Understanding Your Tire Treadwear Rating: What It Means for You

Understanding Your Tire Treadwear Rating: What It Means for You

When you are looking for a new set of tires, one of the most important factors to consider is the treadwear rating. This number indicates how long the tires should last before they need to be replaced. But what does it mean?

In this blog post, we will explain what your tire treadwear rating means and how it can help you choose the right set of tires for your needs. If you have any further questions after reading this article, check out our website for more information and search for quality brands on rent-to-own tires with in-house financing available!

Uniform Tire Quality Grading System

The uniform tire quality grading (UTQG) system is a standard that was created by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to rate the treadwear, traction, and temperature of tires. These ratings are represented by a three-digit number, with the first digit indicating the treadwear rating, the second digit indicating the traction rating, and the third digit indicating the temperature rating.

Three Digits And What They Mean

The first digit of your tire’s uniform tire quality grading rating indicates its treadwear rating, which is a relative measure of how long it will take for your tires to wear down and need to be replaced. This grading system was established using two control tires (one with a grade of 100 and one with a grade of 200), which were driven on concrete surfaces or test surfaces under standardized conditions.

The tire’s grade was determined by comparing its wear to that of the control tires, so if your tire wears as fast as the control tire with a rating of 100 it would have a treadwear rating of 100; if it lasts twice as long, it would have a rating of 200.

Ratings With Purpose

The treadwear rating isn’t the only measure of how long a tire will last, but it is one indicator. It’s also important to consider things like driving habits and weather conditions when determining how long your tires will last.

Treadwear ratings are graded on a scale of 100 to 500, with the higher numbers indicating a longer-lasting tire. The ratings are determined by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA),

The second digit represents the traction rating, A-C. For a traction rating of A, your tire's traction would be best on a wet surface. A rating of B is good, and C is acceptable as well.

The third digit represents the temperature rating, 0-F. Your temperature rating is important to know because it will tell you how your tires will perform in winter weather conditions. A rating of 0 is the best, while an F means that your tire isn't recommended for winter driving.

A tire with a treadwear rating of 100 would have a tread life of approximately 80,000 miles. This is just an estimate and can vary depending on the make and model of the tire, as well as driving habits and weather conditions.

Tire Manufacturers Role

Tire manufacturers care about the uniform tire quality grade because it helps them make sure their tires are high quality. Your tire manufacturer likely can explain in more detail how they rate their tires. If you are still confused after consulting with your tire manufacturer, Pay Later Tires offers information in more depth about this topic and other helpful things to know regarding your vehicle's tires and wheels.

It's important to remember that tire treadwear ratings are only a guideline and can differ depending on driving habits, road conditions, climate, and other factors.

Temporary Spare Tires

Temporary spare tires also receive treadwear grade and temperature grades that can be located on the tire sidewall. The treadwear grade, temperature grades, and traction grades are not required to be displayed on passenger car tires but can be found on light trucks and heavy-duty tires.

Grades Matter

A treadwear grade is a number from 0 to 500 that indicates the expected wear rate of the tire when compared with other tires in laboratory testing. The higher the number, the longer the tire should last. A treadwear grade of 500 for example should last twice as long as a tire with a treadwear grade of 250.

Your Tire Manufacturer

Tire manufacturers are required by law to test the tires by standards set by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The rating is based on a government-mandated course that measures wear and traction over an extended period. Each tire manufacturer uses its own independent testing company to measure the treadwear of its tires.

Driving Habits

Your tire life is also affected by your driving habits, environmental factors, and road conditions. Factors such as speeding, underinflation, or overloading a tire can wear out tires more quickly than those driven at the recommended speed limit with properly inflated tires.

UTQG Chart

To help you determine how long the tread will last on your vehicle's tires, check out this chart:

Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)	Approximated Design Life (Miles)
200 or less	40,000
201-300	50,000
301-400	55,000
401-500	60,000
501-600	70,000
600 or greater	80,000
Weighted-Avg	53,900

As a general rule of thumb: The higher the UTQG rating, the more miles you can expect to get out of your tire life.

Government Tests

The specified government test surfaces on the following chart are:

* Dry Pavement: A mix of concrete and asphalt, which is worn smooth by traffic.

* Wet Pavement: Polished concrete pavement that has been sprinkled with water to simulate a wet roadway.

* Snowy Roadway: Concrete or wet asphalt covered with snow.

A test tire is used to find out what the treadwear rating is. A test tire can also be used to determine the traction and temperature grades.

* The test tire is run for 200 miles on a track that simulates one of the government test-specified surfaces.

* The same process is repeated until only 50% of tread depth remains - or until it wears out before reaching 50%.

The wear score (600, 500, 400, etc.)

Traction grades can be found on the tire sidewalls. The highest rating is AA and the lowest is C.

The temperature grades (A, B, or C) are also found on the tire sidewall but only for tires that meet federal safety standards.

Resistance Is Futile

Your tire's resistance, tire's coefficient, and traction coefficients are determined by friction with the surface on which it is moving. Treadwear traction and temperature can be based on the treadwear grades. Treadwear grades are not just based on the tread pattern, but also rubber compounds and construction.

Winter tires and trailer tires are not required to have treadwear ratings.

Patterns With Reason

Tread patterns can help your tires resist hydroplaning, where water on the road surface acts as a cushion that separates your tires from the road. Tires with larger voids and wider grooves are more effective at resisting hydroplaning than those with smaller voids and narrower grooves.

Monitoring tires are used for comparative rating. A monitoring tire is a new, unused tire that has been assigned a treadwear grade by the same manufacturer.

Government Grades

The U.S. government grades tires for treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance. The ratings range from 60 to 420 on a scale of 100, with 100 being the best. Grades are determined by laboratory tests conducted under controlled conditions.

Rotation Of Tires

This is why it's important to have your tires rotated at the appropriate intervals as stated in your vehicle's owner's manual. Tire rotation helps ensure that all four tires wear evenly, providing you with the maximum tread life possible.

Tires sold by tire manufacturers based on the treadwear grade must have a Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) label that provides information on traction, temperature resistance, and treadwear. You will find this label on the sidewall of your new tires.

Temperature grade affects your tire's ability as much as your traction grade. Two tires with different temperature ratings will have different heat buildup even in controlled conditions and dissipate heat differently. Generally speaking, road characteristics, such as the blacktop, asphalt, concrete, and tar snakes will create more heat on a tire.

Instrumented Axle

Tires are mounted on an instrumented axle that is then run through a test track designed to simulate actual road conditions and stress. After running for approximately 200 miles, the tire's tread depth is measured with a high precision gauge at 32 measurement points around each tire. The average of these measurements provides the utqg ratings and a comparative rating based on the initial readings.

Consumer reports are used as a marketing tool when buying tires and can provide consumers with treadwear rates to help make an informed decision for your vehicle or truck with these test results.

Reach Out To Learn More

For more information please contact us or visit our website where you'll find the largest selection of quality name brand tires available and pay later for the tires you need, today!