Tires — General Information
Tire Pressure
Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to the safe and satisfactory
operation of your vehicle. Four primary areas are affected by improper
tire pressure:
•Safety and Vehicle Stability
• Economy
• Tread Wear
• Ride Comfort
Safety
WARNING!
• Improperly inflated tires are dangerous and can cause collisions.
• Underinflation increases tire flexing and can result in overheating
and tire failure.
• Overinflation reduces a tire’s ability to cushion shock. Objects on
the road and chuckholes can cause damage that result in tire
failure.
• Overinflated or underinflated tires can affect vehicle handling and
can fail suddenly, resulting in loss of vehicle control.
• Unequal tire pressures can cause steering problems. You could lose
control of your vehicle.
• Unequal tire pressures from one side of the vehicle to the other can
cause the vehicle to drift to the right or left.
• Always drive with each tire inflated to the recommended cold tire
inflation pressure.
Both underinflation and overinflation affect the stability of the vehicle
and can produce a feeling of sluggish
response or over responsiveness in
the steering.
NOTE:
• Unequal tire pressures from side to side may cause erratic and
unpredictable steering response.
• Unequal tire pressure from side to side may cause the vehicle to drift
left or right.
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ever replace a wheel, make sure that the wheel’s specifications match
those of the original wheels.
It is recommended you contact an authorized tire dealer or original
equipment dealer with any questions you may have on tire specifications
or capability. Failure to use equivalent replacement tires may adversely
affect the safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle.
WARNING!
•Do not use a tire, wheel size, load rating, or speed rating other than
that specified for your vehicle. Some combinations of unapproved
tires and wheels may change suspension dimensions and perfor-
mance characteristics, resulting in changes to steering, handling,
and braking of your vehicle. This can cause unpredictable han-
dling and stress to steering and suspension components. You could
lose control and have a collision resulting in serious injury or
death. Use only the tire and wheel sizes with load ratings approved
for your vehicle.
• Never use a tire with a smaller load index or capacity, other than
what was originally equipped on your vehicle. Using a tire with a
smaller load index could result in tire overloading and failure. You
could lose control and have a collision.
• Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having adequate speed
capability can result in sudden tire failure and loss of vehicle
control.
CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different size may result in
false speedometer and odometer readings.
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You should have complete confidence in your new BFGoodrich tires. Still
it’s important to register your tires in the event that we need to contact
you. For online tire registration, visit
www.tireregistration.com.
WARNING!
DISREGARDING ANY OF THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
AND/OR INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL MAY
RESULT IN TIRE FAILURE OR EXPLOSION CAUSING SERIOUS
PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.
BFGOODRICH TIRES
TIRE DISABLEMENT SAFETY WARNING
Any tire may fail as a result of an improperly repaired puncture, impact
damage, improper inflation, overloading or other conditions resulting
from use or misuse. Ti re failures, such as a rapid air loss or a tread and
belt detachment, may increase risk of injury or death and/or property
damage. To reduce the risk of a tire failure, BFGoodrich
recommends you
thoroughly read and follow the recommendations in this BFGoodrich
Limited Warranty/Owner ’s Manual, the vehicle owner ’s manual, tire
placard information, and tire sidewall information regarding safety
warnings, proper tire use and maintenance.
CONTROLLABILITY
CONTROLLING A VEHICLE WHEN A TIRE FAILURE OCCURS
If a tire failure occurs, you may hear a loud noise, feel a vibration, and/or
the vehicle may pull toward the side of the failed tire. If possible, step on
the accelerator momentarily to maintain forward momentum and ensure
vehicle control.
It is important that you DO NOT BRAKE OR ABRUPTLY TURN THE
STEERING
WHEEL.
Slowly remove your foot from the accelerator and hold the steering wheel
firmly while steering to remain in your lane. Once the vehicle has slowed
and is fully under control, apply the brakes gently
safely pull over to the
shoulder and come to a stop. Inspect the tir
es. If one or
more tires look
flat or low, show detachment or other damage, remove tire assembly and
replace it with a properly inflated spare. Bumps or bulges may indicate
detachment within the tire body and require inspection by a qualified tire
technician.
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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
have been damaged internally (which is not externally visible) by having
been 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 only be
mounted on wheels designed for tubeless tires i.e., wheels which have
safety humps or ledges.
It is recommended that you have your tires and wheels balanced. Tires
and wheels which are not balanced may cause steering difficulties, a
bumpy ride, and irregular tire wear.
Be sure that all your valves have suitable valve caps. The valve cap is
the primary seal against air loss.
