Editorial Comment:

You have an unusual concern, but completely valid.

Let's start by explaining that the figures you have provided are the Load Rating and Speed Rating of the tires in question.

The Load Rating is the amount of weight that the tire is designed to carry, and in this case Toyota is recommending that the installed tires be capable of carrying 1,477 pounds (each) or, because you have two tires front and rear, up to 2,954 pounds on each axle.

In theory putting a tire with a higher load carrying capacity on a vehicle that doesn't need it shouldn't affect the ride because you won't normally increase the tire pressure which normally is what affects the ride more than anything else. So, unless you change the inflation pressure, you shouldn't notice any great change in the ride of your car for this reason.

If you notice some change, part of it may be a psychological difference, and another could be because of a different tread design and rubber compounds because of the different tires.

Because you have a front drive car, you're best to put the new tires on the front, because these are subject to the greatest wear. It is likely that you are having to replace the front tires only because you may not have rotated your tires as frequently as you should have to ensure that you're having a similar rate of wear all around.


Under ideal circumstances, rotating your tires at least every 3,000 miles will even out the wear and result in all tires being worn out at the same time. You can also expect to get as much as 25% longer tire life by doing frequent rotation. In any event, you can do no damage to the car or tires by rotating too often.

The "H" refers to the Speed Rating, which, in this case means the tire is designed for use at speeds up to 130mph or 210km/h.

So that you understand what this rating is, it does not mean that you must never exceed that speed or the tire will fall apart, or something like that. It means that the tire has been designed and tested to be able to be driven continuously for a certain minimum length of time at the rated speed without failure. In practice, if you were to momentarily pass this limit --supposing you were passing another vehicle-- and then reduce your speed again to below that rated maximum, you would not have to be concerned.

Given the design of the car it is not likely that drivers will be constantly driving at more than the speed which this tire is rated for.

TG