How To Read Go-Kart Tire Size Charts

Using the right size of go-kart tires is obviously important. There are lots of different types and sizes of tires out there, and it’s important to understand how these different types of tires will affect your kart’s performance. 

In this article, we go through everything you need to know about go-kart tire sizes, and show you how to read different tire size charts so that you can pick the right sizes for your go-kart.

Different Types Of Go-Kart Tires

We all know that karts have tiny wheels and tires. But many people don’t know that kart tires come in lots of different sizes. These sizes are different in three dimensions, which are the tire height, the width of the tire, and the rim size.

In terms of performance, the most important elements are the tire height and the tire width. The rim size is more relevant to fitting the tire onto your kart. Understanding how these different dimensions affect your kart will help you to understand how you can alter your kart’s performance to gain an advantage in a specific area.

The general rule is that you will have more grip when there is more rubber touching the tarmac. With less tire touching the surface of the track you have less resistance through friction, which results in a higher top speed. For example, if you want to increase your grip, you need wider tires, but going for narrower tires offers less grip but higher top speed.

Tire Height

The height of the tires is not just an important factor in dirt karts, but also in racing karts. Although we might not see massive tires, a small difference can have a huge impact on the performance of the kart. Bigger tires will change the way the kart handles and performs out on track in several ways.

The first is the speed of the kart. Bigger tires are slightly heavier, so they will reduce the top speed of the kart. While it’s not ideal, having ‘taller’ tires can be beneficial in a number of other areas.

If your kart is fitted with bigger tires you can expect faster acceleration out of corners and better grip. In general though, there is not a lot of leeway in terms of the height of the tires when it comes to racing karts anyway, and most karts are fitted with the same heights of tires.

Tire Width

The width of the tire will make the biggest performance difference for your kart. This is the area that you want to focus on most if you’re looking for a difference in your lap times. Thinner tires will help you maximize your top speed because there is less friction between the surface of the track and the rubber of the tire. 

However, increasing your tire width will mean that there is more rubber touching the road, and with an increased surface area of contact patch, you will find a massive increase in grip and acceleration, and therefore speed through corners. 

The kart will have more bite and you’ll find that it feels more ‘glued’ to the circuit. However, there is a point where you have too much grip and the kart starts bouncing through corners, or you might need to find a little bit of extra top end speed. Switching to thinner tires could be the answer here.

With the increased contact patch of wider tires, you’ll also find that your kart has more stopping power when you hit the brakes. Ultimately, more grip is usually better for your kart, but it all depends on the track and weather conditions on the day.

Rim Diameter

The rim diameter does not have an effect on the tires’ performance. However, it’s important to make sure that the rims fitted to your kart are the correct size to fit the tires you’re planning on using. 

Every kart has a specific rim size, and while you can buy different rim sizes, they can be quite pricey. It’s cheaper to just buy the correct size of tires by making sure that the rim diameter number matches up with the size of the rims on your kart.

How Do You Read Go-Kart Tire Sizes?

Now that you are aware of each of these dimensions and how they affect the performance of your kart, it’s important to learn how you can identify the size of the tires fitted to your kart. It’s incredibly easy once you know what to look for.

On the outer tire wall, you’ll see a combination of three numbers. It might look like a complex equation, but it’s simply symbols used to separate the numbers. Here’s what it looks like: Tire Height x Tire Width – Rim Size. There’s no math involved, so ignore the multiplication and subtraction symbols.

Here’s an example of what a tire size would look like: 4.50 x 10.0 – 5. The first number in the combination tells you the height of the tire, the second number gives you the width of the tire, and the third number is the rim diameter. 

In some cases, the multiplication sign will be a forward slash, so you might see the number written as 4.50 / 10.0 – 5. This is simply a different method of writing the same tire size. MOJO is one example of a tire brand that uses this method.

Finally, note that all of the numbers in the combination are in inches. Inches are the standardized measurement when it comes to rims and tires, even in countries that don’t use the imperial measurement system.

Where To Find Go-Kart Tire Sizes

If you’re looking for the size indicators on your kart’s tires, you simply need to look for the combination of numbers on the outer sidewall of the tire. These are often printed on the side of the tires close to the manufacturer’s logo, or on the opposite side of the logo.

NOTE: The tire sizes are also printed in such a way that they shouldn’t wear off from typical use of the tire

Below, we have provided various go-kart tire size charts, working from soft tires through medium and hard, and then looking at wet tires, and a few miscellaneous options. We’ll then discuss how to use the charts at the end.

