Tire Service

Improve your vehicle’s handling, extend tire life, and drive more safely by checking your tires every month and keeping them inflated to the correct air pressure.

Mainstream Automotive offers a range of tires and can help customers select, balance, and mount the right tires for their vehicles.

Tire Services

• Wheel alignment
• Tire mounting
• Tire balancing
• Tire rotation
• Tire inspection

Understanding Tire Sidewall Markings

A tire size and rating may appear as P225/70-R15 89H. Each part communicates specific information about the tire:

• P indicates a passenger-vehicle tire. LT indicates a light-truck tire.
• 225 is the tire’s overall width in millimeters.
• 70 is the sidewall height expressed as a percentage of the tire width. This is known as the aspect ratio.
• R indicates radial construction. Other construction codes include B for belted bias and D for diagonal bias.
• 15 is the wheel diameter in inches.
• 89 is the load index, which corresponds to the tire’s weight-carrying capacity.
• H is the speed rating.

Speed Ratings

Common speed-rating codes include:

• R: up to 106 mph
• S: up to 112 mph
• T: up to 118 mph
• U: up to 124 mph
• H: up to 130 mph
• V: up to 149 mph
• Z: historically used for tires rated above 149 mph

Always follow the vehicle manufacturer’s tire specifications and observe posted speed limits. Higher-performance tires may provide strong dry-pavement traction but can wear more quickly because of their softer rubber compounds.

Treadwear, Traction, and Temperature Ratings

• Treadwear: A comparative rating shown on the tire sidewall. Higher numbers generally indicate longer expected wear under standardized test conditions.
• Traction: Grades indicate wet-pavement braking performance. Higher grades represent better performance under the test standard.
• Temperature: Grades indicate resistance to heat generation and the tire’s ability to dissipate heat under controlled conditions.