What are the different Traction grades?
As of 1997, the traction grades from highest to lowest are “AA”,”A”,”B” and “C”. A tire graded “AA” may have relatively better traction performance than a tire graded lower, based on straight-ahead braking tests. The grades do not take into consideration the cornering or turning performance of a tire.
What is the traction rating of a tire?
Traction: Tire traction is rated AA, A, B or C, with AA at the top of the scale. This rating is based on the tire's ability to stop a car on wet concrete and asphalt.
What do the letter grades on tire treadwear and traction mean?
The letter or number grades on treadwear, temperature and traction can help when purchasing replacement tires. Ideally, every tire would have a high rating in all three categories, but like just about everything else in life, there are tradeoffs. For instance, the tire with the highest treadwear rating is likely to have a lower traction rating.
What is the difference between AA&AA traction tires?
A tire having a higher grade should allow a car to stop on a wet road in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is graded "AA" (highest), "A," "B" or "C" (lowest). While more than three quarters of all tires are rated "A" or better, only 3 percent are rated "AA."
What is traction rating A?
Traction (the safety rating) A traction grade tells you how well your tire can stop in wet conditions. The highest traction grade is AA, followed by A, B, and C. Tires with an 'AA' traction rating should stop at a much shorter distance than a tire with a 'C' rating.
What is tire temperature rating A?
The temperature grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B and C. These represent the tire's resistance to the generation of heat at speed. Tires graded A effectively dissipate heat up to a maximum speed that is greater than 115 mph. B rates at a maximum between 100 mph and 115 mph.
What does tire traction AA mean?
Traction markings indicate how well a tire will perform in wet conditions. The traction rating can be AA, A, B or C. AA is the highest level of wet traction and C is the lowest.
What is a good treadwear number?
Tires with treadwear ratings of 350 or less tend to have some performance pretentions, but for serious drivers and competitive racers, the only tires they will ever consider have treadwear ratings of 200 or less.
Is tire traction a good?
Traction is graded "AA" (highest), "A," "B" or "C" (lowest). While more than three quarters of all tires are rated "A" or better, only 3 percent are rated "AA." Just over 20 percent are "B" and only one line of tires is rated "C."
Are B temperature tires good?
In fact, you might consider A, B and C as a “good, better, best” when it comes to temperature ratings. Temperature B tires mean they are better than C tires, but not as temperature durable as A tires.
What does 600 AA mean on tires?
In basic terms, and in the spirit of the concept, the higher the UTQG treadwear rating, the greater the tire life. A tire with a "600" treadwear rating is forecasted to last twice as long as a tire with a "300" rating, and should accumulate three times the mileage of a "200" rated tire.
What is a temperature grade?
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Is 800 treadwear good?
For daily driving around town or on road trips, higher ratings in the 700 or 800 neighborhood are a good choice that will last you a long time.
How important is temperature rating on tires?
Temperature rating shows the tires' ability to disperse heat build-up. Heat is what causes a tire to deteriorate over time. Therefore, a tire that has a high temperature rating will disperse heat better than one with a low temperature rating.
Is higher or lower treadwear better?
Tread wear (the durability rating) The higher the tread wear number, the longer the tread wear will last. In this case, a higher number is better than a lower number. This rating is based off a 100-tread wear control tire.
Is a 500 treadwear rating good?
It is expected to last 7 times longer than a 100-UTQG treadwear-rated tire. How does a treadwear rating of 250 compare to a treadwear rating of 500? The 500 is expected to last twice as long, so to speak, as the 250.
Which tire grade has better traction?
A tire graded “AA” may have relatively better traction performance than a tire graded lower, based on straight-ahead braking tests. The grades do not take into consideration the cornering or turning performance of a tire.
What is a temperature grade?
Temperature grades represent a tire’s resistance to heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled laboratory test conditions. The grades from highest to lowest are “A”,”B” and “C”. The grade “C” corresponds to the minimum performance required by federal safety standard.
What is UtQG in tires?
