Tire Specifications and How to Interpret Them

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire

The link above will give you a place to start learning a few basics about tires. After reading the Wiki entry try going to the Bridge-stone, Goodyear, Uni-royal and other tire manufacture sites, they normally have sections that talk about not only there technologies but also about tire basics.

Tire codes are at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_code

Visit Tyre Manufacturers' websites for goodness sake. Every one I have visited has all the information you desire.

I think you are in the wrong section this would be more suited to the mechanical section

For what its worth a tyre has three basic sizes - 165/60 x 14

The first size 165 is the tyre width it is in - mm

The second size 60 is the profile of the tyre - (i.e. the hight of the tyre between the wheel rim and the outside circumference of the tyre it is in - mm

The third size 14 is the diameter of the wheel rim shoulder where the tyre sits

it is measured in inches - similarly the width of a wheel rim is also measured in inches but has no direct relationship to the tyre width. (i.e 165 tyre fits on 4.5 rim)

The other marking relevant to the tyre is the speed rating (i.e. H or V) this dictates the maximum speed which the tyre can be safely used

Finally there is the tread patten which has no description apart from a possible coloured line on the outer edge of the tread on a new tyre.

If this present then the tyre can only be fitted on way on the wheel and subsequently that wheel can only be used on one of the car (i.e. you cannot take a wheel off the right hand side of the car and put it on the left hand side or it will revolve backwards.

These are usually performance or special wet weather tyres where the pattern is not consistent across the face of the tyre or the tread may consist of V pattern grooves which have to face in the direction of travel to displace water. In such cases the spare would have to be a universal reversible tyre.

Confused - you should be!

Sorry to correct your comments, but the "60" as in your sample means the so called "aspect ratio" or "series" of such tire. It is the ratio between the "section height" over the "section width" expressed as a percentage and not in mm. The "section width" is the distance between the extreme points of both sidewalls. The "section height" is a half of the diference between tire outside diameter and rim diameter. In all cases those dimensions are of the tire mounted in their specified rim, inflated and unloaded.

Everything you ever need to know about tyres http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html

http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyreinfo.html

This is to thank you all for your contribution on the subject matter. I have got more than enough information.

Thanks,

Jabulani.