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How To Read A Tyre

What do the numbers on the side of a tyre mean?

If you want to know more about your tyres, you need to decode what is written on its side. Check your car manual to know which type of tyres are compatible with your car.
A car tyre with the code 235/55 R17 99W written in white text on the side of the tyre

Sidewall tyre markings meaning 

The sidewall markings represent the following things with our example above:

Width:  The width of the tyre in millimetres, in our example this is 235. 

Profile: The height of the tyre sidewalls as a percentage of the width is 55. 

Radial: This means the type of tyre, in our example it’s R. Other letters you may see are ZR, indicating that the tyre is for high speeds or RF which indicates that it is a run flat tyre. 

Diameter: 17 is the diameter of the tyre’s inner rim. It is always expressed in inches. The number varies between 10 and 23 inches for passenger vehicles. 

Load Index: This is an index of the maximum load carrying capacity per tyre at the speed designated by the speed symbol, 99 in this case.  

Speed Index: The last letter indicates the maximum speed for the tyre at full load. W corresponds to a maximum speed of 270 km/h. This should generally be higher than your vehicles maximum speed, however, there are exceptions for winter tyres and exemptions in some countries.  

Width = 235mm 

Profile = 55% 

Radial = type R tyre 

Diameter = 17inches 

Load Index = 99 

Speed Index = W  

Always make sure your tyre pressures are correct to keep your tyres in good condition and avoid overinflating or underinflating them. Got a problem with your tyres? Book an appointment with our tyre specialists for a tyre diagnosis and maintenance check.