| BLK | Black tire sidewall. | LT | LIGHT TRUCK - light truck tire. |
| REINFORCED(=RF) | Reinforced - for tires with increased load capacity. | LRO | LOW PLATFORM TRAILER - low platform trailer. |
| RRBL | RECESSED RAISED BLACK LETTERS - recessed embossed black marks. | VSB | VERTICAL SERRATED BAND - vertical jagged band. |
| ORBL | OUTLINED RAISED BLACK LETTERS - highlighted raised black letters. | ZR | Tires designed for speeds in excess of 240 |
| BSW | BLACK SIDE WALL - black letters on the sidewall of the tire (in the designation of the tire brand). | OWL | OUTLINE WHITE LETTERS - contour white letters on the sidewall of the tire. |
Reinforced tire marking:
| SSR | RUNFLAT (Self-Supporting Runflat Tire) - developed by Continental. The tire has a special rubber reinforcement in the side wall, which takes on the weight of the car in the event of a loss of pressure in the tire. | MFS | MAXIMUM FLANGE SHIELD - The system of maximum bead rim protection protects tires from damage on curbs and sidewalks - a rubber profile located on the lower part of the wall above the rim flange forms a buffer zone. |
| RF | RUNFLAT is a technology that allows your car to continue moving after a puncture or flat tire. | RUNONFLAT | RunOnFlat tires, formerly known by the acronym EMT, allow you to continue driving with partial or complete loss of pressure. |
Tires for cars of some brands are marked with special symbols:
Other designations.
In addition to the above, there may be other symbols on the sidewall of the tire that carry a lot of useful information:
| TUBE TYPE | Chamber design (obligatory use of the tire together with the chamber). | TUBELESS | Tubeless tire design. |
| ML | Tire with rim protection for Mercedes or Audi. | WITH | Reinforced tire. |
| FR | Flange Rotector - a tire with rim protection. | EMT | RUN FLAT by Goodyear. |
| ALL STEEL | Tire with steel cord breaker and carcass. | REGROOVABLE | Cutting of the tread pattern is allowed. |
| TREADWEAR 380 | The wear resistance coefficient is determined in relation to the "base tire", for which it is equal to 100. | TRACTION A TEMPERATURE A TREADWEAR 200 | U.S. DOT classification standards for traction, heat resistance, and wear resistance. |
| TOUS TERRAIN | All season tire. | R+W | Road + Winter - road + winter (universal) tire. |
| RETREAD | Refurbished tire. | RADIAL | Tire with radial construction. |
| TRACTION A | adhesion coefficient. It has the values A, B, C. Tires with coefficient A have the highest amount of grip in their class. | E17 | The tire complies with European standards (the presence of a European homologation certificate, the number indicates the country). |
| INSIDE or SIDE FACING INWARDS | The inner side of the tire installation with an asymmetric tread pattern (this inscription is inward). | OUTSIDE or SIDE FACING OUT | The outer side of the tire installation with an asymmetric tread pattern (this inscription is facing out). |
| PLIES: TREAD | Tire tread composition. | SIDEWALL | Tire sidewall composition. |
| MAX LOAD | MAX PRESSURE | Maximum tire pressure, Kpa and PSI. | |
| RIGHT | Tire with asymmetric tread pattern, which is installed on the right side of the car. | LEFT | A tire with an asymmetric tread pattern that is mounted on the left side of the car. |
| ROTATION | Direction of rotation of a tire with a directional tread pattern (in this case, an arrow is applied on the sidewall of the tire showing the direction of rotation of the tire). | DA (stamp) | Minor manufacturing defects that do not interfere with normal operation. There may also be an additional speed limit stamp, for example, no higher than 140 km / h. |
| TEMPERATURE A | Temperature regime. An indicator that characterizes the ability of a tire to withstand temperature effects. It is divided into three categories - A, B and C. | M+S (mud and snow), Winter (winter), Rain (rain), Water or Aqua (water), All Season | Tires designed for use in specific weather conditions. |
| TWI D | Projector wear indicator pointer. The indicator itself is a protrusion at the bottom of the tread groove. When the tread wears down to the level of this ridge, it's time to change the tire. | DOT | Tire certification in accordance with the requirements of the US Department of Transportation. Includes several codes and contains information about the manufacturer, design and size of the tire. |
| MADE IN***** | The country of origin of the tire. | Stud* | spikes. |
* - abbreviation OD, DD, MD, AD, spike. - means that the tires are studded with an oval stud (OD), a diamond-cut stud (DD), a plastic stud (MD), or a cylindrical aluminum stud with a carbide core (AD, stud.)
