Ra
ting. You can find the Gross Axle Weight Rating
on the B-pillar on the driver's side.
Speed rating: the speed rating is pa rtof the tire
identification. It specifies the speed range for
which a tire is appr oved.
GV W (Gross Vehicle Weight): the Gross Vehicle
We ight includes thewe ight of theve hicle includ‐
ing fuel, tools, the spare wheel, accessories
ins talled, occupants, luggage and the trailer
dr aw bar nose weight if applicable. The Gross Vehi‐
cle Weight must ne verex ceed the Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating (GVWR) specified on the B-pillar on
th e driver's side.
GV WR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): the
GV WR is the maximum permitted gross weight of
th e fully laden vehicle (weight of theve hicle
including all accessories, occupants, fuel, lug‐
ga ge and the trailer dr awbar nose weight if appli‐
cable). The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is speci‐
fi ed on theve hicle identification plate on the B-
pillar on the driver's side.
Maximum weight of the laden vehicle: the
maximum weight is the sum of theve hicle's curb
we ight, weight of the accessories, maximum load
and thewe ight of thefa ctory ins talled optional
equipment.
Kilopascal (kPa): metric unitfor tire pressu re.
6.9 kPa are the equivalent of 1 psi. Ano ther unit
fo r tire pressu reis bar. 100 kilopascals (kPa) are
th e equivalent of 1 bar.
Load index: in additiontothe load-bearing index,
th e load index may also be imprinted on the side‐
wa ll of the tire. This specifies the load-bearing
capacity more precisel y.
Curb weight: thewe ight of a vehicle with stand‐
ard equipment including the maximum capacity
of fuel, oil and coolant. It also includes the air-
conditioning sy stem and optional equipment if
th ese are ins talled on theve hicle, but does not
include passengers or luggage.
Maximum tire load: the maximum tire load is
th e maximum permissible weight in kilog rams or
lbs for which a tire is appro ved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure: maximum
permissible tire pressure for one tire.
Maximum load on one tire: maximum load on
one tire. This is calculated bydividing the maxi‐
mum axle load for one axle bytwo.
PSI (pounds per square in ch):standard unit of
measurement for tire pressu re. Aspect
ratio: relationship between tire height
and tire width in percent.
Ti re pressure: pressure inside the tire applying
an outward forc eto eve rysquare inch of the
tire's su rface. The tire pressure is specified in
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa)
or in bar. The tire pressure should only be cor rec‐
te d when the tires are cold.
Ti re pressure on cold tires: the tires are cold
when theve hicle has been par ked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least thre e hours and
th eve hicle has been driven less than 1 mile
(1.6 km).
Ti re contact sur face: the part of the tire that
comes into con tact wi th thero ad.
Ti re bead: the purpose of the tire bead is to
ensure that the tire sits securely on the wheel
ri m. There are se veral wire cores in the tire bead
to preve ntthe tire from changing length on the
wheel rim.
Side wall:the part of the tire between the tread
and the tire bead.
Special equipment weight: the combined
we ight of those optional extras that we igh more
th an there placed standard parts and more than
5 lbs (2.3 kg). These op tionalextras, su chas
high-pe rformance brakes, le vel control sy stem, a
ro of luggage rack or a high-per form ance batter y,
are not included in the curb weight and the
we ight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number): a unique iden‐
tification number which can be used bya tire
manufacturer toidentify tires, forex ample for a
product recall, and thus identify the pur chasers.
The TIN is made up of the manufacturer identifi‐
cation code, tire size, tire type code and the man‐
ufacturing date.
Load-bearing index: the load-bearing index (also
load index) is a code that con tains the maximum
load-bearing capacity of a tire.
Tr action: traction is there sult of friction between
th e tires and thero ad sur face.
We ar indicator: narrow bars (tread wear bars)
th at are distributed overth e tire tread. If the tire
tread is le vel with the bars, thewe ar limit of
1/ 16 in (1.6 mm) has been reached.
Distribution of vehicle occupants: distribution
of vehicle occupants over designated seat posi‐
tions in a vehicle. Wheels and tires
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