Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The following information relates to the system developed
by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, which grades tires by treadwear, traction
and temperature performance.
(This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.) The grades are molded
on
the sidewalls of most passenger car tires. The Uniform
Tire Quality Grading system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare
tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and
light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform
to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria
(TPC) standards.
eadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a haIf
( 1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
b Oraded 100. The relative performance of tires depends in
driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
action -- A9
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, €3 and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning:
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
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The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
A and B represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
