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Tyre load rating and tyre speed rating explained. Do they have to be respected when replacing tyres? Find the answers to your questions in this article.
The sidewall of your tyre has various alphanumeric markings that allow you to understand a number of things about it. (Learn how to read tyre markings)
Part of this coding is the tyre load rating and the tyre speed rating, which are indicated by a number and a letter respectively.
There may be tyre ratings written in your car owners manual or on the sticker in the driver's door. This information describes the tyres recommended by your vehicle manufacturer.
What do these tyre ratings mean? Do you have to comply with them when you replace your tyres? We will discuss this in this article.
The tyre load rating is a numerical code which corresponds to a maximum load (in kg) that can be carried by a single tyre. The load rating and corresponding maximum tyre loads are listed in a standard table.
To identify the maximum load your tyre can carry, or the load index recommended by your vehicle manufacturer, simply do the following:
On the sidewall of your tyre, you will find a string of numbers and letters that look like this:
You may also find them on the sticker on your driver's door or your vehicle owner’s manual.
These numbers and letters vary between tyres. They indicate the tyre dimensions, load and speed ratings.
Let's see what this coding means:
Tyre width | Tyre height | Internal tyre diameter | Tyre load rating | Tyre speed rating |
205mm | 55% of the height/section ratio | 17” | 91 | V |
Note that tyres of the same dimension can have different tyre load and speed ratings. This is why it is important to understand the dimension, tyre speed and tyre load rating before replacing tyres.
In this example, the tyre load rating is 91.
Once you have noted the tyre load rating, you can find the maximum single tyre load that it refers to by consulting this table:
Load Index | Load per tyre in kg | Load Index | Load per tyre in kg | Load Index | Load per tyre in kg |
70 | 335 | 87 | 545 | 104 | 900 |
71 | 345 | 88 | 560 | 105 | 925 |
72 | 355 | 89 | 580 | 106 | 950 |
73 | 365 | 90 | 600 | 107 | 975 |
74 | 375 | 91 | 615 | 108 | 1000 |
75 | 387 | 92 | 630 | 109 | 1030 |
76 | 400 | 93 | 650 | 110 | 1060 |
77 | 412 | 94 | 670 | 111 | 1090 |
78 | 425 | 95 | 690 | 112 | 1120 |
79 | 437 | 96 | 710 | 113 | 1150 |
80 | 450 | 97 | 730 | 114 | 1180 |
81 | 462 | 98 | 750 | 115 | 1215 |
82 | 475 | 99 | 775 | 116 | 1250 |
83 | 487 | 100 | 800 | 117 | 1285 |
84 | 500 | 101 | 825 | 118 | 1320 |
85 | 515 | 102 | 850 | 119 | 1360 |
86 | 530 | 103 | 875 | 120 | 1400 |
In our example, we see that the tyre load rating of 91 corresponds to a maximum tyre load of 615 kg with the right pressure.
Some tyres are also marked XL. This stands for "Extra Load".
It simply means that the tyre has been reinforced to be able to carry heavier loads than standard tyres of the same dimension. Let’s use the same tyre size : 205/55R16 94V XL. In this case the load capacity of this tyre with the same dimension as in our previous example is now 650 kg instead of 615kg.
As mentioned above, the tyre load rating corresponds to a maximum load (in kg) that can be carried by a single tyre.
However “who can do more can do less” and it is of course possible to fit your car with tyres that have a higher load rating than the manufacturer’s specification.
The tyre speed rating indicates the maximum speed at which a tyre can carry its maximum load.
On the sidewall of your tyre (or the sticker in the driver's door, or the owner’s manual), the speed rating is defined by a letter right next to the load rating
Here, the tyre speed rating is V.
To find out what speed this index corresponds to, simply refer to the tyre speed rating table below:
Speed Index | Maximum Speed (Km/h) | Maximum Speed (Mph) |
L | 120 km/h | 75 mph |
M | 130 km/h | 81 mph |
N | 140 km/h | 87 mph |
Q | 160 km/h | 99 mph |
R | 170 km/h | 106 mph |
S | 180 km/h | 112 mph |
T | 190 km/h | 118 mph |
U | 200 km/h | 124 mph |
H | 210 km/h | 130 mph |
V | 240 km/h | 149 mph |
W | 270 km/h | 168 mph |
Y | 300 km/h | 186 mph |
ZR (Y) | > 300 km/h |
|
ZR | > 240 km/h | > 149 km/h |
For example, if the tyre has a speed rating of V, then the maximum speed it can sustain is 149 mph (240 km/h).