Tire Information From Cash-n-Carry

Today we have picked a subject that is not sexy by any means but interesting nonetheless. We at Cash-n-Carry are curious how many of you know what all those numbers and letters on the sidewall of the tire mean? Or better yet, do you have any idea how a tire is made? We mean come on, how does a little bit of rubber maintain structure while holding the weight of the car and while travelling at high speeds? Do you know any of this? The lowly tire is the most underrated part on your vehicle and it often is the part we take for granted and ignore when it comes to preventative maintenance.

The tire itself is made of several components. The bead is a loop of high-strengthened steel cable coated with rubber and it is this bead that gives the tire the strength to stay seated on the wheel rim. The body of the tire consists of several different layers made from different fabrics called plies. Plies are generally made of polyester cord and they, too, are coated with rubber. The number of plies that a tire has directly affects the strength of the tire; most car tires have two plies; jet airliners have thirty.

Steel-belted radial tires also have belts made from steel which help give added strength to the tire. And finally each tire has a sidewall which gives the tire strength while moving laterally and the tread which is made from a combination of natural and synthetic rubbers.

As for the numbers and letters on the tire, let’s take a look at a typical car tire and the numbers and letters found on it……P215/65R15 95H. What the heck does all that mean? Not too complicated really; the P stands for Passenger car tire…..215 is the nominal width in millimeters….65 is the aspect ratio of the sidewall height to width, as a percentage. R stands for radial….15 is the rim diameter…..95H is the load index and the speed symbol; in other words, how many pounds are the tires rated for and how much speed can they safely handle. And there you have it, a quick primer on tires and their designations.

Now normally we would tell you that you have just learned about all you need to know about tires except that next week is a tire week at our junk yard. Our You Pull It salvage yard is offering a Buy 3 Get One Free sale from December 12-16, so not only can you get a free tire next week but you can come in and dazzle us with your tire knowledge. And if you haven’t done so already for goodness sake cut out the coupon on our website that gives you 25% off any one in-stock used part at our Savannah salvage yard.