NEXEN TODAY

When buying new cars, you also get a new set of tires. But when replacing tires after some years, you need to know the tire information on the sidewall. Especially when finding the appropriate replacement, the tire size and the year of production need to be confirmed.
The following is the explanation of the information on a tire sidewall.

Tire rubber hardens or deforms with age, its internal structure changes, and causes degradation of its stability and the quality. Before you purchase tires, you must check the year of production.

DOT code comes in handy in this case.
DOT code is required by Department of Transportation(DOT) for tire use in the U.S. It specifies the manufacture, which factory, and the year of production; two digits for week of the year plus two digits for year. For example, in DOT 3013, it means that tire was manufactured in 30th week of 2013.

Although all tires look alike, the size and characteristics of tires are automobile-specific. For this reason, no matter how high-performance the tire is, it is meaningless unless the size and characteristics of tire fit to the automobile. The size of tire can be checked on the sidewall as shown in the following image.

- The initial letter P represent Passenger Car application
- Section width : the maximum section width where contacting area on the load
- Aspect ratio : also called 'Series,' it means the ratio between section width and section height.
The higher the performance, the lower the ratio.
- Radial construction : it means that the construction type of Carcass, the important material which forms the tire
skeleton, is radial.
- Rim diameter (Inch) : tire diameter
- Load Index : the maximum load that each tire can carry at the indicated speed. The standard load table is as follows:

- Speed symbol : indicates the maximum speed at which each tire can carry a load corresponding to Load Index.
The speed rating recommended by tire makers are as follows:

The tire sidewall also contains a great deal of information; you can check tire wear and tire performance by looking for the treadwear indicators, applicable season for tire, and applicable vehicle.
Checking tires is a must for your safe driving. In particular, when purchasing or replacing tire, carefully check the size of tire, warranty, or the year of manufacturing.