Top OE sizes get toppled

Facts section: tire size popularity
Top OE sizes get toppled
But don’t say ‘goodbye’ to P215/60R16
and LT245/75R16 just yet
T
Chart 23
MOST POPULAR DOMESTIC
OE PASSENGER AND
LT TIRE SIZES
2009 OE P-Metric/metric
Size
% of total
P215/60R16
9.0%
P265/70R17
5.5%
P235/70R16
4.5%
P215/55R17
4.2%
P225/50R17
3.4%
2008 OE P-Metric/metric
Size
% of total
P215/60R16
8.0%
P225/50R17
4.8%
P265/70R17
3.9%
P195/60R15
3.8%
P215/55R17
3.6%
2009 OE Light truck (LT)
Size
% of total
LT245/75R16
23.4%
LT245/75R17
13.8%
LT225/75R16
11.6%
LT265/70R17
10.5%
LT275/70R18
9.2%
2008 OE Light truck (LT)
Size
% of total
LT245/75R16
36.3%
LT225/75R16
16.2%
LT265/70R17
9.4%
LT245/75R17
6.7%
37x12.50R16.5
4.8%
he top 10 P-metric original equipment tire sizes in 2009 accounted
for 41.1% of total sizes. That percentage is up from 39.8% in 2008 and 33.8%
in 2007. Unfortunately, this trend is not
necessarily a sign that dealers will be able
to stock fewer SKUS in the future.
“Probably the biggest single issue (for
dealers and manufacturers) is SKU count,
and it’s not going to get any better,” says
Rick Brennan, vice president of marketing
for Kumho Tire U.S.A. Inc.
At last year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas, Nev.,
Lexani Tires Worldwide LLC introduced
two unique sizes to its LX-9 line: 295/23/
R28 109W and 265/25R30 106V. They are
labeled as extra-load sizes.
In contrast, the top 10 OE LT sizes represented 90.7% of the total sizes, up from
88.6% in 2008.
MTD lists the most popular OE P-metric
and LT sizes for 2009 and 2008 (see Chart
23) to give tire dealers a better idea of what
to look for and stock in 2011. For example,
dealers can expect to see vehicles with size
P215/60R16 roll into their dealerships over
the next few years.
That size had been the most popular
P-metric OE size since 2004. The streak
was broken in 2010, when P265/70R17
took over the top OE spot (see Chart 24).
It jumped from third in 2008 to second in
Chart 24
TOP U.S. PASSENGER TIRE
SIZES, 2010
2009 to first last year, with P215/60R16
falling to second.
Two P-metric OE sizes entered the top
10 in 2009: P275/55R20 (eighth) and
P275/65R18 (10th).
Both sizes had a resurgence of sorts;
they were among the 10 most popular
sizes in 2007.
Size LT245/75R16 was the top OE LT
size for the 17th consecutive year in 2009.
However, size LT245/75R17 had been
trending upward for years, almost doubling
its shipments from 2008, when it was the
fourth most popular OE LT size, to 2009,
when it was the second most popular.
In 2010, the 17-inch version finally overtook the LT245/75R16 for the top OE spot
(see Chart 25).
At the replacement level, the top
P-metric remained the same in 2010:
P225/60R16. However, P235/75R15,
runner-up in 2009, dropped to fourth in
2010, behind 205/55R16, a metric size,
and P215/60R16.
Like its OE counterpart, the LT 245/75R16
replacement size also dropped from one to
two. However, the new number one size is
not LT245/75R17, which didn’t crack the
top five, but LT265/75R16. ■
Chart 25
TOP U.S. LIGHT TRUCK TIRE
SIZES, 2010
Replacement
OE
1. LT265/75R16
1. LT245/75R17
2. LT245/75R16
1. LT225/75R16
Replacement
OE
3. LT265/70R17
3. LT245/75R16
1. P225/60R16
1. P265/70R17
4. LT235/85R16
4. LT275/65R18
2. 205/55R16
1. P215/60R16
5. LT285/75R16
5. LT245/75R16
3. P215/60R16
3. P205/55R16
4. P235/75R15
4. P225/50R17
5. P265/70R17
5. P215/55R17
Source: Rubber Manufacturers
Association
50
MTD January 2011