Author Topic: Tire speed rating  (Read 521 times)

Beardog

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Tire speed rating
« on: October 13, 2022, 04:54:41 AM »
Recently I researched tires for my car (2007 Toyota Matrix base model) on Consumer Reports and identified a tire to purchase from Amazon for installation by my mechanic.  Consumer Reports indicated that the T tire ratings had a treadwear warranty of 75,000 miles, and 65,000 miles for H and V speed rated tires.  (Let me say here that I am not a 'car person' and know very little about car tires.)

Because of the higher treadwear warranty I thought the T rating was the obvious choice and since it was listed in Consumer Reports for my car, I purchased the tires.

Now I see that Amazon's tire selection tool indicates that the T rating is not appropriate for my vehicle, I should get a V or W rating, which are good for higher speeds.  I am a hypermiling granny driver who mostly drives at 55 mph in the slow lane on highways, with a maximum of 75 mph for short durations when forced to drive faster (such as when I need to take an exit from the 'fast lane').  I've learned that T rated tires are good for up to 118 mph, which seems like it should be good enough for me: https://www.tireoutlet.com/blog/2969/tire-speed-rating-codes-what-they-mean/

My question is: are T rated tires of the appropriate tire model for my car safe to drive?  Thanks for any help you can offer.

chemistk

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Re: Tire speed rating
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2022, 06:25:47 AM »
Typically the speed rating of a tire is ultimately going to come down to the rubber composition, and therefore will have not only impacts on the maximum safe speed but also on the handling and the treadwear as you have found.

Higher speed rating tires are made with softer rubber compounds, which can better handle the increased heat and stress at high speeds. Lower speed ratings will be made with firmer rubber compounds which increase long-term durability at the expense of road noise and handling in severe weather conditions.

In practical terms, what you're going to find is that the 'T' rated tires are not going to perform as well on wet roads and in light snow, especially for a car of that weight. We have T rated tires on our Odyssey - ones that are technically designed for light trucks - because the vehicle is so heavy (over 5klbs empty). Softer tires would be quieter but would wear too quickly. The weight of the van helps to put more pressure on the tires and somewhat negates the concerns about poorer inclement weather handling, although some of that is also because the tires we have are M+S rated (mud & snow).

The biggest benefit you'll see is that they probably will last pretty close to the 75k mark, with proper inflation and regular rotation. As you get into the miles they'll definitely be noisy. in the first ~5k miles they'll also be particularly stiff and may be prone to wandering and tracking as they get broken in.

If none of this concerns you, then definitely go ahead and use them. In the future, I would recommend not purchasing tires from Amazon, as of late I have a hard time feeling confident in purchasing even name brand items from them. I usually try and recommend Tire Rack to folks, as their prices are nearly always as competitive as any of the other major retailers, they have excellent customer service and warranties, and they have one of the biggest selections of tires for most vehicles.


Beardog

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Re: Tire speed rating
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2022, 07:22:29 AM »
Thank you, chemistk.  I appreciate the great overview of the pros and cons of the T tire.  It probably wasn't a good choice.  Since the tires are returnable, I should be OK.  I'll check out Tire Rack next.

Tester

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Re: Tire speed rating
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2022, 09:06:46 AM »
If they are rated for 118 mph they should do fine at 75.
I would not stress about this.

snic

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Re: Tire speed rating
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2022, 11:36:09 AM »
+1 to the TireRack recommendation. Their prices are very competitive, they ship fast, they have a great selection, and they have good customer service. I've bought from them for years and had my mechanic install them. If you have a mechanic you trust, this is FAR better than going to a tire shop and putting up with their BS and pressure sales tactics.

Also, I wouldn't worry about the T rating.

 

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