Tires....???

So im still pretty new and still learning car stuff. I always wondered about the tires sizes and such....like 284/43/98.... wtf does all that mean? Im looking at getting some new tires soon...but have no clue how to size them and what size is the right size.

thanks...im still kinda confused....but it helps i guess.

in 284/43/98

284 in the tire size/43 is the rim size/98 is the profile

thnaks

err...
284/43/98
245 is the width in Millimeters
43 is the height of the tire (aspect ratio x width)
98 is the rim height

So for a stock mustang tire you will see smething like
235/45/17
235 is the width in MM (contact patch width, of the tire tread) not the width of sidewall(thats why there is a 10.5 and a 10.5w tire in drag radial
45 is the aspect ratio so 235mm x .45 = 105mm which is 4.13 inches tall sidewall
17 is the rim height which is 17"

Will

thanks will...thats a little better understood. the website helped a little bit too...but still left me a bit confused.

I'll use the tires I have for my car as examples.
Stock
(Front/Rear) 235/50-18
Non Stock
(Front) 245/45-18
(Rear) 295/45-18


235 is the width of the tire in millimeters
50 is the aspect ratio(% of tire width, 50% of 235, which gives you sidewall height)
18 is wheel diameter

Width
10 mm = .4"
So the 235 is 9.2" wide, the 245 is 9.6" wide and the 295 is 11.6" wide.

Height
For the stock tire, 235 mm x 50% = 117.5 mm(4.6" sidewall). Multiply that by 2 to give you total sidewall(117.5 x 2 = 235mm or 9.2").
Now you add your total sidewall to the wheel diameter to get your overall tire height. 9.2" + 18" = 27.2"
245 tire is 110 mm(4.3"). 110 x 2 = 220(8.6"). 8.6" + 18" = 26.6" overall height.
295 tire is 133 mm(5.2"). 133 x 2 = 266(10.5"). 10.5" + 18" = 28.5" overall height.

Now not all tire markings are true. Different brands run smaller/larger than other brands for the same stated size. At times it can be crucial to know exactly the dimensions of a tire, just not relying on the numbers marked on the sidewall. www.tirerack.com is great for giving the exact dimensions of most tires they sell.
I hope this helps you and didn't confuse you too bad. That is one of the many great things of forums, there are people out there with knowledge to help out in almost all situations.