The United States government has established the UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading) to assist consumers when they are in the market for tires. The key to using this system is to understand that it is a relative comparison system.
How long should a tire graded 400 last?
For example the useful tread on a tire graded 400 should last twice as long as a tire graded 200. However, another tire manufacturer may grade a comparable design 300, so a grade of 150 would last just half as long under their grading system.
What does tire traction A mean?
Traction grades are an indication of a tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement. A higher graded tire should allow a car to stop on wet roads in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is graded from highest to lowest as “AA”, “A”, “B”, and “C”. Of current tires: 3% are rated “AA”
What is a high tire temperature?
Most experts consider 195 degrees Fahrenheit as the “line in the sand” when it comes to tire temperature: Beyond that point, the temperature will start impacting tire life. At 250 degrees, a tire will start to lose structural strength, could begin experiencing tread reversion and the tire will begin to lose strength.
What is normal tire temperature?
How hot does the tire get? Typical tires experience a temperature increase of roughly 50 degrees after running on the highway for a half-hour. If it’s a 70-degree day, this suggests a tire temperature of about 120 degrees.
What does traction A and temperature a mean on tires?
Temperature, the tire’s heat resistance, is stated in letters. A tire graded “A” is the highest, “B” is average and “C” the lowest. A tire having a higher grade should allow a car to stop on a wet road in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is graded “AA” (highest), “A,” “B” or “C” (lowest).
How many miles is a 600 treadwear rating?
A tire rated 600 AA with a 70,000 mile warranty is quite likely to live up to it.
What are the longest lasting tires?
The longest lasting tires in Consumer Reports’ tests are the Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus. They claim 90,000 miles, and Consumer Reports estimates they’ll go 100,000.
How many miles is a 400 treadwear rating?
For example: One tiremaker’s 400 treadwear grade earns only a 40,000- mile warranty, while another’s 400 -level tire carries a 60,000- mile warranty.
What is traction grade?
Traction also receives letter grades that indicate how well it stops. A tire having a higher grade should allow a car to stop on a wet road in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is graded "AA" (highest), "A," "B" or "C" (lowest). While more than three quarters of all tires are rated "A" or better, ...
How to determine treadwear?
Treadwear is determined by comparing the subject tire against a control tire that is assigned a grade of 100. If the subject tire gets a grade of 200, it can be expected to last twice as long as the control tire; a tire with a grade of 80 usually is less durable. Currently, the highest reported treadwear rating is 700.
What percentage of tires are B?
Just over 20 percent are "B" and only one line of tires is rated "C.". Under federal regulation, all three ratings must be molded into the outer sidewall of all passenger vehicle tires. It can vary in its location of the tire and will rate each category.
Purpose
Safety
- The UTQG is not a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed number of miles. Under UTQG, manufacturers use three criteria to grade tires: treadwear, traction and temperature.
Availability
- The information is easily viewable when buying tires. This information is also available when searching for new tires on the internet. The information can be found:
Performance
- The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear of a tire when tested carefully under controlled conditions. For example the useful tread on a tire graded 400 should last twice as long as a tire graded 200. However, another tire manufacturer may grade a comparable design 300, so a grade of 150 would last just half as long under their grading system. The lesson learne…
Properties
- Temperature grades represent a tires resistance to heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled laboratory test conditions. The grades from highest to lowest are A,B and C. The grade C corresponds to the minimum performance required by federal safety standard. Therefore, the A tire is the coolest running, and even though the ...
Example
- Mileage warranties are prorated. If you get 70,000 miles out of a set of tires and you have an 80,000 mile warranty, you will not get a new set of tires for free. In this example, you received 87.5% of the mileage promised (70,000/80,000 = 87.5%). You would be entitled to a prorated adjustment of 12.5% when purchasing a new set of the same brand (aka Michelin, Goodyear, Co…
Issues
- There are other considerations with mileage warranties. Such as, did the vehicles misalignment cause the tires to wear out pre-maturely? Was over or under inflation a factor? Were the tires rotated properly and in a timely fashion?