Tire marking. Non-studded winter tires

Darkness and haste in parallel parking lead to rubbing strikes against curb stones. And here you’re lucky: in the best case, the disc will be scratched, and in the worst case, it will be deformed or split. Neither will happen if you run tires with rim guards. Professional tire sellers in Minsk inform buyers if there is such a protection on the tire. If you buy tires without help, tires with a rim guard can be identified by their characteristic features or by markings on the sidewall.

What does disk protection look like on tires

To understand whether the tire protects the rim from damage, look at the bead area. If it has a protruding belt or is compacted, tangential impacts will most likely not affect the integrity of the rim. As a rule, manufacturers provide rim protection in low-profile tires. Today they include tires with a profile (or series) less than 55. Automotive tires with a profile of 55 or more protrude beyond the vertical plane of the disc, which protects it from rough influences - additional elements in the side zone are simply not needed.

How to mark tires with disc protection

Manufacturers do not have a single rule on how to label tires with rim protectors. At the same time, letter designation is practiced, and it is different for different brands. Examples of what they sell in Minsk:

• Goodyear tires - FP (Fringe Protector);
• for Dunlop tires - MFS (Maximum Flange Shield);
• for Yokohama tires - RPB (Rim Protection Bar).

Bridgestone, Continental and Pirelli also use their own markings, but Michelin tires do not.

It is important to mention: the protection of the rim of the disc can be provided both for all standard sizes of a certain model, and for selected ones. Moreover, the same model in the same standard size for the original equipment may have protective elements in the side area, but for the aftermarket - not.

Is it worth buying

Just as taking ascorbic acid does not guarantee the resistance of the immune system to viruses, tires with rim protection do not guarantee that the wheels will not have to be painted or repaired. If the touch turns out to be a shock, the cushioning properties of the rubber simply won't be enough. At the same time, it is still worth hunting for such tires in the shops of Minsk, if the car has expensive alloy wheels. Namely, low-profile tires are used on expensive light-alloy wheels.

195/65 R15 91T

195 is the width of the tire in mm.

65 - Proportionality, i.e. the ratio of the height of the profile to the width. In our case, it is equal to 65%. Simply put, with the same width, the larger this figure, the higher the tire will be and vice versa. Usually this value is referred to simply as “profile”.

R- means a tire with a radial ply (in fact, now almost all tires are made this way).

15 - wheel (disk) diameter in inches.

T- speed index. The larger it is, the higher the speed you can ride on this tire (in our case IS - T - up to 190 km / h). ().

91 - load index. This is the level of the maximum permissible wheel load. For passenger cars, it is usually done with a margin and when choosing tires is not a decisive value (in our case, IN - 91 - 615 kg.). ().

Seasonality of the tire

For which season this rubber is intended, you can also find out on the sidewall of the tire):

M + S- Mud + Snow: mud plus snow

As- All Season: all season

Aw- Any Weather: Any weather

Rain, Water, Aqua, Aquatred or Aquacontact(or the umbrella icon) - means that these tires are specially designed for rainy weather and have a high degree of protection against the effect of aquaplaning.

Pictogram * (snowflake) - the tire is designed for use in harsh winter conditions.

If these markings are not found on the sidewall of a tire, then this tire is intended for use only in summer conditions.

Tire Stud Designations

AD- the tire is studded with an aluminum stud.

SD- the tire is studded with a spike with a carbide core.

DD- the tire is studded with a spike with a rectangular core with a diamond edge.

OD- the tire is studded with a spike with an oval core.

MD- the tire is studded with a plastic spike with a carbide core.

Additional tire designations

Rotation- a directional tire, the direction of rotation of which is indicated by an additional arrow on the sidewall of the tire.

Outside and Inside(or Side facing out and Side facing inwards) - asymmetric tires, when installing which you must strictly follow the rule of installing the tire on the disk. Outside must be on the outside of the vehicle and Inside must be on the inside.

Left or Right- means that the tires of this model are left and right. When installing them, you must strictly observe the rule of installing the tire on the car, the left ones only on the left, and the right ones, respectively, only on the right.

Tubeless- tubeless tire. If this inscription is not present, then the tire can only be used with a camera.

Tube Type- the tire must be operated with the tube.

MAX PRESSURE- the maximum admissible pressure in the tire, in kPa.

Vmax- permissible speed over 360.

SSR- emergency tire protection system in case of pressure loss.

M3- tires designed for BMW.

N1, N2, N3- tires designed for Porche.

MO- tires designed for Mercedes-Benz.

ML- tires with rim protection, for Mercedes-Benz or Audi.

MFS(Maximum Flange Shield) - maximum protection of the rim of the disc.

C, LT, Reinf, RF- reinforced tire.

FR (Flange Rotector)- tire with rim protection.

LT (Light Truck)- tires for light trucks, minibuses, small commercial vehicles, heavy off-road.

XL (eXtra Load)- tire with increased load.

E17- compliance with European standards.

DOT- compliance with US standards.

PLIES: TREAD- the composition of the tire tread layer.

SIDEWALL- the composition of the tire sidewall layer.

MAX PRESSURE- maximum internal tire pressure, KPa.

DA(stamp) - minor manufacturing defects that do not interfere with the normal operation of the tire.

