REPLACING ONE TIRE
•Replacing a single tire on a vehicle can have an adverse effect on
suspension systems, gear ratios, transmission, and tire treadwear.
•If single tire replacement is unavoidable, it is recommended that the
single new tire be paired with the tire that has the deepest tread and
both be placed on the rear axle. Placing greater traction on the rear axle
on wet surfaces is necessary to prevent a possible oversteer condition
and loss of vehicle stability.
WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING
•Proper wheel alignment and balance are very important consider-
ations for safety and getting the maximum mileage from your tires.
You need to check how your tires are wearing at least once a month.
•Your vehicle may be out of alignment if your tires are wearing
unevenly, such as when the inside shoulder of the tire is wearing faster
than the rest of the tread. This condition not only shortens the life of
your tires, it adversely affects the handling characteristics of your
vehicle, which could be dangerous. If your tires show irregular wear,
have your vehicle’s alignment checked immediately.
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WARNING!(Continued)
Pull over to a safe area as soon as possible and inspect the tires for
signs of bulges, blisters, or separations. Seek roadside assistance or
change the damaged tire with your spare tire.
If you experience a blowout or a sudden tire failure, the following
information should be helpful:
•When the tire failure occurs, you may hear a loud noise, or feel a
vibration, and/or the vehicle may pull toward the side of the failed
tire. Do not abruptly brake or turn.
•Maintain steady pressure on the accelerator pedal.
•Hold the steering wheel firmly and steer to maintain your lane
position.
•Find a safe place to pull off the road and allow the vehicle to gradually
decelerate. Apply light braking as required to stop safely.
•Gradually pull over to the shoulder and come to a stop. Look for a
damaged tire on your vehicle.
•Seek roadside assistance or change the damaged tire with your spare
tire.
•Have all of your tires and the vehicle thoroughly inspected by a tire
professional.
TIRE ROTATION
The purpose for rotating tires is to achieve more uniform wear for all tires
on a vehicle. Your tires should be thoroughly examined on a lift by a tire
dealer for any abnormalities. If tires show uneven treadwear, ask the
service person to check and/or correct any vehicle wheel alignment or
other mechanical problem before rotation.
The following rotation patterns are acceptable. Please refer to your
vehicle Owner ’s Manual for rotation advice.
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More frequent rotation or a thorough vehicle inspection may be necessary
if, upon inspection, irregular or erratic treadwear is beginning to appear.
It is important to remember the following:
•These tire rotation recommendations do not take into account different
tire and construction types mixed on the vehicle.
•Some tires cannot be rotated in the manner described. Such tires
include unidirectional tires. Unidirectional tread patterns must be
rotated front-to-rear only so that the direction of revolution does not
change.
•Some vehicles are designed with different tire sizes on the front and
rear axles. Normally, such combinations will not allow rotation. Prior
to rotating, consult the vehicle Owner ’s Manual.
•For vehicles with dual rear wheels, see the vehicle Owner ’s Manual for
the vehicle manufacturer ’s procedures. If your vehicle Owner ’s
Manual is not available, please contact the vehicle manufacturer.
•Some vehicles are equipped with wheels that limit the choice of
rotation pattern. Consult the vehicle Owner ’s Manual.
•Do not include temporary spare tires in the rotation pattern. However,
if your spare tire is the same size and type as a road tire (for LT tires
of the same size, type, and load rating), it should be included in the tire
rotation process. The proper procedure is to use the vehicle manufac-
turer ’s recommended tire rotation procedures, or if not available, to
use the appropriate rotation pattern shown, inserting the spare in the
right rear position. Place the tire that would have gone to the right rear
in the spare tire storage position as the new spare.
•Important! After rotation, adjust the pressure of the individual tires to
the vehicle manufacturer ’s recommendation or the inflation pressure
recommended by Nitto for an optional fitment according to the tire’s
new location on the vehicle.
•Do not mix speed-rated tires on the same axle. Higher speed-rated tires
must remain on the rear axle. Consult your authorized Nitto dealer.
TIRE SPEED RATING
All Nitto passenger and light truck tires have a maximum speed rating
based on size and type. Tires must never be operated in excess of their
rated speed limit! Consult your tire dealer or contact Nitto at
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the speed capability is limited by the speed symbol in the service
description (i.e., 235/45ZR17 97W = maximum speed 168 mph
[270 km/h]).
** Although no upper limit speed is specified, the indicated tires
nonetheless have limited rated speed capability. Call 888–529-8200 Pacific
Time for a referral for more technical information.
mNOTICE!
