What does the R15 mean on my tire?
Tire sizes are easy to understand once you learn how to read them. On this page you'll find a color-coded explanation of the 205-75R15 tire code. This number indicates that your tire has a width of 205 millimeters. This number means that your tire has an aspect ratio of 75%. In other words, your tire's sidewall height (from the edge of the rim ...
What do the three numbers on tires mean?
What do the 3 numbers mean on tire size? B: TIRE WIDTH The three-digit number following the letter is the tire’s width (from side to side, looking at the tire head on) in millimeters. This may also be referred to as the section width. In this example, the aspect ratio is 65, meaning the sidewall is 65 percent as high as the tire is wide. ...
What does 94W mean on a tire?
When you see 94w on a tire, that means the tire is rated for speeds up to 94 miles per hour. The number after w represents how fast it can go with higher numbers meaning faster speed ratings.
What is the difference between radial and non radial tires?
The advantages of radial tires over bias ply tires include:
- Flexible sidewalls.
- Reduced fuel consumption due to less rolling resistance.
- A softer ride because of the layout of the tire’s plies and because of the flex of the sidewalls, assuring more stable contact with the road service and a softer ...
- Less vibration.
Does the R in tire size matter?
For example, a tire with a speed rating "S" is rated for up to 112 mph, while a tire rated "R" is up to 106 mph. Remember that this isn't a recommended cruising speed, but rather the maximum speed that tire type can withstand. Of course, you should always follow legal speed limits on roadways.
What does R and R tire mean?
For example, this aspect ratio of 50 means that the tire's section height is 50% of the tire's section width. R indicates the construction used within the tires casing. R stands for radial construction. B means belted bias and D stands for diagonal bias construction.
Does the R on tires mean rim size?
The last number, 15, is the rim diameter of the wheel that the tire will fit. The tire letter meaning refers to the construction of the tire: R for radial, D for diagonal, and RF for run-flat.
What does R wheel size mean?
Speed Rating. The speed rating is the letter that follows the load rating, but you may also see it following the “R” on some tires. This indicates the maximum speed the manufacturer designed the tire to handle.
Can I use R tires instead of Zr?
R indicates that the structure is RADIAL. So, VR indicates that the tyre has a RADIAL structure and a speed index equal to V. There is therefore no difference between a ZR or an R tyre with the same speed index.
What is the difference between Z and R rated tires?
Conclusion. ZR tires were historically known as “performance-rated tires” with a speed rating of more than 149 mph while the letter R on a tire represents both the fact that it is built with a radial construction in mind and the fact that it is speed rated for 106mph.
Can I use tires with different width?
While it's fine to put narrower tyres on the front and wider on the back, it's pointless to put wider tyres on just one side of the car. This would change the weight balance and would mean one side of the vehicle would grip differently to the road when braking. It would change the cornering dynamic, too.
What does the Z mean on tires?
Some manufacturers will insert a “Z” in the middle of the tire size description (right after the aspect ratio) when the tire is rated at “W” or “Y.” And if a tire is rated in excess of 186 mph (300 kph), manufacturer's usually will list a “Z” within the size description, per industry standards.
What does H mean on a tire?
speed rating“H” represents the speed rating, which is how fast the tires can go based on their load capacity. This rating ranges from A – Z. “H” indicates a speed rating of up to 130 mph.
What does 55 R mean on a tire?
So “235” means that the tire has a nominal width of 235 millimeters. The following “55” is the tire wall height as a percentage of the width. So in our example, the actual height in millimeters would be just under 130 mm. Then comes the letter “R” as the identifier for radial tires.
What's the best speed rating for tires?
As manufacturers developed bigger and better tires, it became necessary to regulate performance at standardized speeds to ensure safety. The "Limited V" category of 250 km/h (149 mph) was then created, and eventually the "Z" speed rating was added as the top speed rating.
Can I use 205 60r16 instead of 205 55r16?
Yes. It will have a slightly lower sidewall height, but should work fine.
What Is The Difference Between ZR And R Tires?
The letter R written on the side of a tire means that the tire utilizes a radial construction while the letters Z and R together refer to the speed rating of the tire.
How To Know If I Am Looking At The Speed Rating R Symbol Or the Radial Construction R Symbol?
As mentioned, the letter R stands for both radial construction and the speed rating of 106mph. This can create somewhat of a confusion, especially when you realize that more than 90% of all passenger car tires are made out of radial construction and thus place the letter R on the tire.
Conclusion
ZR tires were historically known as “performance-rated tires” with a speed rating of more than 149 mph while the letter R on a tire represents both the fact that it is built with a radial construction in mind and the fact that it is speed rated for 106mph.
