For many car enthusiasts who are faced with buying car tires, it is somewhat perplexing when sellers in specialty stores mention the designation for SUV tires (SUV). Some tire manufacturers pay special attention to such labeling so that the car enthusiast can choose the product that is ideal for his vehicle... What is SUV on tires, as well as how they differ from other models, will be discussed below.

SUV markings

The decoding of SUVs for tires lies in the modern car industry. In order to understand what the abbreviation SUV means, you need to carefully study modern vehicles.

Many people pay attention to the fact that lately large passenger cars, which are called jeeps, have appeared on our roads. If earlier they served exclusively for off-road driving, and did not develop high speed, then modern jeeps have various modifications, increased comfort, as well as high speed. But there are also models that serve specifically for off-road driving.

So that motorists do not get confused when choosing the right jeep, the abbreviation SUV helps them in this. The designation for SUV is Sport Utility Vehicle. It means modern jeeps that have wheel formula 4 x 4, and can reach speeds of about 180 kilometers per hour. They differ from other vehicles in wheel arrangement, reinforced frame, high weight, and also the power of the power unit.

It should be noted right away that such data give them the necessary passability, but power unit and the transmission is not designed to cope with large off-road and heavy loads. Although the 4 x 4 formula helps to control such machines in all weather conditions.

Therefore, if a car enthusiast comes to a specialized point of sale for the choice of wheels, while he owns a Sport Utility Vehicle class, tires and tires on his car must be marked with the abbreviation SUV. That is, it indicates that the tire is designed for this type of vehicle.

It is important to remember that in addition to SUV wheels, there are other specialized products, such as friction tires. They also have special assignment and are not suitable for all vehicles.

Classification

Although SUV tires are designed for specific vehicles, they also have their own classification. This is due to the fact that vehicles are operated in various weather conditions.

It must be said right away that they differ from conventional tires the fact that they are designed for significant weight, operation in off-road conditions, and high speed, therefore, the rubber from which they are made passes special testing, and is also reinforced with additional metal or reinforced cord. This is how these tires differ from ordinary ones.

Naturally, the decoding of tire marking for SUV class cars contains all the abbreviations that are also used for simple wheels, the only thing you need to pay attention to when buying is that the SUV designation is added to them.

Now let's move on to the classification. It is of three types.

1. Summer. Such tires are designed for operation in warm weather, when the rubber is heated up not only during driving, but also due to hot weather. Special additives are added to the material from which such tires are made, which prevent the rubber from melting when heated significantly.
2. Winter. These tires are designed for winter driving. In addition to the fact that special substances are added to the material that make the rubber soft at subzero temperatures, special metal spikes are placed in its structure, which make the grip on the road surface improved, even if the asphalt is covered with ice.
3. All-season. Such rubber is positioned by manufacturers as universal, and is intended for use both in summer and winter time... This is achieved thanks to a special tread (pattern), which is designed to provide good grip on the road in summer and in snow conditions. But such tires are suitable for those regions where the climate is temperate, and the roads are well cleared of snow and do not freeze.

Based on this, one can come to a certain conclusion. If a car enthusiast owns a modern high-speed jeep, then for the safe operation of his vehicle, he needs to purchase tires with the SUV mark. Using plain tires can cause them to fail and burst.

If the tire breaks at high speed, the car may simply roll over, or the driver will lose control. This could result in a collision with an obstacle or other vehicle.

It is important to remember that today all self-respecting tire manufacturers orient their products to all car models, creating a special marking.

If on car tires If there is an SUV marking, then the motorist should know that they are intended for modern jeeps, which can develop high speed, and have a 4 x 4 wheel arrangement.

Alexey about tigar tire Summer SUV

Car: Chevrolet Captiva

ICO Score: 4.54

Dmitry about the tire Tigar Summer SUV honest review

Car: Ford Kuga

Size: 235/55 R17 103V XL

Buy again? Definitely yes

ICO Score: 4.77

Fedor about Tigar Summer SUV tire honest review

Vehicle: Nissan X-Trail

Size: 225/55 R18 98V

Buy again? Probably

ICO Score: 4.38

Nikolay about the Tigar Summer SUV tire

Car: Nissan Qashqai + 2

ICO score: 4.31

Alexander on the Tigar Summer SUV tire

Car: Hyundai Starex 2.5TD 1998-2006

ICO score: 4.31

Ryabov Evgeniy about Tigar Summer SUV tire

Car: Volkswagen Touareg 3,2L 2003-2007

ICO score: 3.92

SIZE.

