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GENERAL INFORMATION
Notice to utility vehicle and truck
owners
WARNING: Utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate than
other types of vehicles. WARNING: Vehicles with a higher
center of gravity (utility and four-wheel
drive vehicles) handle differently than
vehicles with a lower center of gravity
(passenger cars). Avoid sharp turns,
excessive speed and abrupt steering in
these vehicles. Failure to drive cautiously
increases the risk of losing control of your
vehicle, vehicle rollover, personal injury
and death. WARNING:
In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wearing a
seatbelt.
Note: Do not become overconfident in the
ability of four-wheel drive vehicles. Although
a four-wheel drive vehicle may accelerate
better than a two-wheel drive vehicle in low
traction situations, it won't stop any faster
than two-wheel drive vehicles. Always drive
at a safe speed. Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in the
various driving conditions that are
encountered on streets, highways and
off-road. Utility vehicles and trucks are not
designed for cornering at speeds as high
as passenger cars any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
Study your owner's manual and any
supplements for specific information about
equipment features, instructions for safe
driving and additional precautions to
reduce the risk of an accident or serious
injury.
Four-wheel drive system (if
equipped)
A vehicle equipped with four-wheel drive
(when selected) has the ability to use all
four wheels to power itself. This increases
traction which may enable you to safely
drive over terrain and road conditions that
a conventional two-wheel drive vehicle
cannot.
On some four-wheel drive models, the
initial shift from two-wheel drive to
four-wheel drive while the vehicle is
moving can cause a momentary clunk and
ratcheting sound. These sounds are normal
as the front drivetrain comes up to speed
and are not cause for concern.
Note:
In four-wheel drive vehicles, the size
of the spare tire relative to the remaining
tires can have an effect on the 4x4 system.
If there is a significant difference between
the size of a spare and the remaining tires,
four-wheel drive functionality may be
limited. See Using Four-Wheel Drive (page
213
).
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How your vehicle differs from
other vehicles
Sport utility vehicles and trucks can differ
from some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may be: •
Higher - to allow higher load carrying
capacity and to allow it to travel over
rough terrain without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
• Shorter - to give it the capability to
approach inclines and drive over the
crest of a hill without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
All other things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs
than a vehicle with a longer wheelbase.
• Narrower - to provide greater
maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use. 383
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As a result of the above dimensional
differences, Sport utility vehicles and
trucks often will have a higher center of
gravity and a greater difference in center
of gravity between the loaded and
unloaded condition. These differences that
make your vehicle so versatile also make
it handle differently than an ordinary
passenger car.
TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform
Tire Quality Grading
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
The Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example: Treadwear 200
Traction AA Temperature A.
These Tire Quality Grades are
determined by standards that the
United States Department of
Transportation has set. Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
They do not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, light truck or LT type
tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104 (c)(2).
U.S. Department of
Transportation Tire quality
grades:
The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires us to give
you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the
government has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1
½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
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Traction AA A B C
WARNING: The traction
grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire ’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled
conditions on specified
government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Temperature A B C WARNING:
The
temperature grade for this tire 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.
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
temperature can cause the
material 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 which 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.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
*
Tire label: A label showing the
original equipment tire sizes,
recommended inflation pressure
and the maximum weight the
vehicle can carry.
*
Tire Identification Number
(TIN): A number on the sidewall
of each tire providing information
about the tire brand and
manufacturing plant, tire size and
date of manufacture. Also referred
to as DOT code.
*
Inflation pressure: A measure
of the amount of air in a tire.
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*Standard load: A class of
P-metric or Metric tires designed
to carry a maximum load at set
pressure. For example: For
P-Metric tires 35 psi (2.4 bar) and
for Metric
36 psi (2.5 bar).
Increasing the inflation pressure
beyond this pressure will not
increase the tire ’s load carrying
capability.
*
Extra load: A class of P-metric
or Metric tires designed to carry a
heavier maximum load at
42 psi
(2.9 bar). Increasing the inflation
pressure beyond this pressure will
not increase the tire ’s load
carrying capability.
*
kPa: Kilopascal, a metric unit of
air pressure.
*
PSI: Pounds per square inch, a
standard unit of air pressure.
*
Cold tire pressure: The tire
pressure when the vehicle has
been stationary and out of direct
sunlight for an hour or more and
prior to the vehicle being driven for
1 mile (1.6 kilometers).
*
Recommended inflation
pressure: The cold inflation
pressure found on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label
(affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the door
edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver's seating
position), or Tire Label located on
the B-pillar or the edge of the
driver's door. B-pillar:
The structural member
at the side of the vehicle behind
the front door.
