Tyre load index explained: what the number means in kg

A tyre load index is the number just before the speed letter at the end of the size, as in 205/55 R16 91V. It is a code for the maximum weight one tyre is rated to carry, in kilograms, when used as its maker specifies, including at the right pressure. Load index 91 means 615 kg per tyre; 94 means 670 kg; 100 means 800 kg. The number is not the weight itself, and the scale is not linear, so you need a chart, which is below. When you replace tyres, the new load index must be at least as high as the one your car maker specified. On a heavy SUV, an MPV or an electric car, the load index is the part of the size that deserves the most care.

Tyre load index chart for car tyres

These are the load indices you will meet on car and SUV tyres, with the maximum load per tyre. The values come from the international tyre standards.

Load index	Max load per tyre	Load index	Max load per tyre
75	387 kg	93	650 kg
76	400 kg	94	670 kg
77	412 kg	95	690 kg
78	425 kg	96	710 kg
79	437 kg	97	730 kg
80	450 kg	98	750 kg
81	462 kg	99	775 kg
82	475 kg	100	800 kg
83	487 kg	101	825 kg
84	500 kg	102	850 kg
85	515 kg	103	875 kg
86	530 kg	104	900 kg
87	545 kg	105	925 kg
88	560 kg	106	950 kg
89	580 kg	107	975 kg
90	600 kg	108	1,000 kg
91	615 kg	109	1,030 kg
92	630 kg	110	1,060 kg

The full table, from 0 to well beyond car sizes, is in our load index and speed rating chart.

How to read the load index on your tyre

Find the size on the sidewall and read the number after the rim size. In 185/65 R15 88H, the load index is 88, so each tyre can carry up to 560 kg. Four of them can carry up to 2,240 kg between them, but that total is not how the check works, because weight is never spread evenly. What matters is the load on each axle, as below.

You will also find the maximum load in kilograms elsewhere on the sidewall, often marked MAX LOAD. Indian rules require every tyre maker to emboss the maximum load carrying capacity on the tyre, alongside the manufacture date (rule 95 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules). Our guide to reading a tyre size covers every marking.

Standard, XL and HL tyres

The same size can come in versions with different load indices.

Standard load tyres carry the load in the chart at the standard inflation pressure.

XL, Extra Load or Reinforced tyres are built to carry more at a higher inflation pressure than the standard version of the same size. Michelin’s example: a 205/55 R16 91V carries up to 615 kg, while the same size as 94V XL is rated for more. On the chart, 94 means 670 kg. XL tyres only deliver that extra capacity at the higher pressure they are designed for, so follow your car maker’s pressure for the fitted tyre. Michelin advises replacing XL tyres with XL.

HL (high load) tyres go further still. Michelin describes them as tyres that, at the same size and the same pressure as a standard or XL tyre, offer the higher load capacity heavy electric and hybrid cars need. They carry “HL” before the size. A car that came on HL tyres needs HL replacements. Our guide to EV tyres explains why.

Can you fit a higher load index?

Yes. Michelin’s principle is that a tyre that can do more can also do less, so a higher load index than the original is fine. What it does not do is let you carry more: the car’s own maximum axle loads, set by its maker, stay the limit. A lower load index than specified is not acceptable, even if the car rarely carries much.

Load index for SUVs and MPVs: checking a full load

A seven-seater carrying a full set of passengers and luggage to a wedding or on a holiday is when its tyres come closest to their limits. The check is per axle:

1. Find the maximum permitted axle loads for front and rear in the owner’s manual.
2. Divide each axle limit by two to get the most each tyre on that axle may have to carry.
3. Look up the load index that covers that figure.

A worked example, with numbers chosen for illustration: suppose a seven-seater’s manual gives a maximum rear axle load of 1,250 kg. Each rear tyre may then carry up to 625 kg. Load index 91 (615 kg) would fall short; 92 (630 kg) would just cover it, and anything higher gives more margin.

The car maker has already done this sum when choosing the original tyres, which is why matching or beating the original load index is the rule. It also explains two things owners often overlook:

• Use the laden pressures. A tyre’s load capacity assumes it is at the right pressure, and a full car needs the higher pressures many placards give for full load. Our tyre pressure lookup lists makers’ figures.
• Load and speed are linked. At very high speeds, tyres rated V, W and Y may carry only part of their rated load, as our guide to tyre speed ratings explains.

Load index on imported cars and unusual sizes

For imported vehicles, and for tyre sizes taken from international standards rather than the Indian one, rule 95 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules requires the approved testing agencies to satisfy themselves about the load and speed rating of the tyre with reference to Indian conditions. If you are changing to a size the car did not come with, check that the new tyre’s load index is at least the original’s and that the car maker approves the size.