spare tyre in your car. Usually the spare tyre is new and sparingly used and
sometimes a space-saver, so going above 80kph should be avoided.

Valves:
New valves should be used when replacing a tubeless tyre. Whenever the tyre pressure is being
inspected, watch for leaks from the valve as well.

Wheels and Rims:

The wheels and rims used should have an exact fit, else both the tyre and rim can get damaged.

Tyre Tread Wears:

Sidewall Wear/ Circular Wear:
Sidewall wear happens when the sidewall of the tyre tread comes in contact with the road surface.
This generally happen when the tyres are under-inflated or the driver is too aggressive over the
corners, due to which the sidewalls tend to bend.

Centre Wear:
Centre wear occurs when the tyres have more air pressure in them. As the tyres are overinflated,
the centre tread comes in contact with the road and hence its more likely to wear out. To avoid this,
keep the tyre pressure under check and fill air upto the maximum pressure as suggested by the
manufacturer.

Side Wear/ Rounded Wear / Edge Wear:

Tyres wear near the edges mostly when the tyres are underinflated or the car is overloaded. Keep
the tyre pressure upto the suggested mark and check if there slow leakage of air which could be
causing the tyres to underinflate.

Improper Alignment Wear:

When the tyres aren't aligned properly it results in uneven wear of the tyres. It can easily spotted,
that the wear on one side is more and wear reduces progressively when you move from one side to
another. Get your tyres aligned to avoid this.

Irregular Wear:
At times, your tyres wear irregular, at certain spots. The issue is with the suspension if this occurs
on the rear tyres, as the alignment for the rear tyres is done in the plant during its manufacture and
cannot be changed.

Tyre protection/Performance modification

Nitrogen filled tyres:

Nitrogen has been used for decades in the tyres of aeroplanes, as well as in motorsport. Nitrogen
remains in the gaseous state at very low temperatures and so it doesn't liquefy at high altitude
where temperatures range close to -40 degrees. Since nitrogen doesn't freeze at those
temperatures, it doesn't cause any issues when an aircraft lands.
Now, even some passenger cars use nitrogen to inflate their tyres. Nitrogen is used because:

There is a reduction in corrosion

Pressure loss is reduced
Pressure variation with temperature is reduced

The outer section of the tyres have steel , so using compressed air isn't much of a problem as the
amount of moisture in contact with the metal is minimal. Pressure loss is reduced with usage of
nitrogen.
Nitrogen should be used only for certain applications, it isn't worth the trouble and money to use
nitrogen in normal passenger cars.

Puncture sealant:

When the tyre rolls, the sealant is spread uniformly on the inside surface of the tyre. If a nail
punctures the tyre, then it pierces through the tread to this inside surface. The air pressure forces
the sealant to close the opening. Thus, the tyre opening is sealed within a couple of rotations of the
tyre and the driver doesn't realize about the incident. When the nail is inspected and removed, the
sealant is capable of sealing the tyre again, usually without any loss of pressure.

Alloy Wheels:
Most passenger cars come equipped with steel rims. These rims are heavy and hence increase the
weight of the wheel-tyre combination. Alloy wheels are lighter and look better than regular rims and
wheelcaps, making your car look more attractive.
Before buying alloy wheels, find out what their maintenance costs are and the problems they face.
Studies have shown that alloys have a greater inclination to undergo corrosion resulting in the
leakage of air. The one advantage that the alloys have is that they can be repaired regardless of the
damage.