{"id":4069,"date":"2026-10-23T04:04:33","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T04:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/?p=4069"},"modified":"2026-10-23T04:04:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T04:04:36","slug":"tyre-basic-101-how-to-read-a-tyre-sidewall-part-i-size-load-index-speed-rating-utqg-dot-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/tyre-basic-101-how-to-read-a-tyre-sidewall-part-i-size-load-index-speed-rating-utqg-dot-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyre Basic 101: How to Read a Tyre Sidewall (Part I) \u2013 Size, Load Index, Speed Rating, UTQG &amp; DOT Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9513335314800507\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>At least 50% of vehicle owners (in HK) still unable to tell what tyre sizes they are using. One of my teachers once said this &#8211; &#8220;if a person is asking about replacing spark plug on a diesel engine, it&#8217;s your chance to raise the selling price of the boat.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s why they are confused \/ deluded by salesperson in purchasing tyres without knowing tyre sizes are different or getting unmatched tyre requirement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Giving excuses to oneself that you are not in this field does not mean you should not learn it. A pilot license needs to study aircraft engineer. A yacht license needs to study how engine works. A driver, undoubtedly needs to learn the vehicle parts. Let&#8217;s start from basic, whether you just got your first license or an experienced vehicle driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"717\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-size-sample.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-size-sample.jpg 717w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-size-sample-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 717px) 100vw, 717px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tyre Width<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The width specified on the tyre sidewall is the distance from the tip of the sidewall to the other side. <strong>NOT the tyre tread width<\/strong>. Most technicians even confused with this. Tyre tread width normally is narrower that the specified tyre specification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E.g., In the image. it shows 245\/45ZR18. Tyre width is 245mm, which is the tip of the sidewall to the other is 245mm. But the tyre tread width is shorter, normally measured as 225 to 235mm depending on tyre model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An interesting finding that a <a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/tyre-buying-guide-performance-vs-comfort-choices-explained-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">high-performance tyre<\/a> generally have slightly wider tyre tread than a <a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/tyre-buying-guide-performance-vs-comfort-choices-explained-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">touring comfort tyre<\/a>. Of course there might be an exception as there are lots of tyre models in the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently, the new tyre model released in end of year 2025 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tyrehood.com\/en\/brands\/dunlop\/sportmaxxlux.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dunlop Sport Maxx Lux<\/a> is another exception for tyre width design. It has a larger than specified width that gives the tyre more control. <a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/dunlop-sport-maxx-lux-review-pros-cons-which-drivers-should-choose-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to learn more about this tyre information<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"656\" src=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/lux-vs-fk520l-245-width-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/lux-vs-fk520l-245-width-1.jpg 960w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/lux-vs-fk520l-245-width-1-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/lux-vs-fk520l-245-width-1-768x525.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1. If my original equipped tyre size is 225\/45 R17 and decided to replace with 235\/45 R17, does the increase in width give me more traction and\/or control?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Not necessarily. The width of the tyre tread is the one that touches the ground and give you the traction you need. Depending on the tyre model that you will be purchasing, 235\/45 R17 tyre tread width may not be wider than the 225\/45 R17 as mentioned that the specification width is from sidewall to sidewall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. If I wanted to get a wider tyre tread, should I replace an even wider tyre width e.g. 245\/45 R17 or 245\/40 R17?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: You should try getting a high performance tyre first before deciding to change the tyre size. Getting a different tyre model may actually help instead of changing size right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Commonly missed out question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Changes in tyre width will cause tyre height changes as the height of tyre is calculated based on aspect ratio times tyre width. Around 90% of drivers missed out this fact. <br><br>If you want to check out the height of the tyre, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tyrehood.com\/en\/tyresizecalculator.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">click here to use the calculator on my website<\/a> to learn more.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A person once made a claim that &#8220;all vehicles should be able to install slightly wider or higher than origial equipped tyre size. For instance, an original equipped 215\/55 R17 vehicle should be able to install 225\/55 R17.<br><br>That&#8217;s not true as you never know how manufacturers design the vehicle. Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/1D5vm5fH46\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">facebook post<\/a> to see the different sizing for the debate.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"717\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-touches-suspension.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4115\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-touches-suspension.jpg 717w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-touches-suspension-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 717px) 100vw, 717px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tyre Aspect Ratio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s the value, tyre sidewall height in respect of the tyre width. That&#8217;s why changes in tyre width will affect tyre height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you changes the aspect ratio to adjust with the tyre width, the height will still be different from the original equipped. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tyrehood.com\/en\/tyresizecalculator.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Check the calculator out in my website to find out more<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tyre (Inner) Diameter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The diameter of the tyre inner circle in inch. Vehicle owners often use this to ask for tyre quote but there are over 25 tyre size combination with the same diameter &#8211; 195\/45 R17, 205\/45 R17, 205\/50 R17, 215\/50 R17, and much more&#8230;..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The larger the diameter, the better the appearance to most drivers. On the flip side, the tyres are more expensive than smaller diameter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tyre Speed Index and Loading Index<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The characters right behind the tyre size. Speed index is important to those who want higher performance and better control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loading index is important especially on commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicle tyre has two loading index. Even some who are in the automobile industry do not know what&#8217;s the meaning of two loading index. Thinking that the two values are required to meet the light goods vehicle requirement in Hong Kong vehicle inspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click here to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tyrehood.com\/en\/speedloadcalculator.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decode the tyre speed index and loading index<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have posted another article that talks about loading index of the tyre especially for commercial vehicles.<a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/the-importance-of-loading-index-especially-for-light-goods-vehicle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Click here to learn more about these index.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tyre marking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-sidewall-marking-1024x367.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-sidewall-marking-1024x367.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-sidewall-marking-300x108.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-sidewall-marking-768x275.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tyre-sidewall-marking.jpg 1336w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For marking like &#8220;EV&#8221;, &#8220;E+&#8221; and more different logo. Each implies different meaning like Electric Vehicle Tyre, (Yokohama tyre) Electric Vehicle Suitable Tyre etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For marking like T1, MO, * and more. It indicates one \/ more specific vehicle brand approval tyre to be installed on their vehicles. Mostly it&#8217;s original equipped. Some tyres may have more than 1 such marking, like LR and J<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s vital to note that the tyre tread pattern, tyre tread width and\/or tyre sidewall design can be different from those with and without tyre marking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tyrehood.com\/en\/tyremarking.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to find out more about these tyre marking<\/a>. There are a lot of different marking on the tyre, and more details will be updated from time to time on the webpage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UTQG<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"714\" height=\"229\" src=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FK520UTQG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FK520UTQG.jpg 714w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FK520UTQG-300x96.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The value appears on the tyre sidewall for treadwear, traction and temperature. It&#8217;s often used by some sales to market the product performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a tyre without UTQG, it simply means that batch of tyres sell in specific regions without the need for UTQG marking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/utqg-explained-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to learn more about UTQG.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DOT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"327\" src=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tyre-sidewall-DOT-1024x327.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tyre-sidewall-DOT-1024x327.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tyre-sidewall-DOT-300x96.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tyre-sidewall-DOT-768x246.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tyre-sidewall-DOT.jpg 1026w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. legal requirement to imprint DOT (Department of Transport) code at the tyre sidewall in order to sell in the U.S. market. If DOT related coding and even &#8220;DOT&#8221; is not printed clearly, tyres are required to recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first 2\/3 characters are the manufacturer codes (yellow underline), indicating the address of the manufacturer plant. You can decode the characters over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tyrehood.com\/en\/dotdecoder.