Tire Designations - Volvo 2009 XC90 Owner's Manual

07 Wheels and tires

Tire designations

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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 (the following figures are
examples of a tire designation):
215: the width of the tire (in millimeters)
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from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. The
larger the number, the wider the tire.
65: The ratio of the tire's height to its width.
R: Radial tire.
15: The diameter of the wheel rim (in
inches).
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95: The tire's load index. In this example, a
load index of 95 equals a maximum load of
1521 lbs (690 kg).
H: The tire's speed rating, or the maximum
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speed at which the tire is designed to be
driven for extended periods of time, carry-
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ing a permissible load for the vehicle, and
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with correct inflation pressure. For exam-
ple, H indicates a speed rating of 130 mph
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(210 km/h).
NOTE
This information may not appear on the tire
because it is not required by law.
M+S or M/S = Mud and Snow; AT = All
Terrain; AS = All Season
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN):
This begins with the letters "DOT" and indi-
cates that the tire meets all federal stand-
ards. The next two numbers or letters are
the plant code where it was manufactured,
the next two are the tire size code and the
last four numbers represent the week and
year the tire was built. For example, the
numbers 317 mean the 31st week of 1997.
After 2000 the numbers go to four digits.
For example, 2501 means the 25th week of
2001. The numbers in between are mar-
keting codes used at the manufacturer's
discretion. This information helps a tire
manufacturer identify a tire for safety recall
purposes.
Tire Ply Composition and Material Used:
Indicates the number of plies indicates or
the number of layers of rubber-coated fab-
ric in the tire tread and sidewall. Tire man-
ufacturers also must indicate the ply mate-
rials in the tire and the sidewall, which
include steel, nylon, polyester, and others.