TWI D- Projector tire wear indicator pointer.

MADE IN ...- country of manufacture of the tire.

American size designation

There are two types of American tire markings:

The first is very similar to the European one, only letters are put in front of the standard size "P" (Passanger- for a car) or "LT"(Light Truck is a light truck). For example: P 195/60 R 14 or LT 235/75 R 15.

And another marking, which is fundamentally different from the European one.

For example: 31x10.5 R15

31 is the outer diameter of the tire in inches.

10.5 - tire width in inches.

R- radial tire.

15 is the inner diameter of the tire in inches.

Knowing these basic data, you can easily choose the tires for your car.

Some tire models have an additional sidewall element located in the bead area called a rim guard. It can be made in the form of a protruding rubber band or a special seal in the same area.
The purpose of these technical solutions is to protect the disc rim from contact with, for example, curb stones during a parking maneuver, since such contacts can lead to chips, scuffs and other surface damage to the disc.

Sports image

In addition to the function of reducing the negative impact of foreign objects on the rim, the rim protection has an aesthetic effect, giving the visual combination of tire and rim a sportier image.

At the moment, the rim protection is an independent element of the tire, which does not have a generally accepted marking on the tire and / or in the designation of the tire article number. In this regard, a number of manufacturers add their own markings indicating the availability of rim protection, while other manufacturers do not indicate this at all. There are several approaches, guided by which, tire manufacturers apply rim protection on tires:
- Applies to a specific model, for all sizes that are available
- It is used for certain sizes, selected by geometric features (for example, for low-profile sizes)
- It is used for certain sizes, selected for image characteristics (for example, for sizes supplied for the original equipment of sports cars)

Consultation needed

Due to the variety of approaches to the formation of a tire offer equipped with a rim protection, as well as the lack of a single marking, it is necessary to consult (or contact the tire manufacturer for clarification) if it is necessary to choose a tire with this protective element.

For example, the MICHELIN company applies rim protection for sports models:,.
Attention! The rim protection is an independent structural element of the tire sidewall; it is not required for use on tires made using the technology of self-supporting tires, as well as on tires with increased bearing capacity.

Decoding of tire markings

The description of each tire model contains columns "SIZE" and "INDICES"... In this article, we offer you an explanation of these values.

Let's look at an example. In the graph "SIZE" value specified 185/70 R 14, in which:

185 - tire width in mm., 70 - the ratio of the height of the tire (from the landing rim to the outer edge of the wheel) to its width in percentage,

The lower this figure, the wider the tire looks, the more "squat" and more dynamic the car. However, all these advantages are only good on dry roads with perfect surfaces.

R- radial cord construction, the cord threads in the carcass plies have a radial (meridional) arrangement, i.e. directed from side to side,
14 - mounting size of the rim in inches ( 1inch = 2.54cm).

In the graph "INDICES" the indices of the maximum load per tire in kilograms and the speed index - the maximum permissible speed in km / h, as well as additional indices characterizing the properties of a particular tire are indicated.

Below are tables of load and speed indexes:

It is possible to indicate additional characteristics:

"TL"- tubeless tire,

FR- tire with rim protection,

RF, XL- reinforced tire with increased load capacity,

Letter "E" enclosed in a circle - European safety standard,

"DOT "- American safety standard.

Letters "M + S ""mud" (Mud) + "snow" (Snow) -winter and universal tires.

"AW "- "Any weather" - all-season tires,

same "AS"- "all seasons" (All Seasons).

Some companies use graphic symbols instead of letters: sun, rain, snowflake.

The arrow on the sidewall of the wheel indicates the direction of rotation for rain rubber. If it rotates in the opposite direction, the water, instead of being removed from under the tire, will be pumped under it.

In addition to all these, three more digits are put on the bus: the week and the year of manufacture,

- studded tires

We hope this information will help you choose the best tires for your vehicle.

When ordering discs from 4 pcs. premium shipping is free. (Alutec, ATS, Antera, Borbet, BBS, MAK, OZ Racing and Rial)

Tire speed index table.

It is possible to indicate additional characteristics:

"TL" - tubeless tire,

FR - tire with rim protection,

RF, XL - reinforced tire with increased load capacity,

The letter "E" enclosed in a circle - the European safety standard,

“DOT” is the American security standard.

The letters “M + S” “mud” (Mud) + “snow” (Snow) are winter and universal tires.

“AW” - “any weather” - all-season tires,

the same “AS” - “all seasons” (All Seasons).

Some companies use graphic symbols instead of letters: sun, rain, snowflake.

Tire size

Tire size refers to a numeric expression X / Y-Z(for example 130 / 70-18, like the Honda Gold Wing GL1800), where:
X- this is width(cross section) of the tire profile in millimeters,
Y- the height of the profile as a percentage of the width (this value is not indicated if the width is specified in inches. For example, 3.00-10)

Tire type

As you know, there are two types of tires - chamber and tubeless.
TT- abbreviation from Tube Type(chamber) - designation for tires intended for use only with a camera. TL- abbreviation from Tubeless(tubeless) - indicates that the tire should be used without a tube.
Tightness is ensured by a layer of special rubber applied to the inner ring. Proper fixation of the tire on the rim is achieved by means of humps - special structural elements of the rim.