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TIRE AND WHEEL MATCHING AND MOUNTING
WARNING!
Any attempt to mount a tire on a wheel with a different diameter
will result in an explosion of the tire/wheel assembly that could
cause severe personal injury or death.
Prior to mounting any tire, always check the wheel identification
stamp to verify the correct wheel diameter. Always check the tire
size molded onto the sidewall.
Never exceed 40 psi when seating the tire beads onto the wheel.
Always stand well clear of any tire mounting operation. This is
especially important when the service operator inflates the tire. If
the tire has been improperly mounted, it could burst with explosive
force causing serious personal injury or death.
A new valve stem must be installed on the wheel each time a
worn-out passenger or light truck tire is replaced.
Removing and replacing tires on wheels can be dangerous.
Attempting to mount tires with improper tools or procedures could
result in a tire explosion, causing serious personal injury or death.
This is a job for your authorized Nitto dealer or other qualified tire
service location only.
Serious personal injury or death can result from:
•Failure to select the proper tire and wheel. The tire must match the
width and diameter requirements of the wheel. When mounting
truck type radial tires use only wheels approved for radial tires.
•Failure to inspect both the tire and wheel. The wheel must be free
of cracks, dents, chips, and rust. The tire must be free of bead
damage, cuts, and punctures.
•Failure to follow proper procedures. For proper mounting proce-
dures, consult the Rubber Manufacturers Association’s publication
“Care and Service of Automobile and Light Truck Tires” (ref.:
www.rma.org).
•Exceeding the maximum bead seating pressure of 40 psi. Be
absolutely certain beads are fully seated before adjusting the
inflation pressure to the level recommended for vehicle operation.
Never put flammable substances in the tire/wheel assemblies at any
time. Never put any flammable substance into a tire/wheel assembly
and attempt to ignite it in order to seat the beads.
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Tires may be marked with one of these speed symbols: M, N, P, Q, R, S,
T, U, H, V, W, Y, or (Y) to identify the particular tire’s speed rating.
Additionally, the letter Z may appear in the size designation.
When purchasing or replacing speed-rated tires, make sure to:
•Use the ranking in the following chart to compare the speed symbols
of all the tires.
•Follow the vehicle manufacturer ’s recommendations, if any, concern-
ing the use of speed-rated tires.
To avoid reducing the speed capability of the vehicle, replace a speed-
rated tire only with another tire having at least the same or higher speed
rating. Remember, the “top speed” of the “lowest rated” tire on the car
cannot be exceeded without risk of tire failure.
The letter symbols and corresponding design speeds are:
Speed-Rated Symbol Speed Category
M Up to 81 mph (130 km/h)
N Up to 87 mph (140 km/h)
P Up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q Up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
R Up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S Up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T Up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U Up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H Up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V Up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
W Up to 168 mph (270 km/h)*
Y Up to 186 mph (300 km/h)*
ZR Over 149 mph (240 km/h)**
(Y) Over 186 mph (300 km/h)**
* Any tire with a speed capability above 149 mph (240 km/h) can, at the
tire manufacturer ’s option, include a “Z” in the size designation (e.g.,
245/40ZR18). If the load index and the speed symbol are not included,
the tire manufacturer must be consulted for the maximum speed capa-
bility (P245/40ZR18 speed capability is greater than 149 mph
[240 km/h]). If a service description is included with the size description,
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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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