Tire Size Explained: What the Numbers Mean
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Tire size can be confusing. Some numbers on the sidewall are listed in millimeters while
others are inches. Plus, the right size for your car, truck, or trailer can differ depending on
where and how you drive.
You can see your original equipment tire size in your owner’s manual or on the placard
generally located on the driver’s side door jam. This is the sizing recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer.
If you’re interested in switching out your tires for a different look or performance, a good
place to start is the numbers and other indicators on your existing tires’ sidewall. Next,
have a tire professional help you determine a tire size range that will fit your vehicle and
driving needs.
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Tire Size Meanings
Here’s what those numbers and indicators on the sidewall indicate and how to
understand them:
A: TIRE TYPE The first letter in the code tells you what class of tire it is.
P stands for passenger vehicle tire. P-class tires include cars, SUVs, crossovers,
minivans and smaller pickup trucks.
LT means light truck tire, designed for vehicles that are capable of carrying heavy loads,
towing trailers, or for those looking for an extra heavy duty option. These are often
equipped on three-quarter or 1 ton trucks and SUVs.
ST stands for Special Trailer. These tire sizes are meant for trailers, including fifth wheels
and other travel trailers, as well as boat and utility trailers.
If there’s no letter before the first number, you have a metric tire most commonly referred
to as European size. It’s also measured in millimeters but may have a different load
capacity than a P or LT tire.
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.
C: ASPECT RATIO The forward slash separates the tire width number from the two-digit
aspect ratio. The bigger the aspect ratio, the higher/taller the tire’s sidewall, or “profile” as
it’s sometimes called.
The aspect ratio is indicated on the tire sidewall as a percentage. It’s the height of the
sidewall measured from wheel rim to top of the tread, expressed as a percentage of tire
width.
In this example, the aspect ratio is 65, meaning the sidewall is 65 percent as high as the
tire is wide. To get the sidewall height, take the tire width of 215 mm and convert it to
inches (8.46). Then multiply this by 65% (.65). This gives you an answer of 5.5, the
sidewall height in inches.
D: CONSTRUCTION TYPE This single letter tells you about the internal construction of
the tire.
R is for radial tires, the industry standard for most tires today. They have better road grip,
lower rolling resistance for better gas mileage, ride comfort and durability than previous
generations of tires. In a radial tire, the plies — layers of strong cords made of a blend of
polyester, steel and fabric and coated with rubber — are laid perpendicular to the
direction of travel.
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D is for tires built with diagonal (crisscrossed) plies, called bias-constructed tires. They
are also called conventional, x-ply, or cross-ply tires. Some motorcycle and trailer tires still
use this internal construction.
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Some run-flat tires are identified with an F followed by the type of internal construction.
E: WHEEL DIAMETER This two-digit number specifies wheel diameter in inches. It’s the
distance between the two bead seat areas (where a tire gets tightly sealed onto the
wheel).
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F: LOAD INDEX The two-digit or three-digit number that follows the gap specifies tire
load index. The load index symbol indicates how much weight a tire can support, based
on the following standard chart. In our example, the load index is 89, which indicates the
tire has a load capacity of 1,279 pounds, when inflated to the tire’s maximum air pressure
rating.
G: SPEED RATING The last letter is the tire speed rating. This indicates the top speed
it’s safe to travel at for a sustained amount of time. A tire with a higher speed rating can
handle heat better and provide more control at faster speeds. The maximum operating
speed of a vehicle is no more than the lowest speed rating of all tires mounted on the
vehicle. (Of course, you should always abide by speed limits for safer driving.) Speed
rating is usually, but not always, a single letter (see the chart).
Tire Size Charts
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Below you will find several charts that will help you understand tire sizing numbers,
including a load index chart and speed rating chart.
LOAD INDEX
LOAD LOAD LOAD LOAD LOAD
INDEX (lbs) INDEX (lbs) INDEX LOAD (lbs)
65 639 94 1477 123 3417
66 661 95 1521 124 3527
67 677 96 1565 125 3638
68 694 97 1609 126 3748
69 716 98 1653 127 3858
70 739 99 1709 128 3968
71 761 100 1764 129 4079
72 783 101 1819 130 4189
73 805 102 1874 131 4299
74 827 103 1929 132 4409
75 853 104 1984 133 4541
76 882 105 2039 134 4674
77 908 106 2094 135 4806
78 937 107 2149 136 4938
79 963 108 2205 137 5071
80 992 109 2271 138 5203
81 1019 110 2337 139 5357
82 1047 111 2403 140 5512
83 1074 112 2469 141 5677
84 1102 113 2535 142 5842
85 1135 114 2601 143 6008
86 1168 115 2679 144 6173
87 1201 116 2756 145 6393
88 1235 117 2833 146 6614
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LOAD LOAD LOAD LOAD LOAD
INDEX (lbs) INDEX (lbs) INDEX LOAD (lbs)
89 1279 118 2910 147 6779
90 1323 119 2998 148 6944
91 1356 120 3086 149 7165
92 1389 121 3197 150 7385
93 1433 122 3307
SPEED RATING
SPEED SYMBOL SPEED (mph)
A1 3
A2 6
A3 9
A4 12
A5 16
A6 19
A7 22
A8 25
B 31
C 37
D 40
E 43
F 50
G 56
J 62
K 68
L 75
M 81
N 87
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SPEED SYMBOL SPEED (mph)
P 93
Q 99
R 106
S 112
T 118
U 124
H 130
V 149
ZR* W 168
Y 186
(Y) Above 186
*For tires having a maximum speed capability above 149 mph, a ZR may appear in the
size designation... above 186 mph, a ZR must appear in the size designation, including a
Y speed symbol in brackets.
Buying New Wheels or Changing Your Tire Size?
A tire size calculator is a quick way to see whether the tire size you’re considering will
likely fit your car, SUV, sports car, light truck or crossover.
But remember that is only an estimate. It’s important to stay within the sizing tolerances of
your vehicle. Tires that are the wrong size could cause some pull in the steering wheel,
rub against the suspension or body of your vehicle, reduce clearance on hills, or result in
a stiffer or noisier ride.
If you’re considering mounting a different tire size on your vehicle, check with a tire
expert. Find out whether the tires and wheels you have your eye on are the right fit for
your vehicle’s suspension, gearing, and bodywork. And ask how any differences in
revolutions per mile, tire speed, load index, and speed rating will affect your ride quality
and vehicle performance.
See how new tires and rims will look on your car or truck using our Virtual Wheels
simulator, available at any Les Schwab.
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