Tire Size Load Specifications

A passenger car's load capacity will be lower than a transport trucks.Manabu Ogasawara/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

You can find a tire's load capacity by looking at the tire itself. North American standard values are printed on the sidewall of the tire near the rim. It will be in a series of numbers such as, P195/60R15 87S where the first number represents the tire width, second is the sidewall height, third is the diameter of the wheel and the last number is the load capacity the letter that follows is the speed rating.

Code

A tire's load restriction is given a code number which is universal across North American tire manufacturers. This code is a number between 71 and 110 and represents a specific weight in pounds and kilograms. Therefore, if the tire has a rating of 96 it has a load capacity of 1,565 pounds or 710 kilograms. The higher the load rating the higher the weight capacity of the tire.

The codes are printed on the side of your tires for passenger cars and light trucks. This can ensure you are installing the proper tire when you replace them. You will typically want to find a tire with an equal load value of the original tires so it has an equal load value. If you choose a load value with a smaller load indication number you will have lower load capacity than that of the original tires' load.

The letter that typically begins the string of numbers indicating the size and load of the tire also says a lot about the load of the vehicle. P195/60R15 87S is an example of a number series you would find on your vehicle. The P at the beginning signifies that the tire is a P-metric size and is typically used on passenger vehicles with a load capacity of quarter- to half-ton capacity. There are six other distinctions as well, ST stands for "special trailer" service and should never be used on passenger vehicles. Ending in a "C" represents a commercial vehicle measured in euro-metric sizing, and beginning with a "T" represents a temporary spare. Beginning the series with "LT" represents Light Truck-metric and is used for load capacity between three-quarter and one-ton capacity; however, ending in "LT" represents a tire that is capable of carrying very heavy loads with a wider base tire and are considered over sized.