Tire size, like others technical specifications and properties are set at the time of its design, the main criterion for determining the characteristics of a tire is the category of vehicles for which it is produced (passenger cars, minivans and SUVs, commercial, etc.). It is obvious that the requirements, for example, to passenger car tires and tires for light trucks will be different, respectively, and the labeling of such tires will be different. The most common designation for the tire size is235 /65 R 17 108 T , but the following labeling options are also found:185/75 R16C, LT185 / 75 R16, 175 / R14, 175-14 , 7.5-16 , 7.50R16 LT. Let's take a look at all these values \u200b\u200bin order:

175, 185, 235 - the width of the tire profile, measured in millimeters;

7.5, 7.50 - tire section width in inches;

65, 75 - series, expressed in the ratio of the height of the tire to the width, also called the height of the profile or simply the profile, indicated as a percentage. Those. 235/65 reads 65% of 235 mm. Marking that does not contain the tire series value (for example175 / R14) indicates that the tire is full profile. The profile height of such tires is more than 80%.

IMPORTANT! When changing the size of tires, remember that the series (profile) of the tire is a relative value. For example when replacing tires 235/65R17for wider 255/65R17will change inlarge side, total wheel height. This will lead to an increase in the vehicle's ground clearance (the vehicle will "rise"), which is not always good - the vehicle's handling may deteriorate, especially when cornering at speed, the maximum steering angle will decrease. Also, when driving on uneven roads / off-road or hitting pits and potholes, the wheel can touch the wheel arch liner, which is unacceptable. The situation is especially frustrating when the wheels, as a result of such replacements, cannot be installed on the car - they simply do not fit into the wheel arch.Tires that were mounted on a disk cannot be exchanged or returned. , be careful!

R, andRadial – many people mistakenly believe that the letterRmeans "radius", it is not. This is the designation of the radial structure of the tire (the arrangement of the layers of cord forming the tire carcass relative to the axis of rotation of the wheel). There are two more types of tires: bias, letterDusually not put( view marking175-14, 7.5-16) and diagonal tires with a stiffening belt, such rubber is much stiffer, heavier and excellent for SUVs in mountain conditions is marked with a letterB (Bias belted). If none of these letters are indicated, then the tire is of a bias design;

REINFORCED (RF), C or LT – designation of reinforced tires, rubber for commercial vehicles and light trucks;

REINFORCED or RF (for example 195/70R15 RF) means that the tire is reinforced with additional cords (ply rate 6PR);

FROM ( Commercial ) used to indicate easily truck tires having a ply rate of 8PR;

LT (Light Truck) the tires supplied to the US market and recommended for use on SUVs, minivans and light trucks are marked;

108 T - 108 - tire load index (more about load index).T -category (index) of the tire speed (more about the speed index). Also, the tire marking can contain the valueMAX.LOADegMAX.LOAD 1000 kg (2204 lbs).

MARKING OF AMERICAN TIRES.

The metric system of designation of the standard tire size is widespread in the USA ("P-metric"), but has some differences from the European "Euro-metric". For example, American-made tires are characterized by the presence of a tire designation index, it has a letter designation and is usually placed in front of the tire profile information - P 195/65 R 15, the following bus destination indices exist:

P – abbreviatedPassanger tires for passenger cars;

LT– abbreviatedLight Truck, tires for SUVs, minivans and light commercial trucks;

LTP– abbreviatedLight Truck Personal, tires for SUVs, minivans and private light trucks;

T – abbreviatedTEMPORARY, tires for temporary use, in other words - a spare wheel (stowaway);

Also in the United States there is an inch size designation system used for marking off-road and truck tires. An example of such a system is marking 32/11,5 LTP R15 Where:

32 - the outer diameter of the tire, measured in inches;

11,5 - series (profile height) of the tire, in inches;

LTP- bus destination index;

R - type of tire construction (radial);

15 - inner (landing) tire diameter.

ADDITIONAL TIRE MARKING.

SEASONAL AND WEATHER DESIGNATIONS:

M + S, M&S- Mud and Snow ( mud and snow), tires are designed for use all year round (all season). Pif there is no pictogram (picture) "snowflake" (mountains and snowflake), tires are recommended to be used only in summer , they are not suitable for winter;

All Season, AS - all season tires;

A.G.T. (All Grip Traction) - all-season tires;

Any Weather, Aw- for use in any weather;

Winter– winter tires;

"SNOWFLAKE" ("Mountains and Snowflake") - the tire is intended for use in winter period;

STUDLESS – marking of winter, non-studded (friction) tires;

STUDDABLE, STUD - marking of winter studded or studded tires;

Rain, Water, Aqua, Aquatred, Aquacontact or * umbrella *- rain tires.