The Rubber Manufacturers Association of Canada (Rubber Association of Canada) and the Rubber Manufacturers Association have adopted a special test method of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). This test evaluates tires in real snow conditions. After much debate and discussion, all tire manufacturers agreed to adopt this standard proposed by ASTM, along with a special snowflake symbol against a mountain. The adoption of the new standard was announced in February 1999.
These designations are not applied to the tire sidewall! This information is used by manufacturers in the name of tires.
| BCS | BLACK CIRCUMFERENCIAL SERRATION | Black peripheral teeth. | BL | BLACK LETTERS | Black signs. |
| BSL | BLACK SERRATED LETTERS | Black jagged marks. | BSB | BROKEN SERRATED BAND | Intermittent jagged line. |
| ENWL | EXTRA NARROW WHITE LETTERS | Very narrow white marks. | ROBL | RAISED OUTLINED BLACK LETTERS | Embossed outlined black characters. |
| OWL | OUTLINED WHITE LETTERS | Circled white marks. | OBL | OUTLINED BLACK LETTERS | Circled black marks. |
| OGL | OUTLINE GOLD LETTERS | Circled golden signs. | ORBL | OUTLINED RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Circled embossed black characters. |
| ORWL | OUTLINED RAISED WHITE LETTERS | Circled embossed white characters. | OWL | OUTLINED WHITE LETTERS | Circled white marks. |
| RBL | RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Embossed black marks. | RWL | RAISED WHITE LETTERS | Embossed white signs. |
| RRBL | RECESSED RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Recessed embossed black characters. | SBL | SERRATED BLACK LETTERS | Jagged black marks. |
| SRBL | SERRATED RAISED BLACK LETTERS | Serrated embossed black marks. | SOWL | SLANTED OUTLINED WHITE LETTERS | Slanted outlined white signs. |
| SVSB | SLANTED VERTICAL SERRATED BAND | Vertically inclined toothed strip. | VSB | VERTICAL SERRATED BAND | Vertical jagged stripe. |
| WL | WHITE LETTERS | White signs. | WS | WHITE STRIPE | White stripe. |
TIRE MARKING:
Car tires are marked with an alphanumeric code that is printed on its side surface, for example, like this: 185/65 R1492T. Each letter and number defines the dimensions of the tire and its main characteristics. In some cases, additional letters are given before the code, indicating the type of vehicle for which the tire is intended. Yes, letter "R" is placed on tires designed for passenger cars (Passenger), and "LT"— small commercial (Light Trucks) vehicles.
So, the inscription on the sidewall of the tire 185/65 R1492T means the following:
185 - tire profile width in millimeters,
65 - the ratio of the height of the tire profile (from the landing rim to the outer edge of the wheel) to its width in percent%,
R- radial tire (Radial), with a radial arrangement of cord threads,
14 - tire diameter in inches (1 inch equals 2.54 cm),
92 - load index, means the maximum load on one tire,
T- speed index, means the maximum allowed speed.
The figure shows a tire, where there are the following symbols:
1) Tire model.
2) MAX LOAD- maximum load, kg or English pounds. MAX PRESSURE- maximum internal pressure in the tire, kPa.
3) Tire profile width in millimeters from bead to bead.
4) Profile height - the ratio of the bead height to the total tire width in percent. If this designation is absent, then it is usually equal to 82%.
5) R- radial tire (Radial).
6) The diameter of the rim the tire is designed for is measured in inches.
9) TWI- Tread wear indicator pointer. The indicator itself is a protrusion at the bottom of the tread groove. When the tread wears down to the level of this ridge, it's time to change the tire.
