=
Maximum tire pressure (Y page 290)
?
Manufacturer
A
Tire material (Y page 302)
B
Tire size designation, load-bearing capa-
city and speed index (Y page 300)
C
Tire name
The markings described above are on the tire
in addition to the tire name (sales designa-
tion) and the manufacturer's name.
i
Tire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-
ate from the data in the example.
Tire size designation, load bearing index
and speed index
G
WARNING
Exceeding the stated tire load-bearing capa-
city and the approved maximum speed could
lead to tire damage or the tire bursting. There
is a risk of accident.
Therefore, only use tire types and sizes
approved for your vehicle model. Observe the
tire load rating and speed rating required for
your vehicle.
:
Design standard
;
Tire width
=
Nominal aspect ratio in %
?
Tire code
A
Rim diameter
B
Load bearing index
C
Speed index
General: depending on the manufacturer's
standards, the size imprinted in the tire wall
may not contain any letters or may contain
one letter : that precedes the size descrip-
tion
If "LT" precedes the size description (as
shown above): these are light truck tires
according to U.S. manufacturing standards.
If "C" precedes the size description: these are
commercial motor vehicle tires according to
European manufacturing standards.
Tire width: tire width ; shows the nominal
tire width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio: aspect ratio = is the size ratio
between the tire height and tire width and is
shown in percent. The aspect ratio is calcu-
lated by dividing the tire width by the tire
height.
Tire code: tire code ? specifies the tire type.
"R" represents radial tires. "D" represents
diagonal tires, "B" represents diagonal radial
tires.
Rim diameter: rim diameter A is the diam-
eter of the bead seat, not the diameter of the
rim flange. The rim diameter is specified in
inches (in).
Load-bearing index: load-bearing index B
is a numerical code that specifies the maxi-
mum load-bearing capacity of a tire.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit. The maximum permissi-
ble load can be found on the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information placard on the B-pillar on
the driver's side (Y page 295).
Example:
The load-bearing index 120 indicates a max-
imum load of 3,042 lb (1,380 kg) for the tire.
If two load-bearing capacity indices are speci-
fied (as shown above), the first number states
the load-bearing capacity for single tires, the
second number the load-bearing capacity for
twin tires. For further information on the max-
imum tire load in kilograms and pounds, see
(Y page 301).
For further information on the load-bearing
index, see "Load index" (Y page 301).
300
What you should know about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires