What Does 117T Mean On A Tire? | Decode The Sidewall

A tire marked 117T can carry 2,833 pounds per tire at rated pressure, and the T shows a top speed rating of 118 mph.

If you spot 117T on a tire sidewall, you’re reading two parts of the tire’s service description. The number tells you how much weight one tire is rated to carry. The letter tells you the tire’s maximum speed rating under set test conditions.

This code usually appears right after the tire size. A sidewall might read 265/70R17 117T. In that line, 265/70R17 is the size. The 117T part is the working rating. If you’re shopping for replacements, this marking deserves a close read.

What Does 117T Mean On A Tire? Sidewall Code Breakdown

Here’s the plain-English version:

• 117 is the load index. It equals 2,833 pounds of maximum load for one tire when the tire is properly inflated.
• T is the speed rating. It means the tire is rated for speeds up to 118 mph.

That does not mean your vehicle can suddenly haul anything you want or cruise at 118 mph. The tire rating is only one piece of the puzzle. Your vehicle’s door-jamb placard, axle rating, wheel rating, and tire pressure still matter.

Where You’ll Find 117T On The Sidewall

On most passenger vehicles, crossovers, and many SUVs, the service description sits right after the tire size. The pattern usually looks like this:

• Tire width
• Aspect ratio
• Construction type
• Wheel diameter
• Load index and speed symbol

Using 265/70R17 117T as an example, the last two characters are the part people skip past. Two tires can share the same size and still carry different load or speed ratings. A 265/70R17 115S tire is not the same thing as a 265/70R17 117T tire, even though the size matches.

Why The Number 117 Matters More Than It Looks

The load index is not a random code. It maps to a set weight value from an industry chart. In this case, 117 equals 2,833 pounds for one tire. Multiply that by four and you get a rough four-tire total of 11,332 pounds. That is not your vehicle’s legal or safe payload figure.

Your real limit is still set by the vehicle maker. Suspension parts, brakes, wheels, and axle ratings cap what the vehicle can carry. A higher-rated tire does not turn a half-ton truck into a one-ton truck.

Load index also depends on inflation. A tire only reaches its stated load at the pressure tied to that rating. If the tire is underinflated, load capacity drops, heat rises, and tread wear can go sideways in a hurry.

Taking A Closer Read On Tire Load Index And Speed Rating

Here’s a broader view that puts 117T in context with nearby codes you might also see on replacement tires. The weight values below are per tire.

Service Code	Load Capacity Per Tire	What It Tells You
113T	2,535 lb	Lower load, same T speed
114T	2,601 lb	Lighter SUV fitments
115T	2,679 lb	Close to 117T, still lower
116T	2,756 lb	One step under 117T
117T	2,833 lb	The code in this article
118T	2,910 lb	One step above 117T
119T	2,998 lb	Heavier SUV fitments
120T	3,086 lb	More load, same T speed

Official manufacturer charts spell this out clearly. Goodyear’s tire load index chart lists 117 as 2,833 pounds per tire, while its tire speed rating chart lists T as 118 mph.

What The T Speed Rating Actually Means

The T at the end of 117T is the tire’s speed symbol. For a passenger or light-truck tire, T means a maximum speed rating of 118 mph under controlled conditions. That does not mean day-to-day driving should go anywhere near that number. It’s a tested limit tied to load, inflation, and heat control.

You’ll see T on many family sedans, vans, crossovers, and some trucks. It sits above S and below H in the common passenger-tire speed chart.

What T Does Not Mean

The T symbol does not tell you:

• How much winter grip the tire has
• How quiet the tire will be
• How long the tread will last
• How sporty the handling will feel

Those traits depend on tread design, rubber compound, casing design, inflation, road surface, and vehicle setup. The speed symbol is one rating, not the whole story.

Can You Replace A 117T Tire With Something Else?

Maybe, though the safe answer is to match or exceed the vehicle maker’s required service description. If your placard or owner’s manual calls for 117T, dropping below 117 on load index is a bad move. Dropping below T on speed rating can also be a problem unless the vehicle maker allows it for a special tire type.

Going higher can be fine in many cases. A 117H tire keeps the same load index and steps up in speed rating. A 119T tire raises load capacity while keeping the same T speed class. Still, size, wheel fit, inflation range, and clearance must match the vehicle.

There’s also a catch: a higher load index does not raise the vehicle’s payload sticker number. That sticker is still the rule you live by.

Why The Door Placard Still Wins

The tire sidewall tells you what the tire itself can handle. The door-jamb placard tells you what the vehicle was built around. If the placard lists a different load index or pressure than a shop quote, start with the placard and the owner’s manual. That spec is tied to the vehicle’s weight balance, suspension tuning, and braking setup.

Checks To Make Before You Buy Replacement Tires

If you’re standing in a tire shop or comparing listings online, run through these checks before you click buy:

1. Match the full tire size shown on the placard or in the owner’s manual.
2. Match the load index or go higher, never lower.
3. Match the speed symbol or go higher if the vehicle maker allows it.
4. Check whether the tire is Standard Load, Extra Load, or a light-truck spec.
5. Make sure all four tires suit the vehicle’s use, road conditions, and wheel size.

Marking	Meaning	Why It Matters
117	Load index	Shows rated load per tire
T	Speed symbol	Shows the top speed class
XL	Extra Load	Higher load at higher pressure
SL	Standard Load	Standard passenger load type
M+S or 3PMSF	Traction marking	Snow use clue, not speed class

Common Mix-Ups With 117T

One mix-up is thinking 117T is part of the size. It is not. Size and service description are separate. Another is treating the number as axle capacity. It’s per tire, not per axle. A third is reading T as a treadwear grade or temperature grade. It is neither.

People also mix up sidewall codes when switching from passenger tires to LT tires. Light-truck tires can use different load conventions, and dual-load markings can show two numbers. If you drive a heavy-duty pickup, van, or trailer setup, double-check the placard and the tire class before you order anything.

When 117T Is A Good Fit

A 117T tire is often a fit for heavier crossovers, midsize SUVs, full-size SUVs, and some pickups that do not need a higher speed class. It suits drivers who want a tire built for normal road use, decent load capacity, and a service description that lines up with many factory setups.

If your vehicle came with 117T from the factory, that tells you the maker chose a tire with enough load headroom for the vehicle’s rated use and a speed class that matches its intended duty. Sticking close to that spec is usually the smart play unless you have a clear reason to change.

What 117T Means When You See It On A Tire

Read 117T as a pairing: load first, speed second. The 117 says the tire is rated to carry 2,833 pounds when inflated as specified. The T says the tire is rated for speeds up to 118 mph. Put that together with the correct tire size and your vehicle placard, and you’ve got the real answer hidden in that short sidewall code.