Two orange Toyota forklifts parked side by side outside a white industrial building with multiple windows

Forklift Tire Size Chart

Find your size in about a minute.

Forklift tire sizes are written as three numbers, and the format tells you which kind of tire it is. Press-on reads outside diameter x width x wheel diameter. Pneumatic reads section width and rim diameter. The two are not interchangeable.

Call 770.446.6467

Identify My Size

Photo the Sidewall

Reading a Press-On Forklift Tire Size

Three numbers, in order

A press-on size such as 18x7x12⅝ reads:

18 is the outside diameter of the tire in inches
7 is the width of the tire in inches
12⅝ is the diameter of the wheel the tire presses onto

All three numbers have to match. A tire that matches on two of the three will not seat correctly and will not carry its rating.

Where to find it

The size is molded into the sidewall of the tire and is usually also stamped on the steel band or on the wheel itself. On a worn tire the wheel stamp is often more legible than the sidewall.

Reading a Pneumatic Forklift Tire Size

Two formats you will see

Pneumatic and solid pneumatic forklift tires use standard tire sizing:

7.00-12 reads as section width 7.00 inches, rim diameter 12 inches
28x9-15 reads as outside diameter 28 inches, section width 9 inches, rim diameter 15 inches

Ply rating matters too

Pneumatic sizes carry a ply rating, often written as 12PR or 14PR, which indicates load capacity. Matching the size but dropping the ply rating is a common and expensive mistake. Use the rating on the machine's data plate.

COMMON FORKLIFT TIRE SIZES

What moves off the truck most often.

This is not the full list of what we stock, only the sizes we are asked for most.

Size not shown here? Call us.

Press-on / cushion sizes

16x6x10½ · 18x7x12⅛ · 18x8x12⅛ · 21x7x15 · 21x8x15 · 22x8x16 · 22x9x16 · 250x15

Pneumatic and solid pneumatic sizes

5.00-8 · 6.00-9 · 6.50-10 · 7.00-12 · 7.00-15 · 8.15-15 · 21x8-9 · 28x9-15

Skid steer sizes

10x16.5 · 12x16.5 · 14x17.5

FREQUENT SIZING MISTAKES

The three that cost you a return.

Mixing press-on and pneumatic formats

A press-on and a pneumatic tire can carry similar-looking numbers and mount in completely different ways. If the tire presses onto a smooth wheel with no rim flange, it is a press-on. If it mounts to a rim with a bead, it is a pneumatic.

Ordering by the truck model alone

The same forklift model can leave the factory on several different tire and wheel combinations depending on how it was optioned, and tires may have been changed since. Always work from what is on the machine now.

Matching size but not load rating

Two tires in the same size can carry very different loads. Check the ply rating or load index against the machine's data plate rather than against the tire being replaced, which may itself have been wrong.

How do I read a forklift tire size?

Press-on forklift tire sizes read as outside diameter x width x wheel diameter, such as 18x7x12⅛. Pneumatic sizes read as section width and rim diameter, such as 7.00-12. The numbers are moulded into the tire sidewall and usually stamped on the wheel as well.

What do the three numbers on a forklift tire mean?

On a press-on tire the three numbers are outside diameter, tire width, and wheel diameter, all in inches. All three must match for the tire to seat and carry its rating. On a pneumatic tire the numbers indicate section width and rim diameter, sometimes with outside diameter listed first.

Where is the tire size on a forklift?

The size is moulded into the tire sidewall and is generally also stamped on the wheel or steel band. On a heavily worn tire the wheel stamp is often easier to read. The forklift data plate lists the tire size the machine was specified with, which may differ from what is fitted now.

What size tires does my forklift take?

Work from what is currently on the machine rather than the model number, because the same forklift model can be optioned with several tire and wheel combinations. Read the size off the sidewall or the wheel. If neither is legible, call 770.446.6467 or send us a photo of the wheel and the data plate.

How much does a forklift tire weigh?

Weight varies widely by type and size. A small press-on cushion tire may weigh 40 to 60 pounds, while a large foam-filled pneumatic assembly can exceed 300 pounds. Foam-filled tires typically weigh two to three times what the same tire weighs with air, which is why they are fitted with equipment rather than by hand.