There are letters on the tire s sidewall that correspond with tire load range historically known as the tire ply.
Tire load range sl xl.
The xl stands for extra load and means the sidewalls of the tire are stronger and capable of handling heavy load requirements.
This is because light truck tires are often used on vehicles with dual rear wheels.
But even cars like the prius can require xl tires due to the weight of the battery.
Listed below are the air pressures at which maximum load is rated for popular p metric and lt tires.
In many cases it is obvious why you would need xl tires especially for limousines trucks and utility vehicles.
Light load branded as ll on the sidewall has a maximum load pressure of 35 psi.
Extra load xl has a maximum load pressure of 41 psi.
Lt metric lt flotation and lt numeric tires are branded with their load range load range e or lre or their ply rating 10 ply rated on their sidewalls and list their appropriate load range letter in their descriptions as lt245 75r 16 e 7 50r 15 d or 31x10 50r 15 c.
Lt sized tires featuring section widths of 305mm 12 50 or wider have their.
Standard load sl or no branding also has a maximum load pressure of 35 psi.
Tires on a sedan coupe crossover or minivan are usually unmarked because they have a standard 4 ply rating and do not require higher load carrying abilities.
Technically there s also light load but they re highly uncommon and pretty specific so we won t get into it.
When it comes to passenger tires there are two types of load capacities to consider.
However you may find these tires marked as standard load sl or extra load xl or reinforced.
If you re in the market for tires or interested in changing tire sizes or switching from one type of tire to another it is important to understand load range what it means and how to identify it so that you install the right tires to accommodate your vehicle s intended use.
Light truck tires lt designate ranges in ascending alphabetical order with load range b representing a 4 ply rating at 35.
Light truck tires have two load indexes on the sidewall of the tire unlike passenger tires which only have one.
Tire load ranges inflation pressure assigned for maximum load ratings p metric light load ll 35 psi standard load sl 35 psi extra load xl 41 psi light truck load range.
This designation has nothing to do with their load index which determines the maximum weight a tire can carry but rather notes whether or not the.