Tire Load

The weight, or load, that a tire can support is designated by a letter. Car makers usually suggest the B tire; the C is rare and the stronger D tire is generally recommended only for heavy-duty hauling or for station wagons. Under one of these letters, the specific load-carrying and tire-pressure capacities are spelled out. A tire at the maximum safe air pressure of 32 pounds per square inch can carry up to 1,620 pounds. The total weight of a fully loaded car should not exceed four times the limit of each tire - in this case, 6,480 pounds.