How to Read a Tire's Sidewall?. To learn more
about your tires, take a look at one of the tire's sidewall and read it: there are two codes that indicate the type of tire you have. Check the user manual to know
what kind of tires to suit your car. You can also use our tire selector per vehicle .
The first number indicates the width of the tire. The second is the load index and speed symbol . Let's see an example below:
235/55 R17 99W( Width / height / diameter / load index / speed symbol )
1) Width (235)
The number 235 indicates the width in millimeters. For standard tires, this number varies between 125 and 335 millimeters.
2) Height (55)
55 is the height , as a percentage of the width . In this example, the height is 55 % of the total width of 235 mm , which is 129.25 mm .
3) R
The letter "R" means radial,
the type of tire. All tires are radial, so it is an optional indication .
3) Diameter (17)
17 is the diameter of the inner rim flange. It is always expressed in inches. The number varies between 10 and 23 inches.
4) Load Index (99)
99 is an index that represents the maximum load capacity per tire designated by the symbol rate (99 = 775 kg) Speed
5 ) Speed symbol ( W )
The last letter indicates the maximum of the tire that can circulate the tire at full load speed. W corresponds to a maximum speed of 270 km/h. Overall, this symbol is greater than the maximum speed of your vehicle. However, there are exceptions for winter tires and exemptions in some countries. Be careful not to mount tires with speed symbol or index lower than indicated (see above) load. In manual and your vehicle data sheet for more information.
We hope after you read this short tips on
How to Read a Tire, you could know better now to your own car.