What does P mean on a tire?
P identifies your tire as a Passenger Tire. The P stands for PMetric. If your tire size starts with LT rather than a P then it identifies the tire as a Light Truck tire.
What is the speed rating of a tire?
Each letter coincides to the maximum speed a tire can sustain under its recommended load capacity. For instance, V is equivalent to a maximum speed of 149 mph. Even though a tire can perform at this speed General Tire does not advocate exceeding legal speed limits. It is also important to note that speed ratings only apply to tires that have not been under-inflated, overloaded, damaged, or altered.
What is flotation tire?
Flotation – wider, oversized tires designed to carry heavy cargo loads and/or tow trailers on loose surfaces such as sand, gravel, or dirt.
How many pounds are in a LT235/75R15 tire?
When it comes to Light Truck (LT) or Special Trailer (ST) tires, there are two load indexes branded (example - LT235/75R15 104/101S). In this example, the 104 corresponds to 1,984 pounds (see chart below), and the 101 corresponds to 1,819 pounds. So which number do you use? The answer is, it depends on the how the tire is being used…and it can change.
What size tires are used for a light truck?
If a tire size reads, LT235/75R15 104/101S, the LT indicates that this tire is meant for Light Truck use. These tires are made for light-duty and heavy-duty pickup trucks (typically ½ ton, ¾ ton, or 1-ton load capacity), SUVs and vans. These tires fall into one of three categories:
What is LT tire?
LT tires are commonly used on trucks with dual rear wheels and are branded with two load indexes. The first number indicates load carrying capacity if the tire is installed on a truck with a single-wheel rear axle, and the second number applies when the tire is used in a dual rear application.
What is load index and speed rating?
The load index and speed rating, or service description, are the numbers that follow the tire size. In the example above, the first two digits (94) represent the tire’s load index and the single letter (V) identifies the tire’s speed rating. But what does that mean?
What does R mean on a tire?
R — This indicates your tire's design, which in this case is radial. Radial is the most common tire design on the market today, but you might see one of these instead:
What is a LT tire?
LT is for a light truck. ST is for a special trailer. T is for temporary, usually indicating a spare tire. European-standard tires won't have a prefix letter at all. 205 — This is the section width of the tread, from sidewall to sidewall. In this case, the tire's section width is 205 millimeters.
What does load index mean on a tire?
Load index is a code that indicates how many pounds a tire can carry at a given inflation level. In this instance, a load index of 92 would mean that tire is capable of carrying 1,389 pounds at 36 psi inflation. H — This indicates the speed rating. Speed rating is the highest speed a tire can safely handle, determined through lab testing.
What is 520 tread?
The treadwear grade is on a scale compared to other tires, and the 520 figure places this tire on a scale. Treadwear grades were designed by the National Highway Safety Administration and take heat resistance, rolling resistance, and other factors into account, and a tire with a treadwear grade of 200 is rated with twice the tread life of one with a 100 grade. Although this is part of the Uniform Tire Quality Grade, you're better off referring to your tires' actual treadwear warranty.
What is the maximum speed of a tire?
Speed rating is the highest speed a tire can safely handle, determined through lab testing. In this case, an H-rated tire is good for speeds up to 130 mph. Code. Maximum Speed (mph) Q. 100.
Can you tell if a tire is a tire?
Your tires can tell you a lot — if you know how to read what they have to say. Many years ago, the tire industry established a set of standards for the information that's embossed on the sidewall of tires.
What does the second number mean on a tire?
The second number represents the width of the tire. In most cases with inch measurement tires the width will have a .50 decimal after the initial number. In example "A" this reads 12.50, meaning the tire width is 12 and 1/2 inches.
How to read tire size?
There are two ways that tire manufacturers display tire size, inches and metric. How to read tire size in inches is very straight forward. Example A : 33X12.50R15 The first number is your overall diameter of the tire. In this example the tire diameter or "height" is 33 inches tall. The second number represents the width of the tire. In most cases with inch measurement tires the width will have a .50 decimal after the initial number. In example "A" this reads 12.50, meaning the tire width is 12 and 1/2 inches. The final number simply is the wheel size or "diameter" of the wheel that the tire will fit on.
What is the final number of a tire?
The final number simply is the wheel size or "diameter" of the wheel that the tire will fit on. How to read tire size with a metric measurement is a little more difficult and usually takes a calculator to get exactly right.
What is a LT tire?
The tire is designed to be mounted on an 15 inch wheel diameter. Tire Class : LT. The tire class of this tire size is 'LT' which means it is a Light Truck tire.
