These Tire Quality Grades aredetermined by standards that the UnitedStates Department of Transportation hasset.
Tire Quality Grades apply to newpneumatic passenger car tires. They donot apply to deep tread, winter-typesnow tires, space-saver or temporaryuse spare tires, light truck or LT typetires, tires with nominal rim diameters of10 to 12 inches or limited production tiresas defined in Title 49 Code of FederalRegulations Part 575.104 ©)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation Tirequality grades: The U.S. Department ofTransportation requires Lincoln MotorCompany to give you the followinginformation about tire grades exactly as
the government has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparativerating based on the wear rate of the tirewhen tested under controlled conditionson a specified government test course.For example, a tire graded 150 wouldwear one and one-half (1 ½) times as wellon the government course as a tiregraded 100. The relative performanceof tires depends upon the actualconditions of their use, however, andmay depart significantly from the normdue to variations in driving habits,service practices, and differences inroad characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to thistire is based on straight-aheadbraking traction tests, and does notinclude acceleration, cornering,hydroplaning or peak tractioncharacteristics.
The traction grades, from highest tolowest are AA, A, B, and C. The gradesrepresent the tire’s ability to stop on wetpavement as measured under controlledconditions on specified government testsurfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tiremarked C may have poor tractionperformance.
Temperature A B C
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tireis established for a tire that isproperly inflated and not overloaded.Excessive speed, underinflation, orexcessive loading, either separately orin combination, can cause heat buildupand possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A, thehighest, B and C, representing the tire’sresistance to the generation of heat andits ability to dissipate heat when testedunder controlled conditions on aspecified indoor laboratory test wheel.Sustained high temperature can cause
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MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Wheels and Tires