Rules for fitting a tyre to a wheel
Many modern tyres have a directional tread pattern; some tyres also need to go on with a particular sidewall facing outwards, and some can only be fitted on the left or right side of the car.
Many modern tyres have to be fitted to the wheel following particular rules, which are always printed on the tyre’s sidewall. It is worth noting that a tyre fitter does not always read the tyre’s markings carefully, relying instead simply on his own reading of the tread pattern. This happens especially often at the change of season, when tyre-fitting workshops are overloaded with work.
So, before you take new tyres to the tyre fitter’s to have them fitted, you should work out all the details of how they need to go on, simply so that on the spot you can quickly check that the fitter has done everything correctly. It is worth stressing that fitting a tyre incorrectly will not just speed up its wear, it will also significantly change the tyre’s handling characteristics, which will inevitably affect driving safety.
So, the rules for fitting a tyre to a wheel are usually marked like this:
Rotation and/or a large arrow drawn on the tyre’s sidewall show the direction the wheel should turn in when the car moves forward. Such markings are always printed on a directional tyre. As a rule, the tread pattern of such tyres has a V shape. A directional tyre usually has enhanced water and mud dispersal properties.
Outside or Side Facing Outwards (the outer side) and Inside or Side Facing Inwards (the inner side). Such markings are usually printed on an asymmetric tyre and show how the tyre’s sidewalls must be positioned relative to the car.
Left (the left side) and Right (the right side) - such markings are printed on directional asymmetric tyres, because besides direction there are also requirements on how the sidewalls sit relative to the car. You need two left tyres and two right ones - be sure to take this into account when buying. What is more, always check that these tyres have been fitted to the car correctly, right there at the tyre fitter’s.
Tubeless, TL - variants of the marking for tubeless tyres. If there is no such marking on the tyre, it can only be fitted with an inner tube. As a rule, tubed tyres carry the corresponding markings - MIT SCHLAUCH, Tube, Tube Type or TT.