All the important information you need to know about your tyre is printed on the sidewall.
Reading this information will help you to maintain your tyres, and to choose new ones when the time comes for a replacement set.
Our guide will help you to understand what the different numbers and letters mean.
A “P” or no letter at all indicates a passenger car tyre.
The width of your tyre, in millimetres, measured from sidewall to sidewall.
The diameter (height) of the wheel in inches.
The “R” indicates a radial tyre. Almost every new tyre built today is a radial tyre.
Your tyre’s load index tells you its maximum carrying capacity. It’s important to choose a replacement tyre that fits with your manufacturer’s recommendations.
Load ratings and speed ratings should be looked at together when you choose a tyre. You’ll find the load rating of your current tyre on the sidewall, just beside the diameter.
The speed rating is the maximum legal speed for a tyre when it is correctly inflated and in use under load.
You will find your tyres speed rating printed on the sidewall, and represented by a letter. A tyre with a speed rating of V, for example, has a maximum speed of 240 km/h.
When buying replacement tyres it is essential to match their speed rating with the speed capabilities of your vehicle.
Check out the maximum speed allowed by inputting your speed index into the application.
This is the maximum inflation pressure for your tyre, which is important to know when checking tyre pressure. You should consult your vehicle's manual for more information.
The letters “TWI” show the location of the tyre’s tread wear indicators. You should check these indicators regularly to ensure the tread is sufficiently deep. In EU countries the minimum tread depth is in most cases 1.6mm..
The date your tyre was produced is indicated by a four-digit code showing the week and the year.
This is the ratio of the tyre’s cross-section to its width, expressed as a percentage. An aspect ratio of 65, for example, indicates that the tyre’s height is 65% of its width.
This indicates that the tyre conforms to the standards of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (U.N.E.C.E.) in relation to pneumatic tyres.