IDENTIFICATION OF PASSAGE OF TIRES, TYPE OF ROAD SURFACE:

HP, H / P (High Performance) - road (highway) tires intended for use only on asphalt roads. Good grip performance only on flat road surfaces;

UHP (Ultra High Performance) - road (road) tires of increased wear resistance and strength. For even asphalt pavement only;

HT, H / T (Highway Terrain) - road tires for driving mainly on asphalt roads. The tread pattern allows you to drive on dirt roads and off-road only in dry weather;

A / T ( All terrain) - universal, all-road tires. More aggressive tread pattern than tires H / T. Designed for asphalt, dirt roads, sand, stone, snow, everyday use. Not recommended for driving on deep ruts and clay;

M / T (Mud Terrain) - mud tires... Tractor tread pattern. The rubber is stiffer than A / T and is not very suitable for asphalt roads, as well as behaves poorly on ice. Designed for driving on bumpy roads, ruts, clay, wetlands;

S.A.G. (Super All Grip) - off-road tires;

S.L. (Limited Service) - limited use;

U.G.S. (Undeground Special) - tires for underground equipment;

N . H . S . ( NonHighwayService) - not for high-speed roads;

C . M . S . ( Construction Mining Service ) - tires for mining and construction equipment;

H. C. T. (HeavyConstructorTransport) - tires for heavy construction equipment;

L. C. M. (LoggingConstructorMining) - tires for forestry, construction, mining equipment.

TIRES PURPOSE MARKING

SUV (Sport Utility Vehicles) - tires for sport utility vehicles and crossovers. As a rule, tires are marked for all four-wheel drive heavy vehicles (SUVs, minivans);

ML - (designation only for passenger car tires) tires with a protective rim flange, for Mercedes-Benz or Audi;

M0- tires homologated (approved) for Mercedes-Benz;

N0, N1, N2,N3, N4, N5 - tires designed for Porsche cars;

OTHER MARKING SYMBOLS:

TUBELESS, TL - tubeless tireif there is no such marking, the tire must be installed with a camera;

TUBE TYPE, TT - tube tire, used with tube only;

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Most modern models of the company have indicators of wear, running-in, temperature drop, which greatly facilitate the use and maintenance of tires. Additional additives in the rubber compound extend the life of Nokian tires.

Studded winter tires are one of the company's central areas of research. Work in this area has allowed Nokian's engineers to create innovative spikes that are virtually silent. However, they do not lose their performance properties even after 4 seasons of continuous use. Porsche has included Nokian winter tires in the official list of basic equipment for its vehicles.

On the Express-Tire website in Moscow, you can buy Nokian tires for any car and any climatic conditions fast, cheap and hassle-free. Using the intelligent search on the site or by calling our managers' hotline, you will quickly find the model you need.

In recent decades, vehicles of the crossover or SUV class have become super popular. These cars combine the qualities of the well-known station wagon, and due to the increased ground clearance, the cars are designed for use both in the city and off-road.

Such cars belong to the SUV class - which means Sport Utility Vehicle or sports utility vehicle. There is also a subclass SAV, the abbreviation stands for Sport Actlvity Vehicle - a car for active pastime. These cars include BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz Gle coupe, Porsche Macan.

However, only properly selected tires will be able to unleash the full potential of a car when driving off-road or provide maximum comfort on asphalt. It is worth familiarizing yourself with what the symbols mean in the marking and the decoding of the symbols on the rubber.

The fact that the tire is suitable for an SUV can be understood by the abbreviation suv on the sidewall. You can find it next to the model logo and the manufacturer's company name. Typically, these tires come with additional AT or AW markings.

There are various SUV tires, designed separately for winter or summer seasons, driving at high speed or driving on serious off-road, for urban SUVs or powerful SUVs... Each characteristic has its own designation, common to all brands. The ability to read the markings will help you choose the best quality rubber.

Tire classification

First of all, you should pay attention to the dimension of the wheels. These parameters can be applied in three different ways - according to the European specification or two American ones.


