Contents: Passenger car tires ⇊ Reinforced tires ⇊ High-quality tires with the W speed…⇊ Van and light truck tires ⇊ Other Van & Light Truck Tires ⇊
1 - M&S (snow and mud). The marking indicates that the tire has a tread designed for winter conditions, 2 - reinforced, marking is introduced for reinforced tires 3 - load and pressure requirements (requirements not applicable in the UK), 4 - defines the type of construction, 5 - load index, 6 - speed symbol, 7 - marking of the type of tire quality, 8 - tread wear indicator (markings do not fit on all tires), 9 - obsolete form of tire size designation, including the speed symbol (S), 10 - grades and ECE type approval code, 11 - tire design details (not required in the UK), 12 - manufacturer's name and trade mark, 13 - commercial name, 14 - tire size designation. New ECE Form followed by Load Index and Speed Symbol, 15 - The word "Tubeless" if applicable, 16 - Country of Manufacture, 17 - North American Department of Transportation Acceptance Symbol, 18 - North American Tire Identifier, 19 - Identifies the tire construction (radial).
Tyres are currently labelled according to standards agreed by the European Tyre and Rim Organisation (ETRTO). Current legal requirements and conditions place the responsibility on manufacturers to clearly define the capabilities of a particular tyre. For this purpose, markings have been introduced that define the maximum speed and load-carrying capacity of the tire, which are typical for certain operating conditions.
The numerical code identifies the load-carrying capacity of the tire at the speed specified by the speed symbol and under conditions specified by the tire manufacturer. This code is called the Load Index (LI).
The speed symbol indicates the speed at which the tire can carry a load corresponding to its load index under conditions specified by the tire manufacturer.
The performance characteristics of a tire include the load index (or two load indices in case of single/dual installation) and the symbol of speed.
Passenger car tires
On a passenger car tyre, the marking usually includes one speed symbol and one numerical load index, for example, 185/65 R 14 86 H MXV2.
- 185 - Nominal section width in mm.
- 65 - Tire section index.
- R - Radial design.
- 14 - Nominal wheel diameter in inches.
- 86 - Load index (the load capacity is 530 kg).
- H - Speed Index (i.e. speed up to 210 km/h, approximately 130 mph).
- MXV2 - Tread pattern.
Reinforced tires
These tires, like passenger car tires, have data on operating characteristics, load index and speed symbol. However, the performance rating includes a higher load index and a lower speed symbol compared to standard car tires of equivalent dimensions. For example, 185 R 14 Reinforced (reinforced) 94 R: 185 R 14 90 T.
High-quality tires with the W speed symbol
W is the new speed symbol introduced by ECE Regulation 30 for tyres used at speeds up to and above 240 km/h up to a maximum speed of 270 km/h.
As with the V speed symbol, the load index of these tires is set for a lower speed; there is a certain reduction in load capacity, expressed as a percentage, for every 10 km/h increase in speed, which in the case of the W symbol is 5%.
Below is a complete table of speed symbols with the applicable percentage reduction in load capacity where applicable.
Please note that tyres with the speed symbol W may also have the marking ZR. As a result, the size may be defined as 225/50 ZR 16 83W or 225/50 R 16 83W.
| - | Speed, km/h | Tire load capacity: |
| V Up to 240 km/h | 210 | 100% |
| 220 | 97% | |
| 230 | 94% | |
| 240 | 91% | |
| W Up to 270 km/h | 240 | 100% |
| 250 | 95% | |
| 260 | 90% | |
| 270 | 85% |
If a tyre has the ZR symbol within the size marking and there are no other speed symbols, then the tyre is designed for speeds exceeding 240 km/h.
Older tires with the VR symbol in the size marking were intended for speeds up to and exceeding 210 km/h.
Note: Tyres whose size markings only include the symbols VR or ZR are excluded from ECE Regulation 30.
Van and light truck tires
There is a large group of vehicles that can be divided into three large groups from a tire point of view:
1. Light vans and pickups, which are a direct development of the passenger car.
2. Medium vans and light trucks, which were designed as such, but very often use basic components from passenger cars.
3. Large vans and small trucks using a traditional vehicle chassis.
All vehicles, except the lightest vehicles in Groups 2 and 3, use "C" van tires or (Group 3) 17.5 inch truck tires/
With the exception of these relatively large vehicles, all other vehicles in this category use standard or reinforced automobile tires, and most of them belong to 13 and 14-inch tires.
Other Van & Light Truck Tires
This includes a variety of tire types that in the past were labeled only by the number of plies. For example, 185 R 14, 185 R 14 PR6 and 185 R 14 PR8.
Modern tires in this category are marked with performance characteristics, and often with the class of layers. (It is expected that the markings relating to the layer class will be gradually removed).
In cases where, however, the tyre can be used on the rear axle in a dual configuration, two load indices are used.
For example: 205 R 14 109/107 N
- 109 - Load index when the tire is used in single mode (1030 kg per tire)
- 107 - Load index when the tire is used in dual configuration (975 kg per tire)