Tire Size Explained
Having knowledge of tire sizes will help you when your vehicle needs new tires. Information about your tire is located on the sidewall of the actual tire. The series of numbers and letters will let you know what type of tire you have and the size.
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P-Metric Size
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If your tire size begins with the letter P, this means the tire is used for passenger vehicles such as cars, minivans and small pickup trucks. The P-Metric sizes started in the late 1970s.
T-Metric Size
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If your tire size begins with the letter T, this means the tire is only supposed to be used as a temporary spare. If the tire begins with the letters LT, this means the tire is used for vehicles carrying heavy cargo.
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C-Metric Size
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If a tire size begins with the letter C, this means it is a Commercial tire intended for vans or delivery trucks. Tires that start with the letters ST are designed for boat and car trailers. These tires are not intended for cars, vans or trucks.
Width
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The series of numbers after the letter(s) indicate the width of the tire. For example, if the tire size begins with T150. This means you are using a spare, or "T"emporary tire that is 150 millimeters wide.
Aspect Ratio
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Usually, the sidewall aspect ratio is shown after the numbers representing the width. If a tire begins with T150/40. The 40 means the sidewall height from rim to tread is 40 percent of the tire's section width.
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References
- Photo Credit Future Tire
