Tyre speed rating

A tyre speed rating indicates the maximum speed a tyre is legally approved for. Other articles from rac. These speed ratings are based on practical tests that engineers run when new tyres are designed – making sure the tyres can safely reach high speeds.

The tyre speed rating indicates the top speed the tyre can support under its approved load capacity. In knowing the tyre speed rating , you can safeguard your tyres and keep yourself safer when driving. Speed ratings are based on tests in which engineers run the tyre at 6. Tyre Speed Rating Table.

How do you find tyre speed rating? The single letter at the end of the code represents the tyres speed rating. What is the difference between speed rating and tyre rating? To receive its rating it must demonstrate that it can sustain a particular speed when tested with simulated loads.

It’s important to fit a tyre that matches or exceeds your car’s top speed. Seasonal tyres and speed rating. For summer tyres , tyres with a speed rating lower than that specified by the manufacturer should never be used.

It is different in the case of winter tyres. According to these regulations, winter. The only exception to this is a winter tyre. This is due to the fact that they are generally available in lower speed ratings than the more standard ‘summer’ tyres.

This because vehicles generally travel at much slower maximum speeds in winter conditions. Often the reduction in speed rating will be only one rating , - e. The tyre ’s speed rating represents the top speed that the tyre is capable of maintaining. A letter that appears on your tyre ’s sidewall illustrates the rating (see example above). The table below shows what each letter is rated at.

It corresponds to the maximum tyre driving speed. Find out the letter on your tyre sidewall and refer to the table below to know the maximum speed your tyre can handle. The speed rating is indicated by a letter on the tyre sidewall. This is good information to have for a number of reasons, some of which actually include the likelihood of you ever being able to sustain even the lowest of speeds that passenger car tires.

It should be noted that the correct speed ratings for your vehicle are specified by your manufacturer and any change to this may constitute a modification and must be reported to your insurer. With few exceptions, new tyres are required by law to carry indications of the tyre ’s load carrying and speed capabilities e. These speeds are shown in Table and apply to tyres when in good condition, inflated to the correct pressure, operating within their specific load capacity and fitted to the correct size rim. Last in our sequence, we come to the speed rating. Each letter denotes the maximum speed a tyre can sustain under its recommended load capacity. In our example, “H” is equivalent to a maximum speed of 1mph (2kph).

Even though a tyre is capable of performing at this. It uses a coloured scale: a black arrow with a large white letter points to the rating for the tyre. The difference between the best and worst rating can be 7. Our tyre professionals will confirm that the law requires you to fit tyres with a minimum speed rating of that given by the manufacturer. The higher rated tyres , specifically W rated tyres , tend to be required on high-performance sports cars.

So, what does tyre rating W mean? It means that you have a car that is capable of driving safely at high speeds up to 1mph. A rating of 96V for example means a maximum load capacity of 710kg on each tyre at a maximum speed of 149mph. The higher the numbers and the letter in the alphabet, the higher the speed and load.

A higher speed rating usually means you will have better control and handling at higher speeds — and that the tire can take the extra heat. As a general rule, tires with higher speed ratings also handle better at slower speeds. Generally, the higher the tyre speed rating , the better quality the tyre.

If you choose a tyre with a lower speed rating than is recommende your insurance policy may be invalidated in case of an accident. They can be identified by alphabetical letters ‘J’ through to ‘V’, with ‘J’ being the slowest. Recent standardization has changed so all ratings except Unlimited ZR incorporate the speed symbol and load index as part of every tire ’s service description on the tire ’s sidewall. If you’re reading your tire sidewall, the speed rating will be the last item in the character sequence in the tire ’s size code. Tire speed rating is different than tire size.

As a bare minimum, tyres must conform to recommendations concerning size, load index and speed rating as provided by the vehicle manufacturer. It’s a legal requirement in many countries. Driving a car with a set of tyres with mismatched size, construction, load index or speed rating can pose a danger to you and other road users. The overall tyre speed rating for all tyres should be based on the lowest speed -rated tyre on the vehicle. The chart shows a list of speed ratings , along with the corresponding speeds they represent.

Remember, the speeds are test speeds, not recommended speeds. The load rating is often included within.