How to buy safe and good-quality discount tyres

Reading the label will help ensure you buy a quality discount tyre that is right for your car.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates all tyres  by their adherence to specific safety standards.  Passenger tyres are also graded via a quality rating system called Uniform Tyre Quality Grading (UTQG).  The UTQG system is centered on three basic performance criteria:  tread wear, traction, and temperature resistance.  There three ratings should be found strung together on the sidewall of the tyre.

Traction grade is rated A for best, B for intermediate, or C for acceptable.  The traction grade tells you the tyre’s effectiveness at stopping on slippery roads.  The traction of a tyre is calculated under restricted conditions on DOT test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.  Keep in mind that DOT testing for traction is for “straight ahead” braking and thus traction ratings are not a reflection of the cornering ability of the tyre.

Tread wear grade is a proportional rating based on wear rate of the tyre when testing under restricted conditions on the test track.  The higher the tread wear grade, the longer the tyre wear.  However tread wear grades are specific to each manufacturer and thus are only useful for judging tyres from the same manufacturer.  For example you could not look at tread wear on a discount tyre and compare tread wear numbers with a brand name tyre unless the discount tyre was made by the same manufacturer.  Keep in mind that these ratings are also guides based on the car being driven on the test track and thus your actual wear time will vary based on driving conditions like road surface and weather as well as your driving habits.  Tyre wear can also be affected by frequency of tyre maintenance for issues like proper air pressure, wheel alignment and tyre rotation.  

Heat Resistance is the third component of the UTQG system and it measures heat resistance of the tyre.  Again these tests are conducted under controlled situations and on a specific indoor test wheel and not actually on the road.  The reason DOT regulates heat resistance is that sustained high temperatures can alter the tyre material which can limit the life of the tyre.  Extreme temperatures can cause the tyre to fail unexpectedly such as a blow out while driving.  Heat resistance is measured using A=Best, B=Intermediate and C=Acceptable.  Federal law dictates that all tyres must at least be at the acceptable level when it comes to heat resistance.

There are some things to watch out for when buying discount tyres to be sure that you purchase a safe quality tyre suitable for your car and driving conditions.  In addition to the above grades you will want to be aware of the Speed Rating of the discount tyre you are buying.  Speed rating is measured using the letters Q-Z and identifies the maximum recommended speed for a tyre.  A rating of Q corresponds to a speed of 99mph which is more than satisfactory for most consumers in the United States.  Paying extra for a discount tyre with a higher speed rating is not necessary.  The tyre sidewall should include the term DOT followed by a combination of letters and numbers up to 12 digits.  This indicates that the tyre meets all safety standards as set by the Department of Transportation.  Understanding how discount tyres compare to brand name tyres will ensure that you buy a quality tyre suitable for your driving needs.