TYRE LOAD RATING AND TYRE SPEED RATING

Tire load rating and tire speed rating

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What is a tire load rating and what is a tire speed rating? Do they have to be respected when replacing tires? Find the answers to your questions in this article.

What are tire ratings?

The sidewall of your tire has various alphanumeric markings that allow you to understand a number of things about it. (Learn how to read tire markings)

Part of this coding is the tire load rating and the tire speed rating, which are indicated by a number and a letter respectively.

There may be tire ratings written in your car owners manual or on the sticker in the driver's door.  This information describes the tires recommended by your vehicle manufacturer.

tyre rating

What do these tire ratings mean? Do you have to comply with them when you replace your tires? We will discuss this in this article.

Tire load rating

What is the tire load rating?

The tire load rating is a numerical code which corresponds to a maximum load (in kg) that can be carried by a single tire.  The load rating and corresponding maximum tire loads are listed in a standard table.

To identify the maximum load your tire can carry, or the load index recommended by your vehicle manufacturer, simply do the following:

1 - Find the tire load rating

On the sidewall of your tire, you will find a string of numbers and letters that look like this:

tyre rating 2

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 tires. They indicate the tyre dimensions, load and speed ratings.

Let's see what this coding means:

Tire width

Tire height

Internal tyre diameter

Tire load rating

Tire speed rating

205mm

55% of the height/section ratio

17”

91

V

Note that tires of the same dimension can have different tire load and speed ratings. This is why it is important to understand the dimension, tire speed and tire load rating before replacing tires.

In this example, the tire load rating is 91.

2 - Tire load rating chart

Once you have noted the tire load rating, you can find the maximum single tire 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 tire load rating of 91 corresponds to a maximum tire load of 615 kg with the right pressure.

What does XL mean on tires?

Some tires are also marked XL. This stands for "Extra Load".

It simply means that the tire has been reinforced to be able to carry heavier loads than standard tires 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.

Can I switch to a tire with a higher load rating ?

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 tires that have a higher load rating than the manufacturer’s specification. 

Tire speed rating

What is the tire speed rating?

The tire speed rating indicates the maximum speed at which a tire can carry its maximum load.

On the sidewall of your tire (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

microsoftteams image 8

Here, the tire speed rating is V.

Tire speed rating chart

To find out what speed this index corresponds to, simply refer to the tire speed rating chart 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

> 186 mph

ZR

> 240 km/h

> 149 mph

For example, if the tire has a speed rating of V, then the maximum speed it can sustain is 149 mph (240 km/h).

Can I switch to a tire with a higher speed index?

When your tires are worn out, it is perfectly possible to replace them with tires with a higher speed index than the one indicated on the old ones. However, you should never mount tires with a lower speed index unless fitting tires with winter capacities such as winter tires or All Season Tires, as discussed below.

There are specific cases for W, Y and (Y) speed ratings, which are specific to high-speed vehicles (> 270km/h). If you are concerned, please ask your dealer for advice.

Simplified sport ranges

As we said earlier, "who can do more can do less". With this in mind, we've simplified our Sport ranges, such as the MICHELIN Pilot Sport4, MICHELIN Pilot Sport4S and MICHELIN Pilot Sport 5, to make it easier for consumers to find their way around. 

Most of the sizes in these ranges now have HIGHER possible load ratings than the original ones in order to meet all requirements.

Here's a concrete example: 

If your original tyre size is 225/45 R17 91 V, you can opt for size 225/45 R17 94 Y. 

The 94 load index means that the tyre is capable of carrying a higher load (up to 670 kg) than your original tyre (up to 615 kg). A tyre of the same size with a higher load index is therefore perfectly compatible.

The speed rating is also compatible if it is higher.

Choosing a lower speed index for winter tires

If you use tires with winter capacities (marked 3PMSF : either winter tires or All Season Tires), the speed rating may be lower than that of your summer tires or the original tire fitted to your vehicle.

Why is this possible? Tires with winter capacities are designed differently for driving in difficult climatic conditions (snowy, icy roads, etc.) and may not have the same speed rating. 

However, generally you drive at a lower speed in winter than you would on dry roads with summer tires. In the UK the speed rating of tires with winter capacities will still be in excess of the national speed limit. In any case, the driver must limit the speed of the car so not to exceed the maximum speed of the tire.

tyre load rating speed rating 1

Changing the tyre size

What about the size? Is it possible to change it?
You can find the answer to this question in our article on changing the size of a tyre.

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