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">at my website DOT decoder<\/a> to find out the details. In the above case, if you input 216, you can find this Hankook tyre address is manufactured in Jiaxing, China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1001\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/no-DOT.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/no-DOT.jpg 1001w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/no-DOT-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/no-DOT-768x259.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1001px) 100vw, 1001px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, some tyres may not have &#8220;DOT&#8221; these 3 characters on the sidewall. But the same coding still printed on it. The first two\/three characters are always the manufacturer plant detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manufacture week\/year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>(green underline in the image above). It locates on one side the tyre sidewall. The date is always at the back of the DOT coding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sales technicians always use &#8220;3 years&#8221; to persuade those have no knowledge about tyres to replace a new set of tyres. Some other retailers use &#8220;5 years&#8221; to convince for replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a fact that tyre aging occurs right after it is manufactured but it&#8217;s more complicated than most people think of. No official tyre brand clearly states when should a tyre be replaced due to tyre aging. Except that it is strongly advised to replace a tyre that&#8217;s 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The US transport department actually conducted 10 years of experiments over tyre aging. It releases 5 parts of experiment result report, a total of 8xx pages all together related to how tyre ages and how tyre aging affects tyre performance. (It takes more time to read everything)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past, I saw a variety of tyre aging appears as early as 6 months with obvious cracking appears on the sidewall. He installed the latest manufacture year at that time of aging. The longest one is around 7 years and still running. No obvious crack on the sidewall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next Part<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Part i is most important to all drivers to learn the tyre fundamental. The next part coming up will touch on more markings and their details that&#8217;s missed out by almost all drivers and technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-medium-font-size\">AXA Travel, Home, Accidential Insurance offer promotion periodically as well as Zurich general insurance.<br>To purchase automotive tire, batteries and automobile, travel and personal insurance in HK, <a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/85251130668\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whatsapp Jimmy +852 5113 0668<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-medium-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tyrehood.hk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Follow us on Tyrehood facebook page to get the latest automotive and insurance information. \ud83d\udc40 More travel guide is also available for your reference.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other related articles:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/tyre-tread-patterns-explained-directional-vs-symmetric-vs-asymmetric\/\">Three different types of tyre tread pattern<\/a><br>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/tyre-buying-guide-performance-vs-comfort-choices-explained-2\/\">Tyre categories &#8211; high performance vs touring<\/a><br>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/types-of-tyres-explained-summer-winter-all%e2%80%91season-all%e2%80%91weather\/\">Four different seasonal tyres &#8211; All season, All weather, Summer, Winter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other articles:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/category\/tire\/\">-&gt; Tyre related information<\/a> <br><a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/category\/battery\/\">-&gt; Automotive Battery related information<\/a> <br><a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/category\/vehicle-maintenance\/\">-&gt; Vehicle maintenance and DIY<\/a> <br><a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/category\/insurance\/\">-&gt; Insurance Related Information<\/a> <br><a href=\"https:\/\/tyrehood.com\/articles\/en\/category\/trip\/\">-&gt; Global Travel Guide<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At least 50% of vehicle owners (in HK) still unable to tell what tyre sizes they are using. One of my teachers once said this &#8211; &#8220;if a person is asking about replacing spark plug on a diesel engine, it&#8217;s your chance to raise the selling price of the boat.&#8221; That&#8217;s why they are confused&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,47],"tags":[4175,4176,4183,4169,4180,646,4191,4189,4187,4168,4167,4173,4179,4185,471],"class_list":["post-4069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basic-knowledge","category-tire","tag-dot-code-tyre","tag-ev-tyre-marking","tag-how-to-read-tyre","tag-load-index-speed-rating","tag-t1-tyre-marking","tag-tire-manufacturing-date","tag-tyre-date-reading","tag-tyre-diameter-reading","tag-tyre-height-reading","tag-tyre-markings-explained","tag-tyre-sidewall-reading","tag-tyre-size-meaning","tag-tyre-specification-guide","tag-tyre-width-reading","tag-utqg-rating"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Read Tyre Sidewall: Part i<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn to read your tyre sidewall: width, aspect ratio, diameter, load &amp; speed index, markings, UTQG, DOT manufacturing year. 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