Tire Categories
The Basics
Fix It
Tires by the Number
Fun Tire Facts
100
Tires that are built to provide good performance all year round
What is All Season?
100
The relationship of the sidewall's height to its width. For example, if the sidewall's height is 45% of its width, the aspect ratio is 45. In the tire size 225/45R17, the aspect ratio is 45.
What is aspect ratio?
100
Adjusting the vehicle's wheels, steering, and suspension components to manufacturer's specifications.
What is alignment?
100
The aspect ratio of a 225/45R17 tire
What is 45%
100
the natural color of tire rubber
What is white?
200
Tires built with a special tread compound and tread pattern to optimize traction in winter weather conditions
What are winter/snow tires?
200
The side of the tire, between the tread surface and the bead. The location of information about the tire including size, date of manufacture, construction, and more.
What is sidewall?
200
Adjusting tires and wheels so that they spin with evenly distributed weight.
What is balancing?
200
the wheel diameter of a 225/45R17 tire
What is 17 inches?
200
The company who produces the most tires annually
What is Lego? 306 miniature tires per year
300
Capable on any type of road surface.
What is All Terrain?
300
An alphanumeric code denoting the top speed at which a particular tire can travel safely.
What is speed rating?
300
Moving tires from front to rear, side to side, or in another set pattern in order to promote even tread wear and longer life.
What is rotating?
300
the width of a 225/45R17 tire
What is 225 millimeters?
300
The brand of the largest tire on the planet, a 12-ton, 80 foot-tall monstrous tower, able to withstand hurricane-force winds
What is Uniroyal?
400
Focused on maximum off-road traction at the expense of on-road civility and wear life
What is Rec-Off-Road?
400
A collection of numbers and letters that tells you the tire width, sidewall height (aspect ratio) and wheel diameter, among other information.
What is tire size?
400
A safety system built into your vehicle (or retrofitted) that monitors your tire pressure, and alerts you when the pressure in one or more tires falls to an unacceptable level
What is Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
400
the number of tires Americans dispose of each year
What is 280 million tires?
400
Provider of the carbon black additive that makes tires black
Binney & Smith, inventors of Crayola Crayons
500
Sporty, with excellent traction and maneuverability, abbreviated as UHP
What is Ultra High Performance?
500
Measurement from the bottom of a tire's tread grooves to the tread surface, measured in 32nds of an inch.
What is tread depth?
500
A simple test to check tire for proper tread depth
What is the penny test?
500
the top speed for safety of a T-rated tire, made for family sedans and vans
What is a 118 mph?
500
The percentage of disposed tires that are recycled annually in the U.S.
What is 25-30%