Comparison Bridgestone Alenza 001 285/50 R20 112V vs Nexen Roadian HP 285/50 R20 116V

The maximum weight load that the tyre is able to carry. It is denoted by a conditional figure, each of which corresponds to a certain value:

66 - 300 kg, 67 - 307 kg, 68 - 315 kg, 69 - 325 kg, 70 - 335 kg, 71 - 345 kg, 72 - 355 kg, 73 - 365 kg, 74 - 375 kg, 75 - 387 kg, 76 - 400 kg, 77 - 412 kg, 78 - 425 kg, 79 - 437 kg, 80 - 450 kg, 81 - 462 kg, 82 - 475 kg, 83 - 487 kg, 84 - 500 kg, 85 - 515 kg, 86 - 530 kg, 87 - 545 kg, 88 - 560 kg, 89 - 580 kg, 90 - 600 kg, 91 - 615 kg, 92 - 630 kg, 93 - 650 kg, 94 - 670 kg, 95 - 690 kg, 96 - 710 kg, 97 - 730 kg, 98 - 750 kg, 99 - 775 kg, 100 - 800 kg, 101 - 825 kg, 102 - 850 kg, 103 - 875 kg, 104 - 900 kg, 105 - 925 kg, 106 - 950 kg, 107 - 975 kg, 108 - 1000 kg, 109 - 1030 kg, 110 - 1060 kg, 111 - 1090 kg, 112 - 1120 kg, 113 - 1150 kg, 114 - 1180 kg, 115 - 1215 kg, 116 - 1250 kg, 117 - 1285 kg, 118 - 1320 kg, 119 - 1360 kg, 120 - 1400 kg, 121 - 1450 kg, 122 - 1500 kg, 123 - 1550 kg, 124 - 1600 kg, 125 - 1650 kg, 126 - 1700 kg, 127 - 1750 kg, 128 - 1800 kg, 129 - 1850 kg, 130 - 1900 kg, 131 - 1950 kg, 133 - 2060 kg.

While choosing according to this indicator, it is worth considering not only the maximum weight of the car for which tyres are going to buy, but also the distribution of weight along the axles. With passenger cars, everything is simple — the weight is distributed approximately equally, so to determine the load on each wheel, it is enough to divide the maximum mass of the car by 4 (the number of wheels). H...owever, in minibuses, light trucks and SUVs, the situation is different: the weight distribution can be unequal, so you should refer to the manufacturer's documents or other special sources to calculate the load on each wheel.

Anyway, the load index must not be exceeded — this creates the danger of an accident. In fact, the wheel load should be at least 10 – 15% below the maximum, this will give an additional guarantee in case of abnormal loads. Also note that in some high-speed tyres, with the speed maximum approaching, the permissible load decreases: for example, for tyres with the V index (see "Speed rating") with speed over 210 km/h, it is recommended to reduce the load by 3% for every next 10 km/h increase in speed, similar recommendations apply to models with indexes W and Y. These details are usually described in the manufacturer's documentation and other special sources.

The shape of the tyre tread pattern:

— Directional. Pattern with a characteristic V-shape. Among other things, such rubber is considered to be especially effective on wet surfaces — in rain, on snow, with an abundance of melt water, etc.: the pattern provides effective water drainage, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and increasing grip. Also, these tyres are well suited for high-speed sports cars (although, of course, their speed rating and specialization may be different). When installing directional tyres, the direction indicated by the manufacturer must be kept.

— Symmetric. The pattern without signs of directionality is the same both on the outer and on the inner part of the tread. These tyres are easier to manufacture than directional or asymmetric tyres, and are generally cheaper, while still having good performance on a flat and dry surface. In addition, symmetric tyres are as simple as possible to install, they do not need to follow the direction. However, for hard conditions, particularly wet weather, they are poorly suited. So, typically, such tyres are designed mainly for city cars used on short trips on relatively high-quality roads.

— Asymmetric. Tyres with a different pattern inside and outside the tread. Each of these parts plays a role: the inner part provides water evacuation and reduces the risk of aquaplaning, whi...le the outer part provides the necessary rigidity for manoeuvrability and stability. While installing, you need to take into account the location of the outer and inner sides, they usually have the appropriate marking. Asymmetric tyres are considered the most advanced, although, of course, the actual characteristics and cost of such products may vary, depending on the brand and the general level. Such tyres are designed mainly for cars of medium and top levels; they are often supplied as factory equipment for advanced cars.

The average noise level created by a tyre while driving. The lower this indicator, the more comfortable this model will be, the less additional noise it will create.

Note that EU rules provide 3 categories of tyres in terms of noise. “Quiet” are considered models with an index of up to 68 dB, “medium” — 68 – 71 dB, “loud” — 72 dB and above.

Tyre wear resistance rate according to the Treadwear standard issued by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This rate indicates how far the tyre is able to travel until the tread reaches a critical level of wear. Treadwear is indicated in conditional points; formally, every 100 points correspond to 48,000 km (30,000 miles). However, it should be noted that testing according to this standard is carried out under perfect conditions — on flat roads, without numerous sharp accelerations and brakings, at a stable temperature, etc. Therefore, real wear resistance, usually, is lower by at least 20 – 30 %; and for a full guarantee, the claimed indicator is generally recommended to be divided by two. For example, formally the value of Treadwear 240 corresponds to a mileage of 48 × 2.4=115.2K km — however, in fact it is hardly worth counting on more than 90K km, and it is best to keep on the value of 55 – 58K km.

Generally, Treadwear ratings up to 250 are considered fairly low, 251 – 300 are considered average, 301 – 350 are above average, and over 350 is typical for the most durable tyre models. Note that this characteristic is given mainly for summer, less often — all-weather tyres; winter tyres should be quite soft, which makes it difficult to achieve more or less worthy wear resistance rating.