44IMPORTANT TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION¹
result in tire destruction. When inspecting
your tires, including the spare, check your air
pressures. If your pressure check indicates
that one of your tires has lost pressure of two
pounds or more, look for signs of penetrations,
valve leakage, or wheel damage that may
account for the air loss.
All tires will wear out faster when subjected
to high speeds as well as hard cornering, rapid
starts, sudden stops, frequent driving on roads
which are in poor condition, and off-road use.
Roads with holes and rocks or other objects
can damage tires and cause misalignment of
your vehicle. When you drive on such roads,
drive on them carefully and slowly, and before
driving again at normal or highway speeds,
examine your tires for any damage, such
as cuts, bulges, penetrations, unusual wear
patterns, etc.
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS (WEAR BARS):
Tires contain Tread Wear Indicators (Wear
Bars) in the grooves of the tire tread which
show up when only 2/32nds of an inch
(1.6mm) of tread is remaining. At this stage,
your tires must be replaced. Tires worn beyond
this stage are dangerous.
HAZARDS
Objects in the road that threaten a tire should
be safely avoided. These objects are potholes,
glass, metal, rocks, wood debris and the
like. Unavoidable contact should prompt a
thorough tire inspection. You may not always recall hitting an object
that can damage or injure your tires. If while
driving your vehicle experiences any unusual
vibrations, ride disturbance or noise and/or you
suspect that possible damage to the tires or
vehicle has occurred, DO NOT JAM OR LOCK
YOUR BRAKES! Rather reduce your speed and
drive with caution until you can safely pull off
the road. Stop and inspect the tires. If the tire
is underinflated or damaged, deflate, remove
the tire and rim assembly and replace it with
your spare. If you cannot detect a cause, have
the vehicle towed to the nearest vehicle or tire
retailer to have the vehicle inspected.
REPAIRING, MOUNTING AND
DEMOUNTING OF TIRES
Do not attempt to repair, mount or demount a
tire yourself. Tire changing can be dangerous
and must be done by professionally trained
persons using proper tools and procedures
as specified by the Rubber Manufacturers
Association (RMA). Follow these mounting
recommendations. Your tires should be
mounted on wheels of correct size and type
and which are in good, clean condition. Bent,
chipped or rusted wheels may cause tire
damage. The inside of the tire must be free
from foreign materials. Have your retailer
check the wheels before mounting new tires.
Mismatched tires and rims can explode during
mounting. Also, mismatched tires and rims can
result in dangerous tire failure on the road. If
a tire is mounted by error on the wrong-sized
rim, do not remount it on the proper rim - scrap it. It may be damaged internally (which
is not externally visible) by being dangerously
stretched and could fail on the highway.
Old valves may leak. When new tubeless tires
are mounted, have new valves of the correct
type installed. Tubeless tires must be mounted
only on wheels designed for tubeless tires, i.e.,
wheels which have safety humps or ledges.
Never perform a temporary repair, use an
innertube or inject sealant as a permanent
substitute for a proper repair. Only qualified
persons should repair tires.
Be sure that all your valves have suitable valve
caps. This will keep valve cores clean and clear
and guard against leakage.
REPAIRS - WHENEVER POSSIBLE, SEE
A TIRE RETAILER AT ONCE.
Some tire
manufacturers do not warrant any inspection
or repair process. The repair is entirely the
responsibility of the repairer. Punctures in
the tread of a passenger tire which do not
exceed 1/4 of an inch (6mm) in diameter can
usually be repaired by following the Rubber
Manufacturer’s Association (RMA) Passenger
and Light Truck Repair procedures. Contact
the manufacturer of your tires for its position
and assistance as to the acceptable location
for a proper repair and the repair of speed
rated tires. Do not use plug repairs. They may
cause further damage to the tire. They are not
always air tight and the plug may fail. Do not
exceed posted speed limits on any repaired tire.
(Continued on next page)
45
Certain tire manufacturers speed ratings are
voided if the tire is repaired.
Although a tire was properly repaired, internal
structural damage resulting from the puncture
may have occurred.
Sometime later the damage may cause the tire
to be removed from service.
If the tire has a puncture in the tread which
exceeds 1/4 inch (6mm), the tire must be
replaced. If any tire has sustained a puncture,
have the tire inspected internally by a tire
retailer for possible damage that may have
occurred.
Improper mounting and inflation procedures
can cause an explosion of the tire/rim
assembly. Only specially trained persons should
perform these tasks. Contact your tire store or
retailer for assistance.
CAUTION - Never, under any circumstance,
introduce a flammable substance into a tire.
WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND
BALANCING
Wheel alignment and balancing are important
for safety and maximum mileage from your
tires. Check how your tires are wearing at
least once a month. If your tires are wearing
unevenly, such as the inside shoulder of the
tire wearing faster than the rest of the tread,
or if you detect excessive vibration, your
vehicle may be out of alignment or balance.
These conditions not only shorten the life of
your tires, but adversely affect the handling characteristics of your vehicle which could
be dangerous. If you detect irregular wear or
vibration, have your alignment 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 circumstances 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 excessive
wheel spin. In such conditions, with automatic
transmission vehicles, by accelerating the
engine excessively, 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 approximate 2/32 inch
(1.6 mm) wearout, the tread gauge becomes
thinner and more vulnerable to the effects
of road hazards. 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 recommended 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
IMPORTANT TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION¹
(Continued on next page)