A tire’s load index is the number after the size and right before the speed letter on the sidewall.
You do not need special tools to find a tire’s load index. You need a clear view of the sidewall and a simple way to read the code. Once you know where the service description sits, the number stands out.
That small number matters because it tells you how much weight one tire can carry when it is inflated as required. Get it wrong and you can end up buying a tire that fits the wheel but does not match the car’s rating. That is where many drivers get tripped up.
What The Load Index Number Means On A Tire
Load index is a numeric rating tied to the maximum weight a single tire can carry. It is a standardized number, so the same load index means the same load across brands. If two tires both show 91, they share the same rated carrying capacity.
Still, that does not mean your car can carry anything you want. The vehicle itself has its own weight limits, axle limits, and tire pressure sticker. A tire with a higher load index does not raise the car’s payload rating. It only tells you what that tire is built to carry.
- Load index is the number.
- Speed rating is the letter right after it.
- Vehicle placard is the sticker on the driver’s door jamb that lists the tire spec your car was built around.
If you are replacing one tire or a full set, the usual rule is simple: match the vehicle spec or go higher on the load index, never lower. The same idea applies to the speed letter on most passenger cars.
How To Find Load Index On Tire Sidewall Markings
Start with the full sidewall code. Say your tire reads 205/55R17 91V. The load index is 91. The speed rating is V. Everything before 91 describes size and construction.
Read The Service Description Left To Right
- 205 = tire width in millimeters
- 55 = aspect ratio
- R = radial construction
- 17 = wheel diameter in inches
- 91 = load index
- V = speed rating
On most passenger tires, the load index is the last number before the final speed letter. Read past the wheel diameter and keep going. Many people stop at the 17 or 18 and miss the part that matters for load.
Wipe off dust, crouch down, and read the full string in one pass. If the outer sidewall is hard to read, check the matching tire on the other side of the car. The same service description is usually visible there too.
Marks That Sit Near The Load Index
You may see extra letters such as XL, HL, or Reinforced near the service description. Those marks tell you the tire belongs to a higher-load version of that size. The load index number still does the real comparison work when you shop.
Sidewall Examples That Make It Click
These sample sidewall strings show the pattern in real tire codes. Size comes first, then the load index, then the speed letter.
| Sidewall Code | Load Index | Quick Read |
|---|---|---|
| 195/65R15 91H | 91 | Find the last number before H. |
| 205/55R16 91V | 91 | Same size pattern, same spot. |
| 215/60R16 95H | 95 | Read past 16 to the next number. |
| 225/45R17 94W XL | 94 | 94 is the load index; XL is a nearby load mark. |
| 235/65R18 106H | 106 | The load index can be three digits. |
| 245/40R18 97Y XL | 97 | Read the number before Y, not the XL mark. |
| 255/55R19 111V XL | 111 | Many SUV tires use three-digit load indexes. |
| T125/70R17 98M | 98 | Compact spares still follow the same pattern. |
What The Load Index Is Not
This is where wrong replacements happen. Load index is not the rim size. It is not the pressure you should run day to day. It is not the treadwear grade. It is also not a free pass to add more cargo than the vehicle sticker allows.
Michelin’s sidewall markings page shows the same order of size, load rating, and speed rating. That makes it a handy cross-check when a worn sidewall is hard to read.
- Not the wheel diameter: in 205/55R17, the 17 is wheel size, not load index.
- Not the pressure setting: the sidewall can also show a max load and max pressure, but your daily pressure should come from the door sticker or manual.
- Not the same on every tire size: two tires with the same size can still carry different load ratings.
- Not the car’s payload rating: the vehicle maker still sets the car’s own limits.
Say you see two tires in the same 225/45R17 size. One is marked 91V. Another is marked 94W XL. They may fit the same wheel, yet they are not the same tire spec. The service description is what tells you that.
When The Sidewall Gets Tricky
Most passenger tires are easy to read once you know the pattern, but a few cases can throw you off.
Extra Load Versions
XL, HL, and Reinforced marks sit near the service description. Do not treat those letters as a replacement for the load index number. Read the number first, then read the nearby mark.
Light-Truck And Van Tires
Some work-truck tires use a pair of numbers in the service description. You may see something like 120/116S. That points to different load ratings for different fitments. On pickups, vans, and cargo rigs, match the placard and the manual before you buy.
Temporary Spares
A temporary spare can show a load index that looks high next to a lower speed letter. That is normal. A spare is built for short-distance use, not daily duty.
Where Else To Verify The Rating
If the sidewall is scuffed, cracked, or turned inward, do not guess. The driver’s door placard is usually the fastest backup source. It lists the tire size your vehicle was set up to use, and that is the rating you should match when you replace tires.
The owner’s manual can help too, especially on trims that came with more than one wheel package. A base model and a higher trim can use the same wheel diameter with a different service description, so the vehicle paperwork clears up the mismatch.
- Door placard: best first check for the factory spec.
- Owner’s manual: useful when the car has multiple approved tire setups.
- Tire listing: read the full service description before you click buy.
If you want a quick way to turn a load index number into pounds or kilograms, Continental’s load index table lists the standard conversions.
Common Load Index Values
These are standard load-index conversions per tire. They help you sanity-check what you read on the sidewall.
| Load Index | Max Load (lb) | Max Load (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 84 | 1102.5 | 500 |
| 88 | 1234.8 | 560 |
| 91 | 1356.1 | 615 |
| 94 | 1477.4 | 670 |
| 98 | 1653.8 | 750 |
| 99 | 1708.9 | 775 |
| 100 | 1764.0 | 800 |
Best Way To Check A Replacement Tire
If you are standing in a shop or scrolling tire listings, use this short check order:
- Read the tire size on the old tire or the door placard.
- Find the load index number on the sidewall.
- Match that number or step up, never step down.
- Match the speed letter unless the vehicle maker allows a different spec for seasonal use.
- Check that the full service description makes sense for the car, SUV, truck, or spare.
Once you know where the service description sits, finding the load index stops being guesswork. Read the sidewall from left to right, stop at the number before the speed letter, and compare that rating with the placard on the driver’s door. That is the cleanest way to buy the right tire the first time.
References & Sources
- Michelin.“How to Read Tire Markings and Sidewall Codes.”Shows where the load rating sits within the sidewall service description and how to read the size code.
- Continental.“Load Index (LI).”Lists standard load-index conversions and explains that the index appears on the tire sidewall.