Page 369 of 496

357
Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Cold tire inflation pressure
tire inflation pressure when the vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours
or more, or it has not been driven more than 1.5 km or 1 mile under that
condition
Maximum inflation pressurethe maximum cold inflation
pressure to which a tire may be inflated and it is
shown on the sidewall of the tire
Recommended inflation pressurecold tire inflation pressure recommended by a manufacturer
Accessory weight
the combined weight (in excess of those standard items which may be replaced)
of automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows, pow-
er seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that these items are available as
factory−installed equipment (whether installed or not)
Curb weight
the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so equipped, air conditioning and addi-
tional weight optional engine
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
the sum of
(a) curb weight;
(b) accessory weight;
(c) vehicle capacity weight; and
(d) production options weight
Normal occupant weight68 kg (150 lb.) times the number of occupants specified in the second column
of Table 1 that follows
Glossary of tire terminology
Page 370 of 496

358Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Occupant distributiondistribution of occupants in a vehicle as specified in the third column of Table
1 that follows
Production options weight
the combined weight of those installed regular production options weighing over
2.3 kg (5 lb.) in excess of those standard items which they replace, not pre-
viously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim
Rima metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads
are seated
Rim diameter (Wheel diameter)nominal diameter of the bead seat
Rim size designationrim diameter and width
Rim type designationthe industry of manufacturer ’s designation for a rim by style or code
Rim widthnominal distance between rim flanges
Vehicle capacity weight
(Total load capacity)the rated cargo and luggage load plus 68 kg (150 lb.) times the vehicle’s desig-
nated seating capacity
Vehicle maximum load on the tirethe load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the maximum loaded vehi cle weight and dividing by two
Vehicle normal load on the tire
the load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occupant weight
(distributed in accordance with Table 1 that follows) and dividing by two
Page 371 of 496

359
Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Weather sidethe surface area of the rim no
t covered by the inflated tire
Beadthe part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply
cords and that is shaped to fit the rim
Bead separationa breakdown of the bond between components in the bead
Bias ply tirea pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
alternate angles substantially less than 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread
Carcassthe tire structure, except tread and sidewall rubber which, when inflated, bears
the load
Chunkingthe breaking away of pieces of the tread or sidewall
Cordthe strands forming the plies in the tire
Cord separationthe parting of cords from adjacent rubber compounds
Crackingany parting within the tread, sidewall, or innerliner of the tire extending to cord
material
CT
a pneumatic tire with an inverted flange tire and rim system in which the rim
is designed with rim flanges pointed radi ally inward and the tire is designed
to fit on the underside of the rim in a manner that encloses the rim flanges
inside the air cavity of the tire
Extra load tirea tire designed to operate at higher l oads and at higher inflation pressures
than the corresponding standard tire
Page 372 of 496

360Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Groovethe space between two adjacent tread ribs
Innerlinerthe layer(s) forming the inside surface of a tubeless tire that contains the inflat-
ing medium within the tire
Innerliner separationthe parting of the innerliner from cord material in the carcass
Intended outboard sidewall
(A) the sidewall that contains a whitew
all, bears white lettering or bears
manufacturer, brand, and/or model name molding that is higher or deeper
than the same molding on the other sidewall of the tire, or
(B) the outward facing sidewall of an asymmetrical tire that has a particular side that must always face outward when mounted on a vehicle
Light truck (LT) tirea tire designated by its manufacturer as primarily intended for use on lightweight
trucks or multipurpose passenger vehicles
Load ratingthe maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given inf lat ion pr es s ur e
Maximum load ratingthe load rating for a tire at the maximu m permissible inflation pressure for that
tire
Maximum permissible inflation pres-
surethe maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be inflated
Measuring rimthe rim on which a tire is fitted for physical dimension requirements
Open spliceany parting at any junction of tread, sidewall, or innerliner that extends to cord
material
Page 373 of 496

361
Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Outer diameterthe overall diameter of an inflated new tire
Overall widththe linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire,
including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or protective bands or ribs
Passenger car tire
a tire intended for use on passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles,
and trucks, that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 lb. or
less
Plya layer of rubber−coated parallel cords
Ply separationa parting of rubber compound between adjacent plies
Pneumatic tire
a mechanical device made of rubber, chemicals, fabric and steel or other mate-
rials, that, when mounted on an automotive wheel, provides the traction and
contains the gas or fluid that sustains the load
Radial ply tirea pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread
Reinforced tirea tire designed to operate at higher l
oads and at higher inflation pressures
than the corresponding standard tire
S ec t ion widt hthe linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire,
excluding elevations due to labeling, decoration, or protective bands
Sidewallthat portion of a tire between the tread and bead
Sidewall separationthe parting of the rubber compound from the cord material in the sidewall
Page 374 of 496
362Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Snow tire
a tire that attains a traction index equal
to or greater than 110, compared to
the ASTM E−1136 Standard Reference Test Tire, when using the snow traction
test as described in ASTM F−1805−00, Standard Test Method for Single Wheel
Driving Traction in a Straight Line on Snow−and Ice−Covered Surfaces, and
which is marked with an Alpine Symbol ( ) on at least one sidewall
Te s t r i mthe rim on which a tire is fitted for testing, and may be any rim listed as appropri-
ate for use with that tire
Treadthat portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road
Tread riba tread section running circumferentially around a tire
Tread separationpulling away of the tread from the tire carcass
Treadwear indicators(TWI)the projections within the principal grooves designed to give a visual indication
of the degrees of wear of the tread
Wheel−holding fixturethe fixture used to hold the wheel and tire assembly securely during testing
Page 375 of 496
363
Table 1– Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities
Designated seating capacity, number
of occupants
Vehicle normal load, number of occu-
pantsOccupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
2 through 422 in front
5 through 1032 in front, 1 in second seat
11 through 1552 in front, 1 in second seat, 1 in third
seat, 1 in fourth seat
16 through 2072 in front, 2 in second seat, 2 in third
seat, 1 in fourth seat
Page 376 of 496

364 Vehicle load limits include total load
capacity, seating capacity, towing ca-
pacity and cargo capacity. Follow the
load limits shown below. Total load ca-
pacity and seating capacity are also
described on the tire and loading in-
formation label. For location of the tire
and loading information label, see
Checking tire inflat ion pr es s ur e" on
page 441.
Total load capacity:
With 5 occupants:431 kg (950 lb.)
With 7 occupants: 477 kg (1050 lb.)
Total load capacity means com-
bined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage. Tongue load is in-
cluded when trailer towing. Seating capacity:
Without third seats:Total 5 (Front 2, Rear 3)
With third seats: Total 7 (Front 2, Rear 5)
Seating capacity means the maxi-
mum number of occupants whose
estimated average weight is 68 kg
(150 lb.) per person. Depending on
the weight of each person, the seat-
ing capacity given may exceed the
total load capacity.
NOTICE
Even if the number of occu-
pants are within the seating ca-
pacity, do not exceed the total
load capacity.
Towing capacity:For weight carrying hitch2268 kg (5000 lb.)
Also for weight distributing hitch
(4.7 L V8 [2UZ−FE] engine only) Two−wheel drive models3311 kg (7300 lb.)
Four−wheel drive models 3175 kg (7000 lb.)
Towing capacity means the maxi-
mum gross trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo weight) that
your vehicle is able to tow.
Veh icle lo ad lim it s