Buying tyres in South Africa without getting talked into the wrong set

Read the sidewall first

A code like 205/55 R16 91V tells you the width in millimetres, the sidewall height as a percentage of that width, the rim diameter in inches, the load index and the speed rating. Match or exceed the load index and speed rating on your car's placard, usually on the driver's door pillar.

Check the age, not just the tread

Every tyre carries a four digit DOT week and year code. A tyre made in week 12 of 2021 reads 1221. Rubber hardens with age, so avoid buying anything more than about two years old as new stock, and consider replacing tyres over six years old even if the tread looks fine.

Premium, mid-range or budget?

On South African roads the meaningful difference between brands is wet braking and how the tyre behaves when it is worn. If you commute on the N1 in summer thunderstorms, spend the money. If the car does 4 000 km a year to the shops, a solid mid-range set is sensible.

Never mix different tyre models on the same axle, and never mix radial construction across axles.

What a good fitment centre does

• Fits, balances and torques wheels to specification with a torque wrench, not an impact gun alone
• Checks and resets your tyre pressure monitoring sensors if fitted
• Recommends alignment after fitting a new set, and shows you the before and after printout
• Disposes of your old tyres responsibly and says so

The number that matters most

Pressure. Under-inflation by 20 percent destroys the shoulders, adds fuel cost and makes a blowout far more likely on a hot Gauteng afternoon. Check monthly, cold, against the placard, not the number on the sidewall.