Ask the Mechanic
What you need to know:
Tyre size is a combination of letters and numbers which can be found in the car user manual, driver door pillar, fuel flap or the tyre wall
SELECTING THE RIGHT TYRES FOR YOUR CAR
Hello Paul, what tyre brand do you recommend for sedan cars?
Mukundane.
Hello Mukundane, tyres contribute significantly to how your car steers, accelerates, brakes or handles when you are driving. Before you choose the tyres for your car, you must consider the following; the manufacturer recommended (correct) tyre size, load and speed rating, preferred quality of tyre vs budget and purpose of the vehicle or terrain it will drive on.
Tyre size is a combination of letters and numbers which can be found in the car user manual, driver door pillar, fuel flap or the tyre wall. For example, in 185/65 R15, the first numbers declare the tyre width in millimeters. Tyre width is crucial for vehicle handling and stability during high speed driving. The second set of numbers are the aspect ratio or percentage of the tyre width to height also called tyre profile.
High performance cars usually have low profile tyres for better road holding and grip during high speed cornering. Low profile tyres are uncomfortable to ride on and easy to damage when you hit a pothole at high speed. The last set of numbers are the rim diameter which confirms that the tyre will fit on your rims. Load rating and speed rating are how much load the tyre can carry and the maximum weight it should carry at those speeds. Selecting a tyre is a balancing act between quality desired and price you are willing to pay.
Most new tyre brands sold in Uganda meet globally acceptable standards. However, in terms of quality, what you pay for is usually what you get. Tyre manufacturers invest differently in research and design to achieve superior performance and lifespan.
Generally, tyres fall in one of three categories; premium, mid-range and budget. Premium tyres are high budget and deliver the best performance in terms of long life (35,000kms/three years), less rolling resistance for quieter running and superior fuel efficiency, excellent road grip and shortest braking distance. Mid-range tyres are a good balance between premium and budget categories. They are a good value for money for family driving or the commute.
Budget tyres are not subject to the highest performance standards as premium tyres. Budget tyres do not perform as well or last as long as premium tyres. The purpose of your car and terrain you will drive it on will guide your tyre choice. If you are going to drive purely on tarmac roads, then you can buy the faster, high speed tyres, which are designed with bigger centre grooves to enhance cooling and tread design to evacuate water on a rainy day.
If you plan on driving both on and off road, it makes sense to buy a set of mixed terrain tyres whose tread design is comfortable for reasonable speeds on tarmac and light off road duty.
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