Ever wonder what all of the letters and numbers mean on the sidewall of your tires? There may be much more information on your tires than you realize…
Let’s take the tire P255/60R17 102V as an example. Long story short:
Tire Class : P
Tire class of this tire size is ‘P’ which means it is a passenger car tire. The first letter in the tire size designates the tire class. An ‘LT’ would be a light truck class and no letter would be a euro-metric tire.
Section Width : 255
The width of this tire size is 255mm wide. The first number in a metric tire size is the section width of the tire.
Aspect Ratio: 60
The aspect ratio on this tire size is 60. The second number in a metric tire size is called the aspect ratio and means that the sidewall height is 60% of the section width.
Tire Construction: R
The tire construction of this tire size is R for radial. This letter is for how the tire is constructed. Radial is the standard construction method for almost all tires.
Wheel Diameter: 17
The wheel diameter of this tire size is 17 inches. The tire is designed to be mounted on a 17″ wheel diameter.
Load Index: 102
The load index of this tire is 102 – 1874 lbs. This number is the load index and the maximum amount of weight the tire can carry. A higher number means the tire can carry more weight.
Speed Rating: V
The speed rating of this tire size is V. This letter is the speed rating of the tire and indicates the maximum speed the tire can sustain.
Now, keep in mind this is just a short explanation.
If you want to know what type of tire best suits your needs, swing by for a cup of coffee and let one of our specialists help you, or access our tire tool.
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