418 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire ply composition and material used
This indicates the number of plies or the 
number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in 
the tire tread and sidewall. Tire manufac-
turers also must indicate the ply materials 
in the tire and sidewall, which include 
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
Tire speed rating
Part of tire designation; indicates the 
speed range for which a tire is approved.
Total load limit
Rated cargo and luggage load plus 
68 kilograms (150 lbs) times the vehicle’s 
designated seating capacity.
Traction
Force exerted by the vehicle on the road 
via the tires. The amount of grip provided.Tread
The portion of a tire that comes into 
contact with the road.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called 
“wear bars” that show across the tread of 
a tire when only 
1/16in (1.6 mm) of tread 
remains.
TWR (T
ongue Weight Rating)
Maximum permissible weight on trailer 
tongue.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides 
consumers with ratings for a tire’s traction, 
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are 
determined by tire manufacturers using 
government testing procedures. The 
ratings are molded into the sidewall of the 
tire.Vehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is 
determined by distributing to each axle its 
share of the maximum loaded vehicle 
weight and dividing it by two.
Rotating tires
Tire rotation can be performed on vehicles 
with tires of the same dimension all 
around. If your vehicle is equipped with 
tires of the same dimension all around, 
tires can be rotated, observing a 
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will 
maintain the intended rotation (spinning) 
direction of the tire (
page 387).
Warning!G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if they are 
of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size 
tires (different tire dimensions front vs. 
rear), tire rotation is not possible.
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