Top 6 Tips on How to Find Tire Size on Your Car

Knowing your tire size is helpful for a few reasons. If you're driving to the store to buy new tires, you'll need to know your tire size to ensure the tires you purchase to fit on your wheels. If you get a flat, you'll want to be able to tell the tow truck operator what size of the spare tire they should bring, and if you're going to buy new tires online-you guessed it-you'll need to know your tire size! It may seem like a hassle at first, but once you've done it once or twice, it's pretty easy to find. This blog covers informative content on how to find tire size on your car.

1. Look at the Sidewall of Your Tires

This is the outer part, and it has a lot of helpful information, including your tire size. The tire size is usually in numbers, like "10-27-5." Each number represents a different aspect of the tire. There are three main aspects: width, diameter, and rim size, which are represented by the first, second, and third numbers, respectively (the last two numbers represent load index and speed rating).

2. Check the Placard Located on the Driver's Side Door Jamb

Open up the driver's side door and look for a sticker that contains information about your vehicle-there may be more than one sticker with relevant information. The one that tends to be most helpful is located just next to where you'd put your feet when entering your car; it'll be white or yellow in color and rectangular shape. That's where you'll find the tire size (among other relevant info) listed out clearly for you!

3. Check the Owner's Manual

The owner's manual for your car should list the tire size for your vehicle. This will be written in a way that might look complicated at first but can be decoded by anyone familiar with tire sizes. The first part of the code refers to the tire's width in millimeters. If this number is 175, then it means that the tire's width is 175 millimeters. The second number refers to the aspect ratio of the sidewall height to the section width. If this number is 60, it means that 60 percent of the tire's width is tall as its sidewalls are high. The last number refers to rim diameter, which indicates how big the wheel is that it fits on. This number will be written in inches, so if it says 15, then this means that the diameter of the rim is 15 inches around.

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4. Call Your Mechanic

If you cannot find an owner's manual, call a mechanic and ask for assistance determining the tire size. If possible, make an appointment with a mechanic and bring your vehicle along so he can measure the tires in person. If that is not possible, ask questions about your vehicle before visiting a mechanic in person. A good mechanic should be able to help you determine the right size tire for your vehicle based on questions regarding make, model, trim level, and option packages.

5. Look Up Your Vehicle Details Online

Check the owner's manual or go online to retrieve the information about your vehicle and its tires. The easiest way to get this information is by looking up your car's make and model and selecting "tire size" from the options listed across the screen. This will show you all of the information you need to know about your tires, including their width, sidewall height, wheel diameter, and more.

6. Measure Your Tires

If you don't have access to a computer or internet connection or just want to double-check that you've measured correctly, you can do so manually. This method might require assistance from another person because it involves measuring tape around each wheel; however, it's fairly straightforward and can be done without any additional tools besides pencils or pens (and maybe a calculator).

Final Word

Your car's tire size is essential to find if you're planning a road trip, want to buy new tires, or are trying to improve your vehicle's handling. It's also beneficial if you want to know the size of your tire so you can replace them with a different size.

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