*
Bead area of the tire: Area of
the tire next to the rim.
*
Sidewall of the tire: Area
between the bead area and the
tread.
*
Tread area of the tire: Area of
the perimeter of the tire that
contacts the road when mounted
on the vehicle.
*Rim: The metal support (wheel)
for a tire or a tire and tube
assembly upon which the tire
beads are seated.
Information Contained on the
Tire Sidewall
Both United States and Canada
Federal regulations require tire
manufacturers to place
standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and
describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also
provides a U.S. DOT Tire
Identification Number for safety
standard certification and in case
of a recall.
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Information on P Type Tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of
a tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
A.
P: Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association,
that may be used for service on
cars, sport utility vehicles,
minivans and light trucks. Note:
If
your tire size does not begin with
a letter this may mean it is
designated by either the European
Tire and Rim Technical
Organization or the Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association. B.
215:
Indicates the nominal
width of the tire in millimeters
from sidewall edge to sidewall
edge. In general, the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
C. 65:
Indicates the aspect ratio
which gives the tire's ratio of
height to width.
D. R:
Indicates a radial type tire.
E. 15:
Indicates the wheel or rim
diameter in inches. If you change
your wheel size, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the
new wheel diameter.
F. 95:
Indicates the tire's load
index. It is an index that relates to
how much weight a tire can carry.
You may find this information in
your owner ’s manual. If not,
contact a local tire dealer.
Note: You may not find this
information on all tires because it
is not required by federal law.
G. H:
Indicates the tire's speed
rating. The speed rating denotes
the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extended
periods of time under a standard
condition of load and inflation
pressure. The tires on your vehicle
may operate at different
conditions for load and inflation
pressure. These speed ratings may
need to be adjusted for the
difference in conditions. The
ratings range from
81 mph
(130 km/h) to 186 mph
(299 km/h)
. These ratings are
listed in the following chart.
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Note:
You may not find this
information on all tires because it
is not required by federal law. mph ( km/h)
Letter
rating
81 (130)
M
87 (140)
N
99 (159)
Q
106 (171)
R
112 (180)
S
118 (190)
T
124 (200)
U
130 (210)
H
149 (240)
V
168 (270)
W
186 (299)
Y
Note: For tires with a maximum
speed capability over 149 mph
(240 km/h)
, tire manufacturers
sometimes use the letters ZR. For
those with a maximum speed
capability over
186 mph
(299 km/h)
, tire manufacturers
always use the letters ZR.
H. U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number:
This begins with the
letters DOT and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards.
The next two numbers or letters
are the plant code designating
where it was manufactured, the
next two are the tire size code and the last four numbers represent
the week and year the tire was
built. For example, the numbers
317 mean the 31st week of 1997.
After 2000 the numbers go to four
digits. For example, 2501 means
the 25th week of 2001. The
numbers in between are
identification codes used for
traceability. This information is
used to contact customers if a tire
defect requires a recall.
I.
M+S or M/S:
Mud and Snow, or
AT:
All Terrain, or
AS:
All Season.
J. Tire Ply Composition and
Material Used:
Indicates the
number of plies or the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in
the tire tread and sidewall. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate
the ply materials in the tire and the
sidewall, which include steel,
nylon, polyester, and others.
K. Maximum Load: Indicates the
maximum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by the
tire (affixed to either the door
hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the
door edge that meets the
door-latch post, next to the
driver's seating position), or Tire
Label located on the B-pillar or
the edge of the driver's door.
L. Treadwear, Traction and
Temperature Grades:
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*Treadwear: The treadwear
grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified
government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would
wear 1½ times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100.
*
Traction: The traction grades,
from highest to lowest are AA, A,
B, and C. The grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
*
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.
M. Maximum Inflation
Pressure:
Indicates the tire
manufacturers' maximum
permissible pressure or the
pressure at which the maximum
load can be carried by the tire. This
pressure is normally higher than
the vehicle manufacturer's
recommended cold inflation
pressure which can be found on
the Safety Compliance
Certification Label (affixed to
either the door hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch post,
next to the driver's seating
position), or Tire Label located on
the B-pillar or the edge of the
driver's door. The cold inflation
pressure should never be set lower
than the recommended pressure
on the vehicle label.
The tire suppliers may have
additional markings, notes or
warnings such as standard load
or radial tubeless.
Additional Information
Contained on the Tire Sidewall
for LT Type Tires
Note:
Tire Quality Grades do not
apply to this type of tire. 389
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