The load range branded on a tire's sidewall helps identify how much load the tire is designed to carry at its industry specified pressure. A good rule of thumb is that the Load Index of your new tires be equal to or greater than the Load Index of the Original Equipment.
In most cases, passenger vehicles will use one of three different ratings:
- Standard Load - Either nothing is branded on the tire's sidewall or it may be branded Standard Load and identified by an SL in their description, as in P235/75R-15 SL.
- Extra Load - P-Metric tires branded Extra Load are identified by an XL in their descriptions, as in P235/75R-15 XL.
- Light Load - P-Metric tires branded Light Load are identified by an LL in their descriptions, as in P285/35R-19 LL.
Light trucks, such as the Chevy 2500 and Ford F-350, use a different system that utilizes a letter in ascending alphabetic order. The deeper into the alphabet you go, the higher the load rating. The letter replaces the old ply rating system with a load range E being equivalent to a 10 ply. Since light truck tires are often available in multiple load ranges, the appropriate load range is identified immediately following the size's rim diameter in our descriptions.
We recently added a new filter option that allows you to limit the results, when applicable, to a specific rating. When the search results are listed after you shop by vehicle, you can then find the filter section for load rating on the left side of the page.
To gain a better understanding of load ratings, read "Load Range/Ply Rating Identification."