SERVICE LIFE FOR PASSENGER CAR AND LIGHT TRUCK
TIRES INCLUDING SPARE TIRES
The following recommendation applies to passenger car and light truck
tires. Tires are composed of various types of material and rubber
compounds, having performance properties essential to the proper
functioning of the tire itself. These component properties evolve over
time. For each tire, this evolution depends upon many factors such as
weather, storage conditions, and conditions of use (load, speed, inflation
pressure, maintenance etc.) to which the tire is subjected throughout its
life. This service-related evolution varies widely so that accurately
predicting the serviceable life of any specific tire in advance is not
possible.
That it is why, in addition to regular inspections and inflation pressure
maintenance by consumers, it is recommended to have passenger car and
light truck tires, including spare tires, inspected regularly by a qualified
tire specialist, such as a tire dealer, who will assess the tire’s suitability for
continued service. Tires which have been in use for 5 years or more
should continue to be inspected by a specialist at least annually.
Consumers are strongly encouraged to be aware not only of their tires’
visual condition and inflation pressure but also of any change in dynamic
performance such as increased air loss, noise or vibration, which could be
an indication that the tires need to be removed from service to prevent
tire failure.
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TIRE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING
WARNING!
It is not often that a properly maintained tire will “blow out” while
you are driving. More commonly, if inflation pressure is lost, it will
be gradual. If you do experience a blowout or sudden tire failure,
the following information should be helpful:
•When the failure occurs, you may hear a loud noise, feel a
vibration, and/or the vehicle may pull toward the side of the failed
tire.
• DO NOT abruptly brake or turn.
• Slowly remove your foot from the accelerator, hold the steering
wheel firmly, and steer to maintain your lane position.
• Once the vehicle has slowed, apply the brakes gently.
• Gradually pull over to the shoulder and come to a stop, as far off
the road as possible.
TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE
Tires need proper inflation pressure to operate effectively and perform as
intended. Tires carry the vehicle, passenger, and cargo loads and transmit
the braking, acceleration, and turning forces. The vehicle manufacturer
recommends the inflation pressures for the tires mounted on your
vehicle.
WARNING!
Driving on tires with improper inflation pressure is dangerous.
•Underinflation causes excessive tire heat build-up and internal
structural damage.
• 0 W F S J O G M B U J P O makes it more likely for tires to be cut, punctured,
or broken by sudden impact.
BRIDGESTONE® - FIRESTONE®
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WARNING!
Falken does not recommend the use of mixing different speed
ratings on a vehicle. This can cause poor handling and
unpredictable steering.
HIGH PERFORMANCE, LOW ASPECT RATIO TIRES
Various new vehicles come equipped with high performance and/or low
aspect ratio tires from the factory. These tires generally provide increased
vehicle handling characteristics, but may also have engineering perfor-
mance trade-offs related with their designs. Low aspect ratio tires have
reduced sidewall heights and may be more vulnerable to damage from
road hazards, potholes, and other objects, like curbs. Your vehicle’s
wheels are susceptible to these same dangers as well. Some vehicles may
be originally equipped with high performance tires that are designed for
warmer weather use reducing traction in colder, winter weather condi-
tions. High performance tires also pose the possibility of wearing more
quickly, giving a stiffer ride, and producing louder noise than standard
all-season tires during operation. Refer to your vehicle owner ’s manual,
tire information placard,
WINTER TIRES
Falken recommends all four tires be replaced when replacing your
original equipment tires and installing winter tires for the winter months.
WARNING!
Never use just two winter tires. It could lead to adverse handling,
loss of control, which could cause serious injury or death.
FA L K E N TIRE CORPORATION
TIRE SPEED RATINGS
Falken recommends replacing your tire(s) with the same speed rating as
the original tires equipped on your vehicle.
It is okay to use a lower speed rated tire when using tires.
However, speeds should be reduced to match the tires new “maximum”
speed capability.
Any tire that is repaired, damaged, abused, altered from its original state
or retreaded voids the speed rating on that particular tire and should be
considered a non-speed rated tire.
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CONTROLLABILITY
Controlling a vehicle when a tire failure occurs
If a tire failure occurs, you may hear a loud noise, feel a vibration, and/or
the vehicle may pull toward the side of the failed tire. If possible, step on
the accelerator momentarily to maintain forward momentum and ensure
vehicle control. It is most important that you DO NOT BRAKE OR
ABRUPTLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. Slowly remove your foot
from the accelerator and hold the steering wheel firmly while steering to
remain in your lane. Once the vehicle has slowed and is fully under
control, apply the brakes gently; safely pull over to the shoulder and
come to a stop. Inspect the tires. If one or more looks flat or low, shows
detachment or other damage, remove tire assembly and replace it with a
properly inflated spare. Bumps or bulges may indicate detachment
within the tire body and require inspection by a qualified tire technician.
DRIVING ON ANY TIRE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE CORRECT
INFLATION PRESSURE IS DANGEROUS
Any underinflated tire builