What Do Tire Numbers Mean?

What do the Numbers on Tires Mean?

The combination of numbers on the side of your tires and there to let your local North Olmsted dealership know exactly what size, speed rating, load index, and tire type that is optimal for your vehicle. For example, let’s check out the following code;

Example: P215/65R15 95H

Although difficult to understand initially, each part of the tire code displays important information to ensure you know which type of tire you have.

“P” Meaning

The “P” is used to denote that the tire is designed for passenger vehicles, and stands for “P-Metric tire”. For example, if you drive a half-ton pickup truck, you will most likely see “LT” meaning the tires are designed for a “light truck”. For European tires, you may not see this code, as they often use different measurements for load capacities.

“215” Meaning

The first number in the tire code, often “215” means that the tire is 215 millimeters from sidewall to sidewall.

“65” Meaning

This part of the code stands for the aspect ratio. In this case, we will use “65”, which explains the height of the cross-section of the tire to its width. This means that the overall aspect ratio of the tire is equal to 65% of its width. Therefore, the larger the tire’s aspect ratio, the larger the sidewalls are.

“R” Meaning

The “R” indicates the construction of the tire. In our example, the “R” represents that it’s a radial tire.

“15” Meaning

The next part of the code in our example will be “15” which explains the size of the wheel from each end. This lets us know exactly which tire can fit the wheel. In this case, the tire code let’s us know that the tire can fit a 15-inch wheel.

“95H” Meaning

The very last part of the code is “95H”, which tells us the overall load index of the tire. In our example of “95” this lets us know how much weight the tire can handle when fully inflated. Often, for many passenger vehicles, this number will often be between 75-105. The “H” denotes the speed rating for the vehicle when it is inflated to full capacity. Therefore, for passenger vehicles, the “H” means the tire can handle traveling at speeds of up to 130 mph.