08 Wheels and tires
Tire designations
Information on the sidewall
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Federal law mandates that tire manufacturers
place standardized information on the sidewall
of all tires (see the illustration).
The following information is listed on the tire
sidewall:
The tire designation:
NOTE
Please be aware that the following tire des-
ignation is an example only and that this
particular tire may not be available on your
vehicle.
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Self-supporting run flat tires may not be available on all models
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1. 215: the width of the tire (in millimeters)
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. The
larger the number, the wider the tire.
2. 65: The ratio of the tire's height to its width
in percent.
3. R: Radial tire (the designation RF and the
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symbol indicate that the vehicle is
equipped with optional self-supporting run
1
flat tires
. See page 318 for more informa-
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tion about these tires).
4. 15: The diameter of the wheel rim (in
12
inches).
5. 95: The tire's load index. In this example, a
load index of 95 equals a maximum load of
1521 lbs (690 kg).
6. H: The tire's speed rating, or the maximum
speed at which the tire is designed to be
driven for extended periods of time, carry-
ing a permissible load for the vehicle, and
with correct inflation pressure. For exam-
ple, H indicates a speed rating of 130 mph
(210 km/h).
NOTE
The tire's load index and speed rating may
not appear on the sidewall because they are
not required by law.
I n f o r m a t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :
7. M+S or M/S = Mud and Snow, AT = All
Terrain, AS = All Season
8. U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number
(TIN): This begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federal
standards. The next two numbers or letters
are the plant code where it was manufac-
tured, the next two are the tire size code
and the last four numbers represent the
week and year the tire was built. For exam-
ple, 1510 means that the tire was manu-
factured during week 15 of 2010. The num-
bers in between are marketing codes used
at the manufacturer's discretion. This infor-
mation helps a tire manufacturer identify a
tire for safety recall purposes.
9. Tire Ply Composition and Material
Used: Indicates the number of plies indi-
cates or the number of layers of rubber-
coated fabric in the tire tread and sidewall.
Tire manufacturers also must indicate the
ply materials in the tire and the sidewall,
which include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others.