Tire Basics: What You Need to Know

Your tire is built from more than 200 individual materials, including natural rubber, synthetic rubber, steel wire, and textile cords. These layers are assembled and then cured under heat and pressure in a mold, bonding everything into a single structure capable of carrying vehicle weight, managing heat at speed, and maintaining grip across thousands of kilometers. Understanding this process helps explain why correct pressure, avoiding overloading, and replacing worn tires matter as much as they do.

Your tires are the only thing standing between your vehicle and the road. Your ability to brake, turn, accelerate, and maintain stability in rain, snow, or ice all depend directly on tire grip. This page shows you what that contact patch actually does, how tires behave differently in difficult conditions, and why choosing and maintaining the right tire is one of the most important safety decisions you make as a driver.

Your car's safety depends on your tires, which must be properly maintained in order for them to perform as intended. Treadwear, load limitations, inflation pressure, and installation are some of the variables that might affect the longevity and reliability of tires. By following specified safety rules and doing routine maintenance, drivers can reduce their risk of tire issues and be prepared for the road ahead.

A compact temporary spare has strict limits: lower maximum speed and a short maximum distance before it must be replaced with a proper tire. Exceeding these limits risks damage to the spare, the rim, and potentially the vehicle. This page covers how to use your spare correctly, what checks to do before fitting it, and why reaching a tire center promptly matters more than it might seem.

Performance tires grip harder and respond faster than standard tires, but they make specific trade-offs to deliver that. Their softer compounds wear faster, perform less effectively in cold temperatures, and are less forgiving on rough or potholed roads. If you drive a performance vehicle or want sharper handling, this page explains exactly what you gain and what you give up so you can choose with confidence.

Standardized tire marks establish tire load rating and speed rating, two crucial safety indicators. When properly inflated and loaded, these ratings indicate the maximum speed and weight that a tire can support. When changing tires, it's critical to recognize and honor these indications to make sure your car keeps operating as it should.

If you look at the sidewall of your tire, you will notice numerous standardized numbers, letters, and symbols. These tire markings provide essential information about the tire’s size, construction, load capacity, speed capability, and intended use.

Understanding how to read tire markings helps you select appropriate replacement tires and ensures compatibility with your vehicle’s specifications and overall tire safety. These markings are defined by industry standards and are referenced by vehicle manufacturers when specifying original equipment tires.

A tire is designed to meet performance requirements. But beyond a certain level of wear, it needs to be changed. What is the role of the tread? Up to what level of wear does the tire remain effective? And what is the legal minimum tread depth for changing your tires? Find out the answers to all your questions.

After a tire loses air pressure, run-flat tires are designed to help drivers keep control and continue driving for a limited distance. By reducing the need for quick roadside tire changes, this added mobility enhances convenience and safety.

Like all tires, run-flat tires require proper maintenance, inspection, and servicing to perform as intended. Understanding how run-flat tires work and how they should be cared for helps drivers make informed decisions and protect long-term tire performance.