WHY DOES TIRE SIZE MATTER?
When the time comes to replace your tires, what you choose matters. And yes, that applies to tire size. It’s understandable to think a tire’s a tire, but an impulsive purchase could have serious consequences and costs down the road. Buying the wrong size tire can mess with speedometer readings, cause poor gas mileage, and even damage your car. The best way to ensure top performance out of your vehicle is to know how to find and how to read tire size recommended by your car’s manufacturer. At Firestone Complete Auto Care, we take tires seriously—that’s why we want you to know how to select the best tires for your vehicle.
How to read your tire size
Want to know how to read the rest of the information included in your tire number? Each letter and number set represents certain details of a tire’s build and performance. It’s helpful to be able to read your entire tire size so you can accurately compare the grade and performance of your current tires against a new set. Here’s how to read tire sizes for any vehicle.
TIRE SHOPPING? KNOW THESE FIGURES
Once you’ve found your vehicle’s recommended tire size, the next question is how do you decipher it? Don’t worry about memorizing a long string of numbers, you only need two pieces of information to start your tire search: tire class and wheel diameter/size. Here’s where you can find them:
- Tire class: First letter of a tire number. It will most like be a “P” for passenger or “LT” for light truck
- Wheel diameter/size: This number follows the wheel construction class, “R” or “D”, of a tire number. It will be a number ranging from 13 to 24
WHERE CAN I FIND MY TIRE SIZE?
- Check the owner’s manual
- Driver’s side door jamb
- Inside the glove box door
Find the right tire for you
Your tire size is packed with a lot of valuable information. Now that you know how to read tire size, you can see all that Firestone Complete Auto Care has to offer when you shop your vehicle’s tire size. And you can always visit your neighborhood Firestone Complete Auto Care for help from our tire professionals who are ready to help you browse, select, and install the right tires for your vehicle and driving style.