Load Rating

What is a tyre load rating?

The load capacity of a tyre determines what payload each tyre can carry. It is vital that you check with your manufacturer what capacity should be put on your car. Again in cases insurance can be void if you select the incorrect tyres. The following table shows what Index specification can carry.


Passenger car tyre load ratings :

Load Index Max Load/Tyre (kg)
81 462
82 475
85 515
86 530
87 545
90 600
92 630
95 690
96 710


Tyre Speed Rating :

Speed Symbol Maximum Speed (km/h)
N 140
P 150
Q 160
R 170
S 180
T 190
U 200
H 210
V 240
Z 240
W 270


A tyre receives its speed rating meeting minimum standards for reaching and sustaining a specified speed. What does that mean to you? Well, in general, a higher speed rating will result in better car handling.


Two Important Notes When Considering Speed Rating:

It is Illegal and very dangerous to your safety in lowering the Speed rating. This may result in poor handling and unpredictable steering. However, if you want better cornering response, there is no problem installing a higher speed rated tyre on your vehicle.

Tyre manufacturers recommend not mixing and matching tyres with different speed ratings on your vehicle. It is recommended that speed-rated tyres be replaced in sets of 4. If replaced in pairs, the new tyres should be of the same or higher speed rating. If tyres with different speed ratings are installed on a vehicle, it is recommended that they be installed with like pairs on the same axle. It is highly recommended the lower speed-rated tyres be place on the front axle, regardless of which axle is the drive axle, to help prevent oversteer. (Oversteer occurs when the vehicle loses traction at the rear tyres first, causing the vehicle to spin and the driver to lose control.) The speed rating for all tyres will become that of the lowest speed-rated tyre on the vehicle.Opposite is a list of speed ratings along with the corresponding speeds they represent. Remember: the speeds are test speeds, not recommended speeds.


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