.
Passenger car tire
A tire intended for use on passen-
ger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, and trucks, that have a
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
of 10,000 lbs (4,535 kg) or less. .
Ply
A layer of rubber-coated parallel
cords. .
Ply separation
A parting of rubber compound
between adjacent plies. .
Pneumatic tire
A mechanical device made of rub-
ber, chemicals, fabric and steel or
other materials, that, when
mounted on an automotive wheel,
provides the traction and contains
the gas or fluid that sustains the
load. .
Production options weight
The combined weight of those
installed regular production options
weighing over 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) in
excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously
considered in curb weight or acces- sory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special
trim. .
Radial ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at substantially 90 degrees to
the centerline of the tread. .
Recommended inflation pres-
sure
The cold inflation pressure recom-
mended by a vehicle manufacturer. .
Reinforced tire
A tire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation pres-
sures than the corresponding stan-
dard tire. .
Rim
A metal support for a tire or a tire
and tube assembly upon which the
tire beads are seated. .
Rim diameter
Nominal diameter of the bead seat.
.
Rim size designation
Rim diameter and width. .
Rim type designation
The industry of manufacturer ’ s des-
ignation for a rim by style or code. .
Rim width
Nominal distance between rim
flanges. .
Section width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, excluding elevations
due to labeling, decoration, or
protective bands. .
Sidewall
That portion of a tire between the
tread and bead. .
Sidewall separation
The parting of the rubber com-
pound from the cord material in
the sidewall. .
Test rim
The rim on which a tire is fitted for
testing, and it may be any rim listed
as appropriate for use with that tire. .
Tread
That portion of a tire that comes
into contact with the road.Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
– CONTINUED –13-7
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Uniform tire quality grading standards
.
Vehicle stability will deteriorate..
Heavy and/or high-mounted
loads could increase the risk of
rollover. .
Stopping distance will increase..
Brakes could overheat and fail..
Suspension, bearings, axles and
other body parts could break or
experience accelerated wear that
will shorten vehicle life. .
Tires could fail..
Tread separation could occur..
Tire could separate from its rim.
& Steps for Determining Cor-
rect Load Limit1.
Locate the statement “ The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs. ” on your vehicle ’ s
placard.
2.
Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
3.
Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs. 4.
The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For exam-
ple, if the “ XXX ” amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be five 150
lb passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 − 750 (5 6 150) = 650 lbs.)5.
Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
6.
If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your ve-
hicle. Uniform tire quality grading
standards This information indicates the rela-
tive performance of passenger car
tires in the area of treadwear,
traction, and temperature resis-
tance. This is to aid the consumer
in making an informed choice in the
purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall be-
tween tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tem-
perature A
The quality grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on passen-
ger cars. However, they do not
apply to deep tread, winter type
snow tires, space-saver or tempor-
ary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 12 inches
or less, or to some limited produc-
tion tires.
All passenger car tires must con-13-14
