Vehicle care and maintenance
7-19
7 Tires
N00939200537
It is important to familiarize yourself with the following terms:
Cold tire pressure:
• The measured pressure after the vehicle has been parked
for at least three hours,
or
• The measured pressure when the vehicle is driven less
than 1 mile (1.6 km) after having been parked for three
hours.
Maximum inflation pressure: the maximum permissible
cold tire inflation pressure for this tire.
Recommended inflation pressure: the inflation pressure
for optimum tire performance.Intended outboard sidewall:
• The sidewall that contains a whitewall, bears white let-
tering 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
• The outward facing sidewall of an asymmetrical tire that
has a particular side that must always face outward
when mounted on a vehicle.
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
pounds or less.
Light truck (LT) tire: a tire designated by its manufacturer
as primarily intended for use on lightweight trucks or mul-
tipurpose passenger vehicles.
Tread: portion of a tire that comes into contact with the
road.
Tread rib: a tread section running circumferentially
around a tire.
Tread separation: pulling away of the tread from the tire
carcass.
Carcass: the tire structure, except tread and sidewall rub-
ber which, when inflated, bears the load.
Sidewall: portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Section width: the linear distance between the exteriors of
the sidewalls of an inflated tire, excluding elevations due
to labeling, decoration, or protective bands.
Bead: the part of the tire that is made of steel wires,
wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to
fit the rim.
Ply: a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
WA R N I N G
!Driving with tires that are worn, damaged or
improperly inflated is dangerous.
These type tire conditions will adversely affect vehi-
cle performance.
These type tire conditions can also cause a tread sep-
aration or blowout which may result in an accident
causing serious injury or death.Tires, including spare tire, degrade over time with
age even when they are not being used. It is recom-
mended that tires over 6 years generally be replaced
even if damage is not obvious.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-21
7
Size Designation
EXAMPLE:P215/65R15
NOTE
European/Japanese metric tire sizing is based on
European/Japanese design standards. Tires designed
to these standards have the tire size molded into the
sidewall beginning with the section width. The letter
“P” is absent from this tire size designation. Exam-
ple: 215/65R15 96H.
LT (Light Truck) -metric tire sizing is based on
U.S.A. design standards. The size designation for
LT-metric tires is the same as for P-metric tires
except for the letters “LT” that are molded into the
sidewall preceding the size designation. Example:
LT235/85R16.
Temporary spare tires are high pressure compact
spares designed for temporary emergency use only.
Tires designed to this standard have the letter “T”
molded into the sidewall preceding the size designa-
tion. Example: T145/80D18 103M.Service Description
EXAMPLE: 95H
Maximum Load
Maximum load indicates the maximum load this tire is
designed to carry. PPassenger car tire size based on U.S.A. design
standards
215 Section width in millimeters (MM.)
65Aspect ratio in percent (%)
Ratio of section height to section width of tire.
RConstruction code
• “R” means radial construction.
• “D” means diagonal or bias construction.
15 Rim diameter in inches (in)95Load index
A numerical code associated with the maxi-
mum load a tire can carry.
HSpeed symbol
A symbol indicating the range of speeds at
which a tire can carry a load corresponding to
its load index under certain operating condi-
tions.
The maximum speed corresponding to the
speed symbol should only be achieved under
specified operating conditions. (i.e. tire pres-
sure, vehicle loading, road conditions and
posted speed limits)
WA R N I N G
!
Overloading of your tire is dangerous. Over-
loading can cause tire failure, affect vehicle
handling, and increase your stopping distance.
Use tires of the recommended load capacity for
your vehicle. Never overload them.
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9-4 Specifications
9
Certification label
N01148200141
The certification label is located on the driver’s door sill.
Vehicle dimensions
N01147500495
Overall length 191.1 in (4,853 mm) Overall width 72.4 in (1,840 mm) Overall height
Vehicles with
16 inch tires57.4 in (1,458 mm)Vehicles with
18 inch tires57.7 in (1,465 mm)
Wheel base 108.3 in (2,750 mm)
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