TECHNIPEDIA PDF EXPORT.

1. Legal Notice
2. Tyre identifications
LEGAL NOTICE.
GENERAL INFORMATION
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Liability

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This website was composed with the utmost care. Despite this, no guarantee can be provided for the absence of errors
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Technical Qualification
BMW Group

Contact: technipedia@bmw.de

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TYRE IDENTIFICATIONS.
In line with the motto: "Your tyre says a lot about you!", the tyre identification contains lots of very important information.
According to the regulations of a standard tyre identification, the following labellings are prescribed according to the
standard:

Tyre width

Nominal cross section ratio

Tyre type

Rim diameter

Load index

Symbol of speed category

If applicable: M+S, REINFORCED, production date (three-digit, the first 2 digits indicate the production week, the 3rd
and 4th digits indicate the year of manufacture)

Side designation for asymmetrical tyres.

Table of contents

Fitting labels
DOT number
Speed ratings
Load-carrying capacity index
Colour coding on the tyre
Noise standards of tyres

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Tyre identifications

Index Explanation
1 Tyre manufacturer (example: Bridgestone)
2 Outer side (with regard to the vehicle) (OUTSIDE)
3 "EJH8" and "DJH" are manufacturer-specific numbers. They stand for production plant, production country, tyre
size and version. "3903" means 29th week in 2003 and identifies the production date.
(Example: DOT EJH8 DJH3903)
4 Relative lifespan in %, abrasion resistance (140 %) with regard to US standard
(Example: TREADWARE 140)
5 Tyre tread designation
(Example: POTENZA RE 050)
6 Tyre width in mm
Ratio of tyre height to tyre width in %
Radial tyres
Rim diameter
(Example: 225/45R17)
7 Load-carrying capacity index
Permissible maximum speed (W) 270 km/h
(Example: 91 W)
8 Runflat System Component (RSC).
9 Colour coding match point (white point)

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FITTING LABELS.
Tyres frequently contain fitting labels. These must be adhered to when fitting the tyres.

The following fitting labels may be present on tyres:

Direction of rotation - An arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the direction of rotation of the tyre when the vehicle is
driving straight ahead.

Inside/outer side - The label indicates which tyres sidewall of the fitted tyre should be visible from the outside.

Matchpoint - This is a white dot on the tyre that should be aligned with a punch mark on the original steel rim.

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DOT NUMBER.
From the year 2000 the DOT number has four digits. The first two digits indicate the production week, the last two digits
the year of manufacture. "0100" means that the tyre was manufactured in the 1st calendar week of 2000. The concept "
DOT" is an abbreviation and stands for Department of Transportation.

This is an agency of the US Ministry of Transport. This agency checks tyres for:

Tyre pressure

Maximum load

Side panel labelling

Dimensions

Speeds.

Winter and all-season tyres are also identified by the designation "M+S". There are also additional identifications on
some tyres, e.g. rotation arrows, which indicate a defined direction of rotation of the tyre.

The number after "E" represents the country in which the test was performed. Since 1 October 1998 tyres for the
European market must have this E identification. Fitted tyres, which do not have a corresponding identification, shall
result in the lapse of the General Operating Permit of the vehicle! The ECE identification documents that the tyre meets
the European test guidelines and has passed the test.

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SPEED RATINGS.
The identification on the flank of every tyre also contains a letter which provides information about the permissible
maximum speed. Example: 195/65 R 15 H. Here the "H" stands for a permissible speed up to 210 km/h. The most
common letters for the speed index in the passenger car tyre segment are:

"Q" up to 160 km/h

"R" up to 170 km/h

"S" up to 180 km/h

"T" up to 190 km/h

"H" up to 210 km/h

"V" up to 240 km/h

"W" up to 270 km/h

"Y" up to 300 km/h

"ZR" above 240 km/h.

Up to the year 1999 the three-digit DOT number comes after "DOT" and the 2 subsequent 4-digit letter combinations.
The first two digits indicate the production week, the last digit the year of manufacture. "434" means, for example, that
the tyre was manufactured in the 43rd calendar week in 1994. In order to distinguish between the year specification,
most tyre manufacturers marked the production period from 1990-1999 with an additional triangle after the DOT number.
The DOT number is attached on both side panels of the tyre. As a rule, the production date is only attached on the outer
side of the tyre. There is no outside and inside for directional tyres. Therefore, the DOT week code is attached on one
side of the vehicle on the outside and on the other side of the vehicle on the inside.

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LOAD-CARRYING CAPACITY INDEX.
The permissible maximum load-carrying capacity of a tyre is apparent from the tyre identification.

The load index LI (extract):

Li kg Li kg Li kg

515 77 1150
85 99 113

530 5800 1180

86 100 114

545 825 1215

87 101 115

560 850 1250

88 102 116

580 875 1285

89 103 117

600 rpm 900 1320

90 104 118

615 925 1360

91 105 119

630 950 1400

92 106 120

650 975 1450

93 107 121

670 1000 1500

94 108 122

690 1030 1550

95 109 123

710 1060 1600

96 110 124

730 1090 1650

97 111 125

750 1120
98 112

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Load-carrying capacity index

Index Explanation
1 The number "91" stands for 615 kg per tyre, or 1230 kg per axle

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COLOUR CODING ON THE TYRE.
Many tyres have a white dot on the side panel. This white dot is also called a "match point".

The match point marks the point with the lowest radial force (measured across the entire tyre circumference) on the tyre.

The radial force fluctuation results from geometric runout errors coupled with rigidity differences. This is the result of
inhomogeneous material thicknesses with the individual components used. These radial runouts are not detected on the
tyre itself with workshop equipment. However, for a wheel with tyre the radial runout can be detected with workshop
equipment.

On the outer steel rim flange the maximum runout error of the wheel rim (high point) is marked with a punch mark. The
mark on the rim flange of the steel rim and on the tyre must be on top of each other. In this way optimal installation is
guaranteed. There is no mark on an aluminium tape rim. On the tire tread surface there are also all-round colour strip
marks, which are specified by the tyre standardisation.

With the colour strip marks tyre data, such as width, diameter, aspect ratio and speed rating, are shown in an encrypted
form.

Colour coding on the tyre

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NOISE STANDARDS OF TYRES.
Noises of tyres are oscillations that are perceived as sound by the human ear.

Of particular interest are the noises that arise due to certain properties during rolling of the tyres. The noise generation is
generally dependent on the roadway and the tyre combination. Surface structure and material of the roadway also
strongly affect the rolling noise. The noise level from a wet roadway is, for example, considerably higher than in the case
of a dry roadway. The tyre tread has a big influence on the noise generation. Tyres with cross grooves at an angle of 90°
are louder than tyres with sloped angles. Small tread blocks are unstable. The air is excited by the strong deformation
during rolling of the tyres.

Air oscillations occur, which lead to noises. Other influencing factors include tyre width or rim width, among others. A
wider tyre leads to increased noise generation due to its wider tyre contact area, as more air is displaced and more
weight causes oscillations than with a narrower dimension. Wider tyres are therefore often louder. A wider wheel rim also
causes a wider tyre contact area for a tyre. The effects on the noise generation are thus generally similar to those of a
wider tyre. In addition, the damping properties of the tyre are sometimes negatively influenced by the wider wheel rim.

Other effects which also influence the noise generation are:

Tyre oscillations. They occur due to the build-up of air in the tyre tread grooves.

Air pumping. This is the compression and expansion of air when the tyre contact area travels over the roadway. It
develops whilst the tread blocks are deformed.

The EU approval mark with the suffix "S" for sound stipulates that: The tyre meets the legal limit values for rolling noise.

The rolling noise at a vehicle, which rolls when the engine is switched off by a defined measuring distance, is measured.

The limit values for passenger car tyres, including all-wheel drive vehicles and winter tyres, are:

Nominal width Limit value [dB(A)] Limit values [dB(A)]

[mm] Since 04.08.2003 Since 01.07.2007

73 72
≥ 145 ≥ 165

74 73
≥ 165 ≥ 185

75 74
≥ 185 ≥ 215

76 75
≥ 215

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