Tire labeling
(example)
Meaning
DOT
The tire complies with the require-
ments of the United States Depart-
ment of Transportation, responsible
for issuing safety standards.
BT Identification letter of the manufactur-
ing site.
RA Manufacturer information regarding
tire dimensions.
TY5 Tire characteristics provided by the
manufacturer.
1709 Manufacturing date: 17th week in
2009.
TWI Marks the position of the treadwear indicator
Made in Germany Country of manufacture.
MAX LOAD 615 KG
(1356 LBS)
United States maximum load rating per
wheel.
MAX INFLATION
350 KPA (51 PSI)
United States maximum permissible inflation
pressure.
ROTATION Rotation direction (unidirectional tires)
SIDEWALL 1 PLY
RAYON
Tire ply composition and materials used:
1 layer of rayon.
TREAD 4 PLIES
1 RAYON + 2 STEEL
+ 1 NYLON
Tire tread composition and materials used:
In this example there are 4 layers under the
tread: 1 layer of rayon, 2 layers of steel belt
and 1 layer of nylon.
Tire labeling
(example)
Meaning
Consumer information regarding comparison to specified base
tires (standardized test procedure) ⇒ ⇒ page 284:
TREADWEAR 220 Relative service life expectancy of the tire
referenced to a U.S.-specific standard test.
TRACTION A Traction rating under wet conditions (AA, A,
B or C).
TEMPERATURE A Temperature stability of the tire at increased
test bench speeds (A, B or C).
Additional numbers found on the tire could either be tire manu-
facturer internal labels or country-specific labels (such as for
Brazil and China).
Unidirectional tires
Unidirectional tires are designed to rotate only in one direction. Unidi-
rectional tires have arrows on the sidewalls that show the direction of
rotation. Make sure you mount the tire so that it rotates in the proper
direction. The tire's performance with regard to hydroplaning, traction,
noise, and wear is worse if it is not mounted in the proper direction of
rotation.
If you have to mount a tire opposite to its proper direction of rotation,
you must drive more carefully, since the tire is no longer being used
as designed. This is particularly important on wet roads. You must
replace or remount the tire as soon as possible in order to restore the
correct direction of rotation.
Load rating code
The load index indicates the maximum permissible load per individual
tire in pounds (kilograms).
91 1356 lbs (615 kg)
92 1388 lbs (630 kg)
93 1433 lbs (650 kg)
95 1521 lbs (690 kg)
97 1609 lbs (730 kg)
98 1653 lbs (750 kg)
99 1709 lbs (775 kg)
100 1763 lbs (800 kg)
101 1819 lbs (825 kg)
102 1874 lbs (850 kg)
103 1929 lbs (875 kg)
104 1984 lbs (900 kg)
110 2337 lbs (1060 kg)
Speed rating code letter
The speed rating code letter indicates the maximum permissible road
speed of the tires.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
Some tire manufacturers label tires with a maximum permissible road
speed above 149 mph (240 km/h) with the letter combination “ZR.”