What does a Y rating mean on a tire?
Y rated tires have been tested at speeds up to, and in excess of, 186 mph (300 km/h) under optimal conditions. If Y speed rating is indicated without parentheses (as normal), this means the tire is rated up to 186 mph. If the Y speed rating is indicated inside of parentheses, this means that particular tire size and specification has been tested at speeds in excess of 186 mph. A Y speed rating denotes maximum tire performance.
What is a W speed rated tire?
W speed rated tires generally offer plenty of performance for the street, including “spirited” (but responsible) drivers. At the same time, W tires don’t necessarily sacrifice everyday driving factors like comfort (ride quality, road noise), and treadlife warranty.
What are the different speed ratings?
Most boat and utility trailer tires have this speed rating which is a maximum of 75mph
What is tire load index?
The tire load index rating communica tes how many pounds a tire can safely carry.
What is the tire number on an Audi A3?
In the doorjamb image above (belonging to an Audi A3), the car’s tire information is: 225/45R17 94H. In this example, 94H is the service description, with the 94 indicating load index, and the H indicating speed rating.
What is a speed rating?
Speed rating is established under controlled testing where – once again, under optimal conditions – the tire is verified as capable of safely running at (up to) the indicated miles per hour. Heavily worn, damaged, punctured, or repaired tires would all be considered sub-optimal, and no longer capable of safely accomplishing their max speed rating.
How fast can an Audi tire go?
Going back to our Audi, the H speed rating is equal to 130 miles per hour, meaning that under optimal conditions, the tire can perform at speeds up to 130 mph. The speed rating doesn’t imply the vehicle can drive that speed, but the tires are capable of supporting the car at that speed.
What does a speed rating on a tire mean?
The speed rating on a tire indicates the fastest speed a tire can handle before it affects the tire’s performance. Lower speed ratings (such as A8 or B) will mean that you won’t have good control or handling of the car at highway speeds. Higher speed ratings, like H or ZR, can handle far beyond a normal highway speed. For example, “H” would translate to a tire that can only handle speeds up to 130 mph (or 210 km/h).
What is a ZR tire?
ZR-Rated Tires: The ZR rating (or Z rating) indicates anything above the V rating (168 mph), so it includes both the Y and W speed rating. Sports cars will often get the best handling with these tires.
What are the most common tire speed ratings?
Most commuters and consumers will want either an H, S or T tire. Light trucks may need a tire between the N and T ratings. Sports cars may get better handling with a ZR tire.
What do the letters mean?
Speed ratings go from A1 to Y, with A1 having the lowest rating and Y being the highest, but there are some anomalies. There are eight different A ratings. There are no X, O, or I ratings, and H rating is in the “wrong” place. Also, the ZR rating isn’t truly its own rating, but includes both W- and Y-rated tires. You’ll want to use our chart to find out which letter matches which speed.
What is the speed limit for a T tire?
T-Rated Tires: This tire is often recommended for family sedans and vans. It’s rated for up to 118 mph. That’s well below the speed limit of most states, unless you’re planning on bringing your commuter on the Autobahn.
Where to find tire speed rating?
You can find a tire’s speed rating on the sidewall, where one will typically see a string of numbers and letters. These are several important codes, such as radial construction, aspect ratio, tire load and speed rating. The speed rating is typically the last letter listed on the sidewall (coming after the load index, which is a number). For example, if you see “M+S 235/45 R18 94V” on the side of the tire, the last letter, V, is your speed rating.
Is a L rating better for off road tires?
It’s not necessarily the case that the higher the speed rating, the better the tire; there are exceptions. For instance, many off-roading tires are powerful and girthy, working perfectly in mud and sand, but they might only have a speed rating of L, meaning that you’ll not want to bring those tires on the highway.
What does the second number mean on a tire?
The second number represents the width of the tire. In most cases with inch measurement tires the width will have a .50 decimal after the initial number. In example "A" this reads 12.50, meaning the tire width is 12 and 1/2 inches. The final number simply is the wheel size or "diameter"of the wheel that the tire will fit on.
What does tire size mean?
Tire Size Meaning. There are two ways that tire manufacturers display tire size, inches and metric. To find the tire size meaning in inches is very straight forward. The first number is your overall diameter of the tire. In this example the tire diameter or "height" is 33 inches tall.
How to find tire height?
To get the overall diameter or "height" of the tire you would add the two sidewalls and the diameter of the wheel. In example "B" the last number "17" is the wheel size the tire will fit on. Therefore the sidewall twice would be 8.41 x 2 = 16.82 plus the wheel "17" makes the tire height 16.82 + 17 = 33.82.
