What Is Tire Load Index?
Tires have a load index that shows how much weight they can carry at a specific tire pressure. This rating is located on the tire’s side and is essential to consider when selecting tires for your vehicle.
The load index is typically a two or three-digit number ranging from 71 to 126, indicating the maximum weight that a tire can carry safely. The higher the load index number, the more weight the tire can handle.
Why Is Tire Load Index Important?
Going over the load index could cause more wear and tear, loss of traction, reduced fuel economy, and even tire failure. Choosing the right tires with the proper load index ensures that they can handle the weight of your vehicle, passengers, and cargo, while avoiding any possible tire damage or failure.
Therefore, it’s vital to consider the load index when selecting the appropriate tires for your vehicle to ensure safety and durability of your tires.
How To Use The Tire Load Index Chart
You should refer to the tire load index to confirm the amount of weight your tire can support safely.
For instance, if your tire has a load index of 92, it can handle up to 1,389 pounds when inflated to the maximum pressure.
To calculate your car’s total load-carrying capacity, you’ll need to multiply that number by four (4 x 1,389 = 5,556 pounds).
You should never install tires with a lower load-carrying capacity than the ones originally fitted on your vehicle by the manufacturer to ensure safety and optimal performance.
Tire Load Index Chart
Load Index and Carrying Capacity | |||||
Load Index | Carrying Capacity (lbs) | Load Index | Carrying Capacity (lbs) | Load Index | Carrying Capacity (lbs) |
0 | 99 | 50 | 419 | 100 | 1764 |
1 | 102 | 51 | 430 | 101 | 1819 |
2 | 105 | 52 | 441 | 102 | 1874 |
3 | 107 | 53 | 454 | 103 | 1929 |
4 | 110 | 54 | 467 | 104 | 1984 |
5 | 114 | 55 | 481 | 105 | 2039 |
6 | 117 | 56 | 494 | 106 | 2094 |
7 | 120 | 57 | 507 | 107 | 2149 |
8 | 123 | 58 | 520 | 108 | 2205 |
9 | 128 | 59 | 536 | 109 | 2271 |
10 | 132 | 60 | 551 | 110 | 2337 |
11 | 136 | 61 | 567 | 111 | 2403 |
12 | 139 | 62 | 584 | 112 | 2469 |
13 | 143 | 63 | 600 | 113 | 2535 |
14 | 148 | 64 | 617 | 114 | 2601 |
15 | 152 | 65 | 639 | 115 | 2679 |
16 | 157 | 66 | 639 | 116 | 2756 |
17 | 161 | 67 | 677 | 117 | 2833 |
18 | 165 | 68 | 694 | 118 | 2910 |
19 | 171 | 69 | 716 | 119 | 2998 |
20 | 176 | 70 | 739 | 120 | 3086 |
21 | 182 | 71 | 761 | 121 | 3197 |
22 | 187 | 72 | 783 | 122 | 3307 |
23 | 193 | 73 | 805 | 123 | 3417 |
24 | 198 | 74 | 827 | 124 | 3527 |
25 | 204 | 75 | 852 | 125 | 3638 |
26 | 209 | 76 | 882 | 126 | 3748 |
27 | 215 | 77 | 908 | 127 | 3858 |
28 | 220 | 78 | 937 | 128 | 3968 |
29 | 227 | 79 | 963 | 129 | 4079 |
30 | 234 | 80 | 992 | 130 | 4189 |
31 | 240 | 81 | 1019 | 131 | 4289 |
32 | 247 | 82 | 1047 | 132 | 4409 |
33 | 254 | 83 | 1074 | 133 | 4541 |
34 | 260 | 84 | 1102 | 134 | 4674 |
35 | 267 | 85 | 1135 | 135 | 4806 |
36 | 276 | 86 | 1168 | 136 | 4938 |
37 | 282 | 87 | 1201 | 137 | 5071 |
38 | 291 | 88 | 1235 | 138 | 5203 |
39 | 300 | 89 | 1279 | 139 | 5357 |
40 | 309 | 90 | 1323 | 140 | 5512 |
41 | 320 | 91 | 1356 | 141 | 5677 |
42 | 331 | 92 | 1389 | 142 | 5842 |
43 | 342 | 93 | 1433 | 143 | 6008 |
44 | 353 | 94 | 1477 | 144 | 6173 |
45 | 364 | 95 | 1521 | 145 | 6393 |
46 | 375 | 96 | 1565 | 146 | 6614 |
47 | 386 | 97 | 1609 | 147 | 6779 |
48 | 397 | 98 | 1653 | 148 | 6844 |
49 | 408 | 99 | 1709 | 149 | 7165 |
150 | 7385 |
Considering Load Index When Tire Shopping
When buying new tires for your vehicle, the tire load index is incredibly important to consider. To ensure you’re selecting the right tires, it’s crucial to pick ones that can support your car’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which you can easily find in the owner’s manual.
To check if a tire set is compatible with your car, use the tire load index chart to see how many pounds each tire can carry. Remember to multiply that number by four since your vehicle has four tires. As long as the total weight capacity is greater than your car’s GVWR, those tires should fit the bill just fine.