Intro

Load Index

Speed Index

Width

Aspect Ratio

Construction

Rim Diameter

ENLITEN Technology

OE Sidewall Marking

RFT

B-Seal

B-Silent

Ologic

HL Tyres

Energy Label

EU Taxonomy

Tyre markings explained

Have you ever wondered what the markings on the sidewall of your tyre mean? Your tyre’s sidewall markings are a tyre specification guide containing important information about size, load, and much more. This indicates the nominated tyre size for your vehicle from the manufacturer. Be careful if changing away from the nominated tyre size, as this could make your vehicle un-roadworthy. Learn how to read tyre codes below.

Load Index

After the rim diameter, we find the load rating. This tells you the maximum capacity of a passenger car tyre when it is inflated to its maximum safe pressure. The figure (in this example, “87”) refers to the index rather than the weight. As such, you will need to consult a load index table (below) which determines the load in kg for each rating. For a load index of “87”, the maximum load weight is 545kg/tyre.

Li	Kg	Li	Kg	Li	Kg	Li	Kg	Li	Kg	Li	Kg

Speed Index

The final tyre marking in this string represents the speed rating. As you might have guessed, this denotes the maximum speed a tyre can sustain when it is correctly inflated and under load. As with the load index, this letter references a look-up table which indicates the maximum permissible speed of a tyre. In this example, “V” means the vehicle has a maximum speed of 240 km/h under the maximum load.

Width

The section width of your tyre in millimetres, from the inner sidewall to the outer sidewall. Example: 195mm

Aspect Ratio

The following two numbers (“55”) represent the aspect ratio - or measurement of the sidewall height (in mm). Essentially, this is the ratio of the tyre's cross-section to its width. So, in the above example, a tyre that has an aspect ratio of 55 would have a height equal to 55 per cent of its width.

Construction

Next up is a letter. This tells you how a tyre is constructed. In this example, the “R” means that the tyre has radial construction. This is where the internal ply cords extend across the casing from bead to bead, in a radial direction. Less common tyre constructions include diagonal or bias ply, represented by the letter “D”.

Rim Diameter

The next number represents the diameter code. Unlike the width, this is shown in inches. This is particularly important because it represents the diameter of the wheel rim. In the above example, the number “16” means that the tyre should be matched to a rim wheel of 16 inches.

ENLITEN Technology

ENLITEN is a combination of cutting-edge technologies

​​Example:
ENLITEN brings a combination of cutting-edge technologies to Turanza 6:

1) Based on internal benchmark Turanza 6 vs Turanza T005 (ref. size 205/55 R16)
2) Tests carried out by TÜV SÜD on the request of Bridgestone in June 2022 at the facilities ATP Papenburg (Germany) & Bridgestone EUPG (Italy) for wet tests and dry braking tests with BMW 520i & BMW 530d, on tyre size 245/45 R18 100Y XL. Turanza 6 compared to the performances of main competitors in the same segment: CONTINENTAL Premium Contact 6, MICHELIN Primacy 4+, PIRELLI Cinturato P7 (P7C2) Report No. [713263409]. AQUAPLANING LATERAL, rating: BRIDGESTONE Turanza 6 (100%) CONTINENTAL Premium Contact 6 (92%), MICHELIN Primacy 4+ (90.2%), PIRELLI Cinturato P7 (P7C2) (96.9%). AQUAPLANING STRAIGHT-LINE, rating: CONTINENTAL Premium Contact 6 (100.2%), BRIDGESTONE Turanza 6 (100%), PIRELLI Cinturato P7 (P7C2) (98.9%), MICHELIN Primacy 4+ (98.5%),. LATERAL WET GRIP, rating: BRIDGESTONE TURANZA 6 (100%) CONTINENTAL Premium Contact 6 (97%), MICHELIN Primacy 4+ (95.1%), PIRELLI Cinturato P7 (P7C2) (93.3%). WET BRAKING (Ø CALC. Stopping Distance [m] 80-20 km/h) rating: CONTINENTAL Premium Contact 6 (33), BRIDGESTONE Turanza 6 (33,7), PIRELLI Cinturato P7 (P7C2) (34.4), MICHELIN Primacy 4+ (36). DRY BRAKING, (Ø CALC. Stopping distance [m] from 100 to 0 km/h → Mean deceleration [m/s²]) Rating: BRIDGESTONE Turanza 6 (33,1) CONTINENTAL Premium Contact 6 (33,2), MICHELIN Primacy 4+ (33,5), PIRELLI Cinturato P7 (P7C2) (34,3).

OE sidewall marking

Bridgestone is the market leader in Run-Flat tyres.
We first introduced this technology as an OE fitment in the 1980s.

​HOW IT WORKS:

Our B-SEAL technology contains a sealant material in the tyre that
guarantees temporary air retention in case of a puncture in the tread area.

Our B-SILENT technology is engineered to reduce in-vehicle noise.
A special sponge absorbs disruptive sounds that come from tyre cavities.

OLOGIC is a technology that helps improve fuel efficiency.
It also results in reduced CO2 emissions.

HL Tyres

The HL capacity category was developed to indicate tyres that are able to carry the higher
load and support
the more demanding fatigue cycle of powerful electric and hybrid vehicles.

EXAMPLE:
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TYRES WITH A STANDARD, EXTRA AND HIGH LOAD

...	Size	Load Index	Total weight allowed per vehicle (kg)	Additional Info
Standard Load	255/40R20	97	730 kg x 4 tyres = 2920 kg Load index: +4 Weight: +380 kg	2.5
Extra Load (XL)	255/40R20	101	825 kg x 4 tyres = 3300 kg Load index: +3 Weight: +300 kg	2.9
High Load (HL)	255/40R20	104	900 kg x 4 tyres = 3600 kg .	2.9

Energy Label

EU Taxonomy

The EU Taxonomy is a system developed by the EU to help determine economic activities which are good for the environment i.e. more sustainable. It’s aimed at helping companies, financial institutions and investors identify sustainable activities to enable ‘green’ investment decisions.