A tire receives its speed rating by the U.S. Government through meeting
minimum standards for reaching and sustaining a specified speed. What does
that mean to you? Well, in general, a higher speed rating will result in
better car handling.
Two Important Notes When Considering Speed Rating:
We do not recommend downgrading the speed rating of your tires.
This may result in poor handling and unpredictable steering. However,
if you want better cornering response, there is no problem installing
a higher speed rated tire on your vehicle.
Tire manufacturers recommend not mixing and matching tires with
different speed ratings on your vehicle. It is recommended that speed-rated
tires be replaced in sets of 4. If replaced in pairs, the new tires should
be of the same or higher speed rating. If tires with different speed ratings
are installed on a vehicle, it is recommended that they be installed with like
pairs on the same axle. It is highly recommended the lower speed-rated tires
be place on the front axle, regardless of which axle is the drive axle, to
help prevent oversteer. (Oversteer occurs when the vehicle loses traction at the
rear tires first, causing the vehicle to spin and the driver to
lose control.) The speed rating for all tires will become that of the lowest
speed-rated tire on the vehicle.
Below is a list of speed ratings along with the corresponding speeds they
represent. Remember, the speeds are test speeds, not recommended speeds.
Q- Up to 100mph R- Up to 106mph S- Up to 112mph T- Up to 118mph
U- Up to 124mph H- Up to 130mph V- Up to 149mph
W- Up to 168mph Y- Up to 186mph Z- 149mph and over
