Everything worth knowing about tyres
Plain-English guides on sizes, markings, problems, reviews and fitment — written and checked by people who actually fit tyres.
Most drivers overpay, or run unsafe tyres, without ever knowing. A TyresHQ guide shows exactly what a car needs, and why.
Plain English, no upselling — just the clearest answer to whatever brought you here.
The TyresHQ Library
Browse by topic
Sizes & Markings
Read any sidewall — size, load, speed, XL, the snowflake.
3 guides →Maintenance & Care
Pressure, tread, rotation — making a set of tyres last.
2 guides →Safety & Law
Tread limits, MOT rules, fines and when a tyre's illegal.
1 guides →Tyre Reviews
Honest, UK-focused reviews built only on sourced data.
1 guides →Guides built to actually help
Every page is written to be the most useful answer for the question — and checked by a working fitter before it goes live.
A real UK tyre team reviews every guide.
Honest & sourced
No invented scores. Reviews use real EU label data, cited tests and verified driver reviews, each clearly labelled.
Checked by fitters
Working UK fitters review every guide and add a first-hand note from the workshop. That's the difference from faceless content.
Made for UK roads
UK law, MOT, pricing and cars throughout: tyre not tire, pounds not dollars, lookup by registration.
Read any sidewall in seconds
Every number and letter explained — so the right fit stops being guesswork.
Make a set of tyres last
The cheap, simple checks that protect grip, fuel economy and tyre life.
Latest guides
View all →How to Read a Tyre Size
Reading a tyre size is simple once each number is broken down: width, profile, construction, wheel size, load index and speed rating, decoded left to right.
Tyre Load Index Explained
The tyre load index is a code for the maximum weight each tyre can safely carry. This guide explains the scale and lists the common UK values.
What Does 205/55 R16 Mean?
205/55 R16 means a 205mm wide tyre, with a sidewall 55% of that width, radial construction, fitting a 16-inch wheel — one of the UK's most common sizes.
How to Check Tyre Pressure
Check tyre pressure cold, to the figure on the driver's door placard, about once a month. This guide covers finding the number and measuring it accurately.
How to Check Tyre Tread Depth
Tyre tread can be checked in seconds with a 20p coin or a gauge. This guide explains the 20p test, the legal limit and the safer 3mm point.
Legal Tyre Tread Depth in the UK
The legal tyre tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre. Below it, each tyre risks a £2,500 fine and three penalty points.
Clear enough to act on
Drivers come for one answer and leave knowing exactly what to do next.
“Finally understood the numbers on my tyres. Sorted my MOT advisory in ten minutes.”
“The review told me which tyre suited my Golf and my budget, not just 'best'. Refreshing.”
“Plain English, no nonsense, clearly written by someone who knows tyres.”
“Checked my tread with the 20p test the same evening. Dead simple.”
“Knew exactly what 205/55 R16 meant after two minutes here.”
“The honest scorecard is so much clearer than the cluttered sites.”
“Finally understood the numbers on my tyres. Sorted my MOT advisory in ten minutes.”
“The review told me which tyre suited my Golf and my budget, not just 'best'. Refreshing.”
“Plain English, no nonsense, clearly written by someone who knows tyres.”
“Checked my tread with the 20p test the same evening. Dead simple.”
“Knew exactly what 205/55 R16 meant after two minutes here.”
“The honest scorecard is so much clearer than the cluttered sites.”
“Finally understood the numbers on my tyres. Sorted my MOT advisory in ten minutes.”
“The review told me which tyre suited my Golf and my budget, not just 'best'. Refreshing.”
“Plain English, no nonsense, clearly written by someone who knows tyres.”
“Checked my tread with the 20p test the same evening. Dead simple.”
“Knew exactly what 205/55 R16 meant after two minutes here.”
“The honest scorecard is so much clearer than the cluttered sites.”
“Finally understood the numbers on my tyres. Sorted my MOT advisory in ten minutes.”
“The review told me which tyre suited my Golf and my budget, not just 'best'. Refreshing.”
“Plain English, no nonsense, clearly written by someone who knows tyres.”
“Checked my tread with the 20p test the same evening. Dead simple.”
“Knew exactly what 205/55 R16 meant after two minutes here.”
“The honest scorecard is so much clearer than the cluttered sites.”
Useful, honest, and genuinely expert
Three things every single guide has to be before it goes live.
The most useful page
Each guide aims to be the best answer for its question: real specifics, the bit competitors leave out.
Checked in the workshop
A working fitter reviews every guide and adds a genuine first-hand note. Real expertise, not a byline.
Honest dates & data
Real publish and update dates, sourced figures, and no fabricated scores, ever.
What every guide gives you
Clear, trustworthy and built for real decisions, not filler written to rank.
You'll walk away knowing:
- Exactly what your car needs and why
- What's safe, what's legal, and what'll fail an MOT
- Where to spend and where to save
- Which tyre genuinely suits your car and driving
- The next step, with no pressure to take it