Tire Markings - Mitsubishi MIRAGE Service Manual

 Groove: the space between two adjacent
tread ribs.

Tire Markings

Size Designation
EXAMPLE: P215/65R15
Passenger car tire size based on
P
U.S.A. design standards
215 Section width in millimeters (mm)
Aspect ratio in percent (%)
65 Ratio of section height to section
width of tire.
Construction code
• "R" means radial construction.
R
• "D" means diagonal or bias con-
struction.
15 Rim diameter in inches (in)
NOTE
 European/Japanese metric tire sizing is based
on European/Japanese design standards.
Tires designed to these standards have the
tire size molded into the sidewall beginning
with the section width. The letter "P" is
absent from this tire size designation. Exam-
ple: 215/65R15 96H.
 LT (Light Truck) -metric tire sizing is based
on U.S.A. design standards. The size desig-
nation for LT-metric tires is the same as for
P-metric tires except for the letters "LT" that
are molded into the sidewall preceding the
size designation. Example: LT235/85R16.
 Temporary spare tires are high pressure com-
pact spares designed for temporary emer-
gency use only. Tires designed to this
standard have the letter "T" molded into the
sidewall preceding the size designation.
Example: T145/80D18 103M.
Service Description
EXAMPLE: 95H
Load index
95 A numerical code associated with
the maximum load a tire can carry.
I n f o r ma t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :
Speed symbol
A symbol indicating the range of
speeds at which a tire can carry a
load corresponding to its load
index under certain operating con-
ditions.
H
The maximum speed correspond-
ing to the speed symbol should
only be achieved under specified
operating conditions. (i.e. tire pres-
sure, vehicle loading, road condi-
tions and posted speed limits)
Maximum Load
Maximum load indicates the maximum load
this tire is designed to carry.
WARNING
 Overloading of your tire is dangerous.
Overloading can cause tire failure, affect
vehicle handling, and increase your stop-
ping distance. Use tires of the recom-
mended load capacity for your vehicle.
Never overload them.
Vehicle care and maintenance
Tires
9
9-13