Tyre advice
Three things decide how long a set of tyres lasts and how safe they are: the right size, the right pressure, and noticing when they are finished. Here is all of it.
How to read your sidewall
Everything you need to buy the right tyre is already moulded into the one on your car. Take 205/55R16 91V as the example.
- 205: section width
- The width of the tyre in millimetres, measured across the tread from sidewall to sidewall.
- 55: aspect ratio
- The sidewall height as a percentage of the width. So 55 means the sidewall is 55% of 205mm. A lower number means a shorter, stiffer sidewall.
- R: construction
- Radial. Almost everything on the road today is radial, so this rarely changes.
- 16: rim diameter
- The wheel diameter in inches. This one is not negotiable. It has to match your rim exactly.
- 91: load index
- A coded maximum load per tyre. 91 is 615kg. Never fit a lower index than the manufacturer specified.
- V: speed rating
- The maximum sustained speed the tyre is built for. V is 240km/h. Again, do not go below the original spec.
- However you write it
- 195/65R15, 195/65/15, 195 65 R15 and 195.65.15 are all the same tyre. Type it any of those ways in our tyre finder, or on WhatsApp, and we'll know what you mean. The three numbers that matter are the width, the sidewall and the rim.
- The four-digit date code
- Look for a four-digit number in an oval, e.g. 3224, meaning the 32nd week of 2024. Rubber ages whether you drive on it or not; treat anything over six years old with suspicion regardless of tread.
Signs a tyre needs replacing
Tread depth is the legal test, but it is rarely the first thing to go wrong.
- Tread below 1.6mm
- The legal minimum in Zimbabwe. Every tyre has moulded wear bars sitting at exactly that depth. When the tread is flush with the bar, the tyre is finished. Wet braking distance roughly doubles between 3mm and 1.6mm, so replace before you get there.
- Cracking in the sidewall
- Fine crazing across the sidewall means the rubber has hardened with age and UV. No amount of tread depth makes that tyre safe.
- Bulges or blisters
- A lump in the sidewall means the internal casing has failed, usually from a pothole. That tyre is on borrowed time. Replace it now.
- Uneven wear patterns
- Worn on both edges means under-inflation. Worn in the centre means over-inflation. Worn on one edge only means your alignment is out. Feathered or scalloped tread means a balancing or suspension problem. The pattern tells you the cause.
- Vibration that wasn't there before
- A new shudder through the steering wheel or seat usually means a thrown balance weight or a separating belt. Get it looked at rather than driving through it.
Pressure and rotation
The two free things that decide whether you get 25,000km or 45,000km out of a set.
- Check pressures cold, monthly
- Cold means before you drive, or at least three hours after. A hot tyre reads up to 4 psi high and will fool you into letting air out of a correctly inflated tyre.
- Use the car's figure, not the tyre's
- The number on the sidewall is the tyre's maximum, not your target. The correct pressure is on the sticker in your driver's door jamb or fuel flap.
- Under-inflation is the expensive mistake
- 10% under pressure costs roughly 10% of the tyre's life and measurably more fuel. It also builds heat in the sidewall, which is how blowouts start.
- Rotate every 10,000km
- Front tyres on most cars do the steering, most of the braking and, on front-wheel drive, all of the pulling. They wear roughly twice as fast. Rotating evens that out across the set.
- Don't forget the spare
- A spare loses pressure sitting in the boot. Check it at the same time. It is no use to you flat on the side of the road at night.
Still not sure what you are looking at?
Send us a photo of your sidewall on WhatsApp. We will read it for you and come back with a price.