Load index and speed rating

Load index and speed rating — one page per exact question.

What does 98H mean on a tire?

Load index 98 = 1,653 lb per tire

1,653lb

H means the tire is rated to 130 mph · four of these carry 6,612 lb

Load per tire750 kg — index 98 on the ISO scale	1,653lb
All four tiresthe ceiling for vehicle plus everything in it, not a target	6,612lb
Speed rating H210 km/h — sport sedans and many touring tires	130mph
Next index up (99)56 lb more per tire	1,709lb
Next index down (97)44 lb less per tire — do not fit this if your door label says 98	1,609lb

Notes

**98H means two separate things.** 98 is the load index: this tire carries **1,653 lb** on its own, at the pressure printed on the sidewall. H is the speed rating: the tire is built to hold together at **130 mph**. The two numbers are unrelated — a high load index says nothing about speed, and vice versa.
**The load figure is per tire, not per vehicle.** Four 98-rated tires carry 6,612 lb between them, and that has to cover the car, the fuel, the passengers and whatever is in the boot. Compare it against the gross vehicle weight rating on the door jamb, not against the kerb weight in the brochure.
**Never fit a lower index than the door label.** The placard inside the driver's door gives the minimum load index the manufacturer signed off on. Going below it is the one substitution in tire fitment that has no upside — it saves a few dollars and removes margin from the only four patches of rubber holding the car down.
**A speed rating is a ceiling, not a recommendation.** H at 130 mph assumes correct pressure, correct load and a tire in good condition. Under-inflation is what actually destroys tires at speed, and it does it well below the rated number.
Both markings sit at the end of the size, after the diameter: a tire marked 225/45R17 98H is a 225-wide, 45-series, 17-inch tire rated 1,653 lb and 130 mph.

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