Tire speed symbols do not imply that vehicles can be safely driven at the
maximum speed for which the tire is rated, particularly under adverse road
and weather conditions, or if the vehicle has unusual characteristics. Never
operate a vehicle in an unsafe or unlawful manner.
TIRE SPINNING
WARNING!
Spinning a tire to remove a vehicle stuck in mud, snow, or wet grass
can be dangerous. This could cause serious personal injury or death to
a bystander or passenger and extensive vehicle damage. A tire
spinning at a speedometer reading above 35 miles per hour (55 km/h)
can reach a speed capable of disintegrating a tire with explosive force
within a matter of seconds. Under some conditions, a tire may be
spinning at twice the speed shown on the speedometer. Never spin a
tire above a speedometer reading of 35 mph (55 km/h). Never allow
anyone to stand near or directly behind the spinning tire. Do not spin
if a drive wheel is off the ground.
TOWING OR USE OF SLIDE-IN TRUCK CAMPERS
If you are towing a trailer or using a slide-in truck camper, refer to your
vehicle Owner ’s Manual.
WINTER (SNOW) TIRES
Winter driving presents special challenges for vehicle
handling. The use of winter tires, studs, and chains, while
improving traction performance in snow and ice, requires
additional caution and care with regard to braking, corner-
ing, and speed. It is important to drive with care not only
on snow and ice, but on dry and wet roads as well.
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•Never use chains on temporary spare tires, because it could cause
damage to your vehicle.
•When you replace the temporary tire, replace it only with the same
type of tire.
•A full-size spare tire in your vehicle is intended for use as a spare when
needed. Please see the “Tire Rotation” section for the proper proce-
dures for including the same size construction and speed-rated tire (for
LT tires of the same size, type, and load rating) in the rotation pattern.
(Do not rotate a temporary spare tire.)
WARNING!
Check inflation pressure before using your spare tire. Failure to
have proper inflation pressure when using your spare tire may
cause loss of vehicle control, which could result in serious personal
injury or death. Maintain spare tire inflation pressures based on the
vehicle Owner ’s Manual or the Tire Information Placard.
“T” Type high-pressure temporary spare tires should not be used
with any other wheel, nor should standard tires, snow tires, wheel
covers, or trim rings be used on the high-pressure spare tire wheel.
If you fail to follow this warning, your vehicle’s handling
characteristics can be seriously affected. You could have an accident
resulting in serious personal injury or death. Consult your vehicle
Owner ’s Manual for the proper use of your “temporary use” spare
tire.
Do not operate your vehicle with more than one temporary spare in
use (this does not apply to a full size spare), and only operate it at
limited speeds and distances as indicated on the sidewall of the tire.
The “T” Type temporary spare tire may lower ground clearance
when used. Avoid driving over large obstacles and other road
hazards. Check your vehicle Owner ’s Manual for other special
clearance precautions when using the “T” Type temporary spare tire
provided in your vehicle.
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SPECIAL ADVICE FOR LIGHT TRUCKS
Never exceed the speed limit as indicated by the speed symbol on the
tire’s sidewall. See the chart and explanation of speed ratings in this
manual.
If you do not know the speed rating of your Nitto brand tire, contact your
Nitto dealer or Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. for current information.
TIRES DESIGNATED AS “LT” WITH NO SPEED RATING INDI-
CATED ON THE SIDEWALL
It is not recommended that any light truck be operated at speeds in excess
of legal limits. However, if it is anticipated that sustained driving at
speeds in excess of 65 mph may be required, then the following
adjustments or recommendations should be followed:
•At speeds from 66 mph through 75 mph, cold inflation pressure must
be increased 10 psi above the recommended pressures for the load
being carried.
•Do not exceed the maximum inflation pressure of the wheel (all wheels
have maximum allowable inflation pressures).
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•Treadwear - The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test track. For example, a tire graded 200 would wear
twice as long on the government course as a tire graded 100. It is
wrong to link treadwear grades with your projected tire mileage. The
relative performance of the tires depends upon the actual conditions of
their use and may vary due to driving habits, service practices,
differences in road characteristics, and climate.
•Traction - The traction grades from highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
mNOTICE!
The traction grade assigned to tires is based on locked braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turning) traction.
•Temperature - The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperatures
can cause the materials of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance that all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
WARNING!
The temperature grade is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading either separately or in combination can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure. This can cause an accident, which
could lead to serious personal injury or death.
•DOT Quality Grades - All passenger car tires must conform to federal
requirements in addition to these grades.
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