European values \u200b\u200bare specified in millimeters and are the most common. The first parameter tells about the tire width, the second - the profile height in relation to the width, the third - the inner diameter. For example, if sUV designation tires 205 * 45 * R17, then its tread width is 205 mm, profile height is 45, and suitable wheel disks - 17th diameter. The letter R informs us that we have products with radial cord braiding.

First option american marking resembles the European classification, however, symbols that determine the direction of the tires (P-Passanger, T-Rack, SUV and others) have been added to the dimension.

Other markings use the inch designation system. The indicator 30 * 12 * R18 means that 30 is the outer diameter, 12 is the tread width, and 18 is the inner diameter. This method is considered more convenient, because the height of the profile is not constant, while the outer diameter is constant. That is, the tire 185 * 45 * R18 may simply not fit into the wheel arch when 165 * 45 * R18 becomes normal.

Summer

Tire manufacturers of all brands produce footwear for cars for different seasons. Summer tires does not have a separate marking. If there are no badges on the wheel, then it is a priori considered summer.

The rubber compound of such tires consists of tough grades that perfectly withstand high speeds and temperature loads. Then the mixture simply sticks to the asphalt for maximum grip. But with low temperatures (below + 7) such tires simply "dub" and do not provide proper grip.

Winter

Winter tires work differently. Soft rubber grades are used in its production. Such a composition retains its elasticity at negative temperatures, and also has a branched tread pattern. This allows you to effectively drain water, mud or snow slurry without blurring the tread.

All winter sets have their own snowflake icon, indicating their focus. Studded or non-studded winter tires are available for modern SUVs. The studs provide the best grip on ice or packed snow, but fail on normal road. Therefore, if the car drives around the city, where the snow is removed, then it is better to give preference to stickies.

Velcro is divided into two types - European or Scandinavian. Tires differ in tread pattern. The first is focused on mild winters, the second - on severe ones. Thanks to high profile the suspension is slightly softer, but the tread noise is higher than the summer kits.

All-season

All-season kits can be recognized by the index 4S (4 Season), AS (All Season) or M + S (mud + snow). In fact, such tires are only called all-season - they are rather demi-season sets and they cannot be driven all the time... It is not yet possible to develop a mixture that provides reliable adhesion over the entire temperature range. Therefore, the production of this SUV tire was based on the average performance.

This means that tires work most efficiently at temperatures from -10 to + 10 degrees Celsius. When deviating from these indicators, work efficiency is significantly reduced. It is worth remembering this and being careful when driving a vehicle, because overestimating the abilities of a shoe can lead to unpleasant consequences.

How to choose?

There is a huge variety of shoes on the market for a new class of vehicle such as SUVs. To understand which kits are right for you, you should evaluate the area of \u200b\u200boperation of the machine. If the car spends most of the time on the road, only occasionally getting out of town and leaving the asphalt, then it makes sense to pay attention to road-type tires - with an increased contact patch. It is advisable to take two sets - winter and summer, and not ride the same shoe all year round.

If the suv classification is not just on paper and you have to get out off-road, then tires with a universal pattern and an increased profile height are not bad. This choice will provide the driver with more SUV features, but will not take away the comfort.

For experienced off-road drivers, avid hunters and anglers, special rubber with additional lugs, reinforced cord and increased profile height is suitable. Often on such models there is AT stamping - All Terrain, which speaks of their off-road orientation.

Additionally, you should pay attention to the indicators of speed and maximum wheel load. They are located next to the size. The speed category is indicated by a Latin letter. For example, the letter T indicates that such a wheel will carry a speed of 190 km / h. The closer a letter is to the end of the alphabet, the higher the limit. At the moment, letter Y corresponds to an indicator of 300 km / h.

One of the most important indicators is the load capacity index. It is adjacent to the speed category and is expressed in numerical terms. The higher it is, the greater the maximum permissible load per wheel. It is worth remembering that this parameter is calculated at the maximum pressure in the wheel. This indicator is applied closer to the inner edge.

Often on SUV tires you can find the letters EL next to this indicator or the word Reinforced. The presence of such a value indicates the reinforced construction of the tire and additional layers of cord. With this marking, the lifting capacity index increases by three units.

Also, suv tire markings can be found with a rain icon, the words Aqua, or Rain. This means that the wheel has a developed tread that can effectively drain water and resist aquaplaning.

We received a detailed transcript sUV markings tires. But it should be remembered that tires are worth buying based on the characteristics of operation and seasonality. In this case, you can count on getting the most out of your car and driving pleasure.