10) RF-(Runflat)- run flat technology, "restless" tire.
11) OUTSIDE or side Facing Out(outer side of the installation), INSIDE or Side Facing Inwards (inner side of the installation) - for tires with an asymmetric tread pattern.
12) M+S (mud and snow) - winter and universal tires, Winter(winter), Rain(rain), water or Aqua(water), All Season North America(all-weather for North America), etc. - tires designed for use in specific conditions.
13) MADE IN - manufacturer country.
14) TUBE TYPE (TT)- tube tire TUBELESS (TL) - tubeless tyre.
15) The lightest place on the tire.
16) ROTATION - the direction of rotation of the tire.
17) TREADWEAR 360 - wear resistance coefficient, is determined in relation to the "base tire", for which it is equal to 100. TRACTION A— adhesion coefficient, has the values A, B, C. Coefficient A has the highest adhesion value in its class. TEMPERATURE A- temperature conditions, an indicator characterizing the tire's ability to withstand temperature effects. It, like the previous one, is divided into three categories A, B and C.
18) Tire manufacturer.
19) DOT -
compliance with US standards, E17
- compliance with European standards (the number indicates the country of approval).
In addition, there is an additional tire marking:
WITH -(commercial) - light truck tire (example: 185 R14C) .
FR- Tire with rim protection.
XL(extra load = extra load) - reinforced tire with increased load capacity.
SL(standard load = standard load) - tire for nnormal use and load.
PLIES: TREAD — tread layer composition.
SIDEWALL — sidewall layer composition.
DA (stamp) — minor manufacturing defects that do not interfere with normal operation.
|
Speed index notation table |
Load Index Symbol Table | ||||||
|
Speed index |
Maximum allowable speed, km/h |
Load index |
Load index |
Load index |
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|
from 210 to 300 |
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|
from 240 to 300 |
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DISC MARKING:
Car rims are labeled as follows, for example, as:
7.5JxR17 ET34 PCD 5×120 DIA 72.6
7.5J is the width of the rim in inches.
R17 is the disc diameter in inches.
ET34- disc overhang, this is a parameter that determines the distance between the landing plane of the disc to the hub and the vertical plane of the middle of the disc width. Measured in millimeters.
PCD 5×120- the number of holes for bolts / nuts (in this case 5). The diameter of the circle (120mm) on which they are located, equidistant from each other, is called PCD (Pitch Circle Diameter).
DIA 72.6- diameter of the central hole, measured in millimeters.
Some alloy wheel manufacturers make the DIA larger than the vehicle manufacturer's specification, and so adapter rings are used for centering on the vehicle's hub.
Tire speed index table.
|
Speed index |
Maximum speed, km/h |
It is possible to specify additional characteristics:
"TL" - tubeless tire,
FR - tire with rim protection,
RF, XL - reinforced tire with increased load capacity,
The letter “E” enclosed in a circle is the European safety standard,
“DOT” is an American safety standard.
The letters “M + S” “mud” (Mud) + “snow” (Snow) are winter and universal tires.
“AW” - “any weather” (Any weather) - all-weather tires,
the same “AS” - “all seasons” (All Seasons).
Some companies use symbols-drawings instead of letters: sun, rain, snowflake.
Tire size
Tire size is a numeric expression X/Y-Z(e.g. 130/70-18 like Honda Gold Wing GL1800) where:
X- This width(cross section) of the tire profile in millimeters,
Y- profile height as a percentage of the width (this value is not specified if the width is specified in inches. For example, 3.00-10)
Tire type
As you know, tires come in two types - chambered and tubeless.
TT- abbreviation for Tube Type(chamber) - designation for tires intended for use only with a chamber. TL- abbreviation for Tubeless(tubeless) - indicates that the tire should be used without a tube.
Tightness is ensured by a layer of special rubber applied to the inner ring. Proper fixation of the tire on the rim is achieved by humps - special structural elements of the rim.
Some tire models have an additional sidewall element located in the bead area called the rim guard. It can be made in the form of a protruding rubber band or a special seal in the same area.
The purpose of these technical solutions is to protect the disc rim from contact with, for example, curbstones during a parking maneuver, since such contacts can lead to chips, abrasions and other surface damage to the disc.
Sports image
In addition to the function of reducing the negative impact of foreign objects on the wheel, the wheel rim protection has an aesthetic effect, endowing the visual combination of tire and wheel with a more sporty image.
Currently, the rim protection is an independent element of the tire, which does not have a generally accepted marking on the tire and / or in the designation of the tire article. In this regard, a number of manufacturers add their own markings indicating the presence of rim protection, while other manufacturers do not indicate this at all. There are several approaches that tire manufacturers use to protect the rim on tires:
- Applicable on a specific model, for all sizes that are available
- Applicable for certain geometric dimensions (e.g. low profile dimensions)
- It is used for certain sizes selected according to image features (for example, for sizes supplied as original equipment for sports cars)
Consultation needed
Due to the variety of approaches to the formation of a tire offer equipped with rim protection, as well as the lack of a single marking, it is necessary to consult (or seek clarification from the tire manufacturer) if it is necessary to choose a tire with this protective element.
For example, MICHELIN uses rim protection for sports models:,.
Attention! The rim protection is an independent structural element of the sidewall of the tire, it is not necessary for use on tires made according to the technology of self-supporting tires, as well as on tires with increased bearing capacity.
Detailed description of different types of car tire markings
Tire marking
Tire markings can be carried out in two systems in metric and inch. Consider an example of tire marking in the metric system based on a car tire Michelin Energy 195/65/R15 91T.
Consider the bus parameters in order:
- 195 - profile width in millimeters;
- 65 - the ratio of the height of the profile to the width in percent, i.e. for this tire, the profile height of the ravine is 126.8 mm. If this parameter is not specified, then it is considered equal to 82%;
- R- means that the tire has a radial type carcass. If there is no letter R, then the tire is a diagonal type;
- 91 - load index, in our case, the maximum allowable load on the presented tire is 615 kg (on some models, in addition to this, the load in kg - Max load) may be indicated. The full list of load indices is presented in the table;
| Load index | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 335 | 345 | 355 | 365 | 375 | 387 | 400 | 412 | 426 | 437 | 460 | 462 | 475 | 787 | 500 | 515 |
|---|
| Load index | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 515 | 530 | 545 | 560 | 580 | 600 | 615 | 630 | 650 | 670 | 690 | 710 | 730 | 750 | 775 | 800 |
|---|
| Load index | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 825 | 850 | 875 | 900 | 925 | 950 | 975 | 1000 | 1030 | 1060 | 1090 | 1150 | 1180 | 1215 | 1250 |
|---|
| Load index | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 1285 | 1320 | 1360 | 1400 | 1450 | 1500 | 1550 | 1600 | 1650 | 1700 | 1750 | 1800 | 1850 | 1900 |
|---|
- T- speed index, which means that when using this tire, it is possible to comfortably drive at speeds up to 190 km / h. A complete list of speed indices is presented in the table.
| Speed index | J | K | L | M | N | P | Q | R | S | T | U | H | V | VR | W | Y | ZR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. Speed (km/h) | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 140 | 150 | 160 | 170 | 180 | 190 | 200 | 210 | 240 | >210 | 270 | 300 | >240 |
Very often, the tire size for SUVs is indicated in the inch system. Consider an example of marking in an inch system using a tire as an example Cooper Discoverer ST, take for example the size LT 35/12.5 R15 113Q:
- 35 - the outer diameter of the tire in inches, which is equivalent to 889 mm;
- 12.5 - nominal width in inches, which is equivalent to 317.5 mm;
- R- means that the tire is of radial construction;
- 15 - disk diameter in inches, which is equal to 381 mm;
- 113 - index of the maximum allowable load. In our case, up to 1150 kg;
- Q- the index of the maximum allowable speed, which for our tire corresponds to 160 km / h.
Additional marking of car tires
- The bus function can be prefixed to the frame size:
- P- passenger car (Passenger car);
- LT- light truck (Light Truck);
- ST- trailer (Special Trailer);
- LRO- Low Platform Trailer;
- T- temporary (used only for spare tires).
All-season tires can be marked with the following additional markings:
- M&S- dirt plus snow (Mud + Snow);
- A/T- for any terrain (All Terrain);
- AS- for all seasons (All Season);
- Any Season- for any season;
- R+W- road plus winter (Road + Winter);
- A.W.- any weather (Any Weather);
- All Season- for all seasons;
- a snowflake icon can also be used to indicate a tire for severe winter conditions.
The following bus protection systems are possible:
- SSR- system of emergency protection of the tire at loss of pressure;
- MFS(Maximum Flange Shield) - maximum protection of the flange of the disk;
- FR(Flange Rotector) - tire with disc rim protection;
- DSST- Dunlop Self-Supporting Technology;
- run flat- technology that allows your car to continue moving after a puncture or flat tire;
- RunOnFlat- previously known under the abbreviation EMT, allow you to continue driving with partial or complete loss of pressure.
- The following types of inscriptions and engravings on the tire are possible:
- OWL- (Outline White Letters) - contour white letters on the sidewall of the tire;
- BSW- (Black Side Wall) - black letters on the sidewall of the tire (in the designation of the tire brand);
- VSB- (Vertical Serrated Band) vertical serrated band;
- RWL- white stripe on the sidewall;
- ORBL- (Outlined Raised Black Letters) black highlighted raised letters on the sidewall;
- RRBL- (Recessed Raised Black Letters) recessed embossed black characters;
- WSW- white sidewall;
- BLK- black sidewall
Studded tires indicate the type of stud. There are the following types of spikes:
- AD- aluminum spikes;
- SD- spikes with a hard-alloy core;
- DD- spikes with a rectangular core and a diamond edge;
- OD- spikes with an oval core;
- MD- plastic studs with carbide core.
Special rain tires can be marked as follows:
- Aquatred;
- Aquacontact;
- Rain;
- water;
- Aqua;
- pictogram umbrella.
In addition, there may be the following designations on the tire:
- M/T- indicates that the tire is for mud landscapes (Mud Terrain);
- XL- reinforced tire (Extra Load);
- RF- reinforced tire with increased load capacity (Reinforced = XL);
- outsade or Side Facing Out- external side of the installation;
- Inside or Side Facing Awards- the inside of the installation;
- rotation and the arrow on the sidewall of the tire means a directional tire, when installing the tire, you must strictly observe the direction of rotation of the tire indicated by the arrow;
- Left- the tire is installed on the left side of the car;
- Right- the tire is installed on the right side of the car;
- Tubeless- tubeless tyre. In the absence of this inscription, the tire can only be used with a camera;
- Tube Type- the tire must only be operated with a tube;
- Max Pressure- the maximum allowable pressure in the tire, in kPa;
- Max load- the maximum allowable load on the tire, in kg;
- Reinforced or letters RF in the size means that it is a reinforced tire (6 layers);
- WITH at the end of the size designates a truck tire (8 layers);
- Radial- means that it is a radial tire;
- Steel- means that there is a metal cord in the tire structure;
- E(in a circle) - the tire meets the European requirements of ECE (Economic Commission for Europe);
- DOT- American quality standard (Department of Transportation - US Department of Transportation);
- Temperature A, IN or WITH heat resistance of the tire at high speeds on the test bench (A - the best indicator);
- Traction A, IN or WITH- the ability of the tire to brake on a wet roadway;
- Treadwear- relative expected mileage compared to a special US standard test;
- E17- compliance with European standards;
- dot- compliance with US standards;
- Plies: thread- composition of the tread layer;
- Sidewall- composition of the sidewall layer;
- DA(stamp) - minor manufacturing defects that do not interfere with normal operation;
- Twid- projector wear indicator pointer. The indicator itself is a protrusion at the bottom of the tread groove. When the tread is worn down to the level of this ridge, it is time to change the tire;
- N0, N1, N2 And N3- a tire designed for Porsche;
- J- a tire designed for Jaguar models.
