Learn About Tire Grade

One of the girls here just needed to get new tires on her car. Before she went out to do it, we suggested that she learn a little bit about car tire ratings and what was right for her vehicle. (She’s got a Mazda3, by the way. And we haven’t been able to talk her into adding any fun performance parts yet. Give it time.)



Before you go out to buy new tires, you need to understand what tire ratings mean and what specs to use. A lot of people get tripped up by the ratings. You need to read the car tire placard on the car (not the tire) to determine the tires specified for your care and the proper tire size, as well as inflation and load limits.



Traction grades are an indication of your tires’ ability to stop on wet pavement. A higher graded tire will allow your car to stop on wet roads in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower traction grade. Traction is graded from highest to lowest: AA, A, B, and C.



Treadwear grades indicate the tires’ relative wear rate. The higher the treadwear number, the longer it should take to wear down. Control tires are graded 100, and other tires are compared to the control tire. For instance, a tire grade of 200 will wear twice as long as the control tire.



Temperature grades indicate the tires’ resistance to heat. The higher the grade, the more heat it can withstand. This is also graded from highest to lowest: A, B, or C.



You can get the most out of your car with any of the performance auto parts here at New Level Motor Sports. And we’re always here to answer your questions.