Go-Kart Tire Size Charts

Go-Kart Soft Tire Size Chart

Size	Position	Make	Model	Serial #	Height	Width	Rim	Wheel	Compound
10.5 x 4.50 – 6	Front	Vega	MCS	MCS-45	10.5″	4.50″	6″	6″ x 6.5″	Soft
11.5 x 6.00 – 6	Rear	Vega	MCS	MCS-60	11.5″	6.00″	6″	6″ x 8.5″	Soft
12 x 8.00 – 6	Rear	Vega	MCS	MCS-80	12″	8.00″	6″	6″ x 10″	Soft
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	Vega	XP	XP-46	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Soft
11 x 5.50 – 6	Front	Dunlop	DF S	309941	11″	5.50″	6″	–	Soft
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Bridgestone	YPC SL	YPC SL-60	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Soft
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Bridgestone	YPC SL	YPC SL-45	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Soft
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Mojo	D5	D5	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Soft
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Mojo	D5	D5	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Soft
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	MG Tires	YZ	YZ	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Soft
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	YZ	YZ	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Soft
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Hoosier	R55	R55	10″	4.50″	5″	5.0″ – 5.5″	Soft
10 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Hoosier	R55	R55	10″	7.10″	5″	7.75″ – 8.50″	Soft
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	LeCont	LO OPTION	LO OPTION	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Soft
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	LeCont	LO OPTION	LO OPTION	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Soft
10 x 4.00 – 5	Front	LeCont	LH 01	LH 01	10″	4.00″	5″	–	Soft
11 x 5.00 – 5	Rear	LeCont	LH 01	LH 01	11″	5.00″	5″	–	Soft

Go-Kart Medium Tire Size Chart

Size	Position	Make	Model	Serial #	Height	Width	Rim	Wheel	Compound
10.5 x 4.50 – 6	Front	Vega	MCM	MCM-45	10.5″	4.50″	6″	6″ x 6.5″	Medium
11.5 x 6.50 – 6	Rear	Vega	MCM	MCM-65	11.5″	6.00″	6″	6″ x 9.25″	Medium
12 x 8.00 – 6	Rear	Vega	MCM	MCM-80	12″	8.00″	6″	6″ x 10″	Medium
10.5 x 4.50 – 6	Front	Vega	XHE	XHE-45	10.5″	4.50″	6″	6″ x 5″	Medium
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	Vega	XM	XM-46	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Medium
11 x 6.50 – 5	Rear	Vega	XM	XM-65	11″	6.50″	5″	–	Medium
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Vega	XM	XM-71	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Medium
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	DF M	309933	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Medium
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Mojo	D4	D4	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Medium
11 x 4.50 – 5	Rear	Mojo	D4	D4	11″	4.50″	5″	–	Medium
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	MG Tires	IZ	IZ	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Medium
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	IZ	IZ	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Medium
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	IZ	IZ	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Medium
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Hoosier	R60B	R60B	10″	4.50″	5″	5.0 – 5.5″	Medium
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Hoosier	R60B	R60B	11″	6.00″	5″	6.5″ – 7.5″	Medium
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	LeCont	LH 03	LH 03	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Medium
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	LeCont	LH 03	LH 03	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Medium
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	RS1	303083	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Medium/Hard
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Hoosier	R70	R70	10″	4.50″	5″	5.0″ – 5.5″	Medium/Hard
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Hoosier	R70	R70	11″	6.00″	5″	6.5″ – 7.5″	Medium/Hard

Go-Kart Hard Tire Size Chart

Size	Position	Make	Model	Serial #	Height	Width	Rim	Wheel	Compound
10.5 x 4.50 – 6	Front	Vega	MCH	MCH-45	10.5″	4.50″	6″	6″ x 6.5″	Hard
11.5 x 6.50 – 6	Rear	Vega	MCH	MCH-65	11.5″	6.00″	6″	6″ x 8.5″	Hard
12 x 8.00 – 6	Rear	Vega	MCH	MCH-12	12″	8.00″	6″	6″ x 10″	Hard
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	Vega	VAH	VAH-46	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Vega	VAH	VAH-60	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Vega	VAH	VAH-71	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	Vega	FH	FH-46	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Vega	FH	FH-60	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Vega	FH	FH-71	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	Vega	XH	XH-46	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Vega	XH	XH-71	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	DF H	309935	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Bridgestone	YLC	YLC-45	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Bridgestone	YLC	YLC-71	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Mojo	D2	D2	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	Mojo	D2	D2	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.00 – 5	Font	MG Tires	CBA	CBA	10″	4.00″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 5.00 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	CBA	CBA	11″	5.00″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Hoosier	R80	R80	10″	4.50″	5″	5.0″ – 5.5″	Hard
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Hoosier	R80	R80	11″	6.00″	5″	6.5″ – 7.5″	Hard
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	LeCont	LP PRIME	LP PRIME	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	LeCont	LP PRIME	LP PRIME	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.00 – 5	Front	LeCont	LH 05	LH 05	10″	4.00″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 5.00 – 5	Rear	LeCont	LH 05	LH 05	11″	5.00″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	LeCont	LH 03 EES	LH 03 EES	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	LeCont	LH 03 EES	LH 03 EES	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.20 – 5	Front	LeCont	LH 06	LH 06	10″	4.20″	5″	–	Hard
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	LeCont	LH 06	LH 06	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Hard
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	MG Tires	IR	IR	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Very Hard
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	IR	IR	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Very Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	IR	IR	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Very Hard
10 x 4.60 – 5	Front	MG Tires	VK	VK	10″	4.60″	5″	–	Extra Hard
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	VK	VK	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Extra Hard
11 x 7.10 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	VK	VK	11″	7.10″	5″	–	Extra Hard

Go-Kart Wet Tire Size Chart

Size	Position	Make	Model	Serial #	Height	Width	Rim	Wheel	Compound
10 x 4.20 – 5	Front	Vega	W5	W5 42	10″	4.20″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Vega	W5	W5 60	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Wet
10 x 3.60 – 5	Front	Dunlop	KT3	288865	10″	3.60″	5″	–	Wet
10 x 3.60 – 5	Front	Dunlop	W7	306565	10″	3.60″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 4.50 – 5	Rear	Dunlop	W7	306567	11″	4.50″	5″	–	Wet
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	SL W2	293389	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 6.50 – 5	Rear	Dunlop	SL W2	293391	11″	6.50″	5″	–	Wet
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	W13	309945	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 6.50 – 5	Rear	Dunlop	W13	309947	11″	6.50″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 5.00 – 6	Front	Dunlop	W13	309949	11″	5.00″	6″	–	Wet
11.5 x 7.10 – 6	Rear	Dunlop	W13	309951	11.5″	7.10″	6″	–	Wet
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Bridgestone	YNP	YNP-45	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Bridgestone	YNP	YNP-60	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Wet
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Mojo	W3	W3	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Mojo	W3	W3	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Wet
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Hoosier	Wet	Wet	10″	4.50″	5″	5.0″ – 5.5″	Wet
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	Hoosier	Wet	Wet	11″	6.00″	5″	6.0″ – 6.5″	Wet
10 x 4.20 – 5	Front	LeCont	CIK Wet	CIK Wet	10″	4.20″	5″	–	Wet
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	LeCont	CIK Wet	CIK Wet	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Wet
10 x 3.60 – 5	Front	Mojo	CW	CW	10″	3.60″	5″	–	Wet – Cadet
11 x 4.5 – 5	Rear	Mojo	CW	CW	11″	4.50″	5″	–	Wet – Cadet
10 x 4.00 – 5	Front	LeCont	MSA 04	MSA 04	10″	4.00″	5″	–	Intermediate
11 x 5.00 – 5	Rear	LeCont	MSA 04	MSA 04	11″	5.00″	5″	–	Intermediate

Go-Kart Miscellaneous Tire Size Chart

Size	Position	Make	Model	Serial #	Height	Width	Rim	Wheel	Compound
10 x 4.00 – 5	Front	Vega	Cadetti	CA40	10″	4.00″	5″	–	Dry – Cadet
11 x 5.00 – 5	Rear	Vega	Cadetti	CA50	11″	5.00″	5″	–	Dry – Cadet
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	SL3	219423	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Dry – Cadet
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	DF2	308863	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Dry – Rental Kart
10 x 4.50 – 5	Front	Dunlop	SL1	225681	10″	4.50″	5″	–	Dry Competition
10 x 4.00 – 5	Front	Mojo	C2	C2	10″	4.00″	5″	–	Micro/Mini class
11 x 5.00 – 5	Rear	Mojo	C2	C2	11″	5.00″	5″	–	Micro/Mini class
11 x 4.60 – 5	Front	MG Tires	AR	AR	11″	4.60″	5″	–	Off-Road
11 x 6.00 – 5	Rear	MG Tires	AR	AR	11″	6.00″	5″	–	Off-Road

NOTE: Some manufacturers don’t specify the tire compound while others might have a wider range of compounds to choose from than just soft, medium and hard.

How To Read A Go-Kart Tire Size Chart

Size

Go-kart tire size charts are relatively easy to read and understand. The first column shows the full size of the tire. This means that it’s the combination of all three dimensions, as you would read it on the tire itself.

Position

The next column shows whether it’s the front or the rear tires. Keep in mind that rear tires are always taller and wider than front tires but they will have the same rim diameter. This is not a mistake, as karts were designed to have more grip at the rear, especially with the driven axle being at the rear of the kart.

Make & Model

The next two columns are the tire manufacturer and the model of the tires. There are lots of tire manufacturers, with MOJO and LeCont being some of the best for racing karts. Each one has their own models that are made up of different sizes and compounds.

Serial #

The next column shows the tire’s serial number. This is a product number that can be used to quickly identify the specific tire based on its properties, such as the size and the compound. It’s mostly used by the manufacturer.

Height, Width & Rim

After that, there are three columns that split up the tire sizes to show you how they differentiate from one another. While you can use the first column to see this difference, it’s sometimes easier to spot the differences when they’re separated from one another into their own columns.

Wheel

The wheel column shows the manufacturer’s recommended wheel size for a specific tire. However, most karting rims are the same size, so not all manufacturers use these values when creating data and information about their tires, which is why some of the tires in our tables don’t have a value for this column.

Compound

Finally, the compound column refers to the materials used to create the tire. Softer compounds will offer more grip for your kart, but they will wear out quicker and overheat faster. On the other hand, harder compounds will offer less grip but will last longer.

Final Thoughts

You can read your kart’s tire sizes by looking at the combination of numbers on the sidewall of the tire. The combination of numbers are in the following order: tire height x tire width – rim diameter. Taller and wider tires will give you more grip, better acceleration, and better braking. Thinner and smaller tires will improve your top speed but offer less grip.