BKT Tire Size Chart | Read Sizes Without Guesswork

BKT sizes show width, profile, rim diameter, construction, and load class, so the right match starts with reading each code in order.

A BKT Tire Size Chart helps you match more than one number on a sidewall. It helps you sort out width, sidewall profile, rim diameter, carcass type, and load marking before you spend money on the wrong tire. Read it well, and you can spot a clean replacement fast. Read it loosely, and you can end up with a tire that sits too tall, runs too wide, or carries the load in a way your machine was never meant to handle.

That’s why this topic trips people up. BKT builds tires for tractors, trailers, implements, loaders, mowers, compact machines, and more. One size can be written in metric form, another in imperial form, and another in flotation style. The chart still makes sense once you know what each block is saying.

What A BKT Size Code Is Telling You

BKT uses more than one size style because its range covers a lot of machine types. One chart line may show 320/85R24. Another may show 11L-15SL. Another may show 27×10-15.3. Those are not random formats. Each one follows a pattern, and each one tells you how the tire will fit.

Imperial And Flotation Markings

Take 11L-15SL. The first part points to the width family. The second number is the rim diameter in inches. The letters at the end flag a special flotation or low-section style. This kind of marking is common on implement and trailer tires where footprint and sidewall shape matter a lot.

A size like 27×10-15.3 reads in a different order. The first number is the overall diameter. The middle number is the section width. The last number is the rim diameter. That format shows up on turf, implement, and industrial tires where machine clearance can be tight.

Metric Radial Markings

Now take 320/85R24. Here, 320 is the nominal width in millimeters. The 85 is the aspect ratio, which means the sidewall height is 85% of the width. The R means radial construction. The 24 is the rim diameter in inches. A size such as 480/80R42 follows the same pattern on a larger farm tire.

Once you get used to this format, the code becomes easy to scan. Width comes first. Sidewall profile comes next. Construction sits in the middle. Rim diameter comes last. That simple read keeps you from mixing up two tires that share one number but differ everywhere else.

IF And VF Markings

When BKT adds IF or VF ahead of the size, the prefix changes the load-and-pressure story. IF means Improved Flexion. VF means Very High Flexion. Those lines are built to carry the same load at lower inflation pressure, or more load at the same pressure, within the maker’s stated limits. On big tractors, harvest machines, and sprayers, that changes how the tire works in the field and on the road.

Why One BKT Chart Can Look Different From Another

There is no single chart layout that covers every BKT line in the same way. Some product pages show metric and imperial tabs side by side. Some list LI/SS, PR, recommended rim, alternate rim, section width, overall diameter, static loaded radius, rolling circumference, and tire type. Some pages add pressure or speed selectors. So the chart is not just a row of sizes. It is a fit sheet.

That is why a replacement search should start with the full sidewall code on your old tire, then move to the chart line. If the code looks close but the rim, diameter, or tire type shifts, stop there and re-check. One small change can mean a taller tire, a wider section, or a carcass that rides in a different way under load.

BKT Tire Size Chart For Metric, Imperial, And VF Sizes

This cheat sheet shows the common size styles you’ll run into across BKT farm, trailer, implement, and industrial lines.

Size Style	How To Read It	Where You’ll Usually See It
320/85R24	320 mm width, 85 series profile, radial, 24-inch rim	Front tractor fitments and mixed field work
480/80R42	480 mm width, 80 series profile, radial, 42-inch rim	Rear tractor drive positions
11L-15SL	Imperial width family, 15-inch rim, flotation or low-section style	Implements, wagons, and some trailer uses
27×10-15.3	27-inch overall diameter, 10-inch width, 15.3-inch rim	Turf, implement, and compact equipment
600/55R26.5	600 mm width, 55 series profile, radial, 26.5-inch rim	Flotation trailers and tankers
VF600/70R30	VF flexion class, 600 mm width, 70 series profile, radial, 30-inch rim	High-load field machines needing lower pressure
IF710/70R38 CFO	IF flexion class, 710 mm width, 70 series profile, radial, 38-inch rim, cyclic field use marking	Harvest and seasonal heavy-load work
5.00-12	Imperial section width family on a 12-inch rim	Small tractor, implement, and utility use

If you want the full spec line behind a size, BKT’s AS 504 technical-data page shows the same fields dealers use: recommended rim, alternate rim, section width, overall diameter, static loaded radius, rolling circumference, and tire type.

How To Match A Replacement Tire Without Guessing

The safest match is rarely made by tread pattern alone. Start with the sidewall. Then work down the chart in the same order every time.

1. Read the whole code. Don’t stop at rim diameter. Two tires can share the same last number and still fit in two totally different ways.
2. Match the rim first. A tire may mount on more than one rim width on paper, but the recommended rim is still your first stop.
3. Compare overall diameter and section width. This is where fender rub, steering lock issues, and clearance trouble show up.
4. Check LI/SS or PR. Radials often use load index and speed symbol. Bias tires may lean on ply rating. Read the marks your machine calls for.
5. Verify tire type and work use. TL and TT matter. So does the job: field traction, trailer road use, turf protection, or industrial wear.

That last step gets skipped a lot. A tire can fit the rim and still be wrong for the job. Trailer flotation tires, deep-lug drive tires, and compact industrial tires may share size families, yet their tread and casing behavior are built for different work.

BKT’s AGRIMAX V-FLECTO notes make this plain: its VF design is built to carry heavy loads at lower inflation pressure than standard and IF tires. That means a VF marking is not decoration on the sidewall. It changes how you should compare one size to another.

Quick Checks Before You Order

Check	Match This	What Can Go Wrong If You Skip It
Full size code	Every number, letter, and prefix	Wrong fit even when one number looks right
Recommended rim	Chart line and wheel on the machine	Bad bead seat, poor shape, odd wear
Overall diameter	Old tire, chart value, machine clearance	Rubbing, gearing shift, stance change
Section width	Chart value and nearby fenders or linkage	Sidewall contact and mud-pack trouble
LI/SS or PR	Machine load and travel speed	Heat build-up and early casing stress
TL or TT	Wheel setup and existing tire type	Mounting problems and air-loss issues
Tread use	Field, road, yard, turf, or mixed work	Fast wear or weak traction for the job

Mistakes That Cause Bad Fit And Early Wear

The most common mistake is buying by one number. Someone sees “24” on the old sidewall, finds another 24-inch rim tire online, and thinks the job is done. It isn’t. Width, profile, construction, and load marks still need to line up.

Another miss is ignoring the recommended rim. A tire mounted on the wrong wheel can change its shape enough to alter footprint, wear pattern, and machine feel. You might get it on the rim, yet still hate how it works.

One more trap is mixing bias and radial replacements without checking what the machine and job need. A bias tire and a radial tire of close size may not squat, flex, or pull the same way. That matters on row-crop work, loader use, and high-road trailer work.

• Don’t buy by rim diameter alone.
• Don’t treat IF or VF as small add-ons.
• Don’t skip width and outside diameter checks.
• Don’t assume TT and TL swap cleanly on every wheel.
• Don’t pick tread by price alone when the machine’s job is different.

A Clear Way To Read The Chart

Start with the exact code on the tire you have now. Match the rim. Then compare overall diameter, section width, load marks, and tire type. When those points line up, you’re usually close to the right BKT replacement. When one drifts, pause and re-check before you order. That short pause can save a return, a mounting headache, and a lot of lost work time.