life of your tires, but adversely affect the handling char-
acteristics of your vehicle which could be dangerous. If
you detect irregular wear or vibration, have your align-
ment and balance checked immediately. Tires which
have been run underinflated will show more wear on the
shoulders than in the center of the tread.
HARD BRAKING
You must inspect your tires after any hard braking cir-
cumstances or after tires have slid on the pavement.
This can cause a flat spot in a section of the tire tread.
TIRE SPINNING
Never spin your tires above a speedometer reading of
35 mph (55 km/h) if your vehicle becomes stuck. The
centrifugal force generated by the free spinning
tire/wheel assembly may cause a sudden tire explosion,
resulting in vehicle damage and/or serious personal
injury or death. Never allow anyone to stand near or
behind a tire spinning at high speed while attempting to
push a vehicle that is stuck. When in mud, sand, snow,
ice or other slippery conditions, do not indulge in exces-
sive wheel spin. In such conditions, with automatic
transmission vehicles, by accelerating the engine ex-
cessively, it is possible to spin one of the drive tires
beyond its speed capability. This is also true when
balancing a drive tire/wheel assembly using the engine
of the vehicle to spin the wheel.
TIRE TREAD
Tires must be replaced when the depth of the tread
reaches 2/32 inch (1.6 mm) . Tires are manufactured
with tread wear indicators molded into the tire grooves
which indicate tread wearout. As tires approximate2/32 inch (1.6 mm) wearout, the tread gauge becomes
thinner and more vulnerable to the effects of road haz-
ards. Also, worn tires are more subject to hydroplaning,
which can cause loss of control. Therefore, visual tire
inspection becomes more crucial as the tires wear out.
WORN TIRES
Never drive on worn tires. Tires should be replaced by
trained personnel when 2/32nds of an inch tread depth
remains, as indicated by the tread wear indicators
molded into the tread grooves. In most states, it is illegal
to drive with less than 2/32nds of an inch of tread
remaining.
TIRE MIXING
For best performance
select tires similar in size and
load rating to the original equipment tires. It is recom-
mended that the same size and type of tire be used on
all four wheel positions. In certain tires, casing ply
material and ply construction may vary as indicated on
the sidewall of the tire. When changing or replacing
tires, it is preferred that all four tires are the same
construction type (i.e., High Performance, All Season,
Mud & Snow) and construction (Radial or Bias Ply) .
Before mixing tires of different types on a vehicle in any
configuration, be sure to check the vehicle OWNER’S
MANUAL for its recommendations.
Tires which meet the Rubber Manufacturer’s Associa-
tion (RMA) definition of mud and snow tires are marked
M/S, M+S, M&S. On such tires, this designation is
molded into the sidewall. Tires without this notation are
not recommended for mud and/or snow driving.
If snow tires are needed, it is necessary to select tires
equivalent in size and load rating to the original equipment tires. Always fit performance snow tires in sets of four (4)
for optimum mud & snow traction and maintenance of
vehicle handling characteristics. If you do not, it may
adversely affect the safety and handling of your vehicle. It
is also important to check the vehicle OWNER’S
MANUAL before mixing or matching tires on 4-wheel drive
vehicles as this may require special precautions.
Please refer to your OWNER’S MANUAL for more
information on tire replacement precautions.
TIRE ROTATION
Tires on your Nissan vehicle should be rotated every
7,500 miles or as irregular wear develops. If irregular
wear becomes apparent or if the wear rate on the tires is
perceptibly uneven, the tires should be rotated in such a
way to alleviate the problem. Check your vehicle for any
mechanical problems and correct if necessary. Any
rotation pattern or procedure may be followed including
those indicated in the OWNER’S MANUAL. Some tires
have arrows on the sidewall showing the direction in
which the tire should turn. When rotating this type of
tire, care must be taken to maintain the proper turning
direction as indicated by the arrows.
Some vehicles
have different tire sizes specified for front and rear
axles. Tires on these vehicles should not be rotated side
to side (unless they are non-directional). Where a tem-
porary type spare tire is available, it should not be
included in the tire rotation schedule. Such tires are
intended for temporary use only. Whenever only two
tires are replaced, the new tires should be put on the
rear axle of vehicles equipped with the same size tire on
all four wheel positions.
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24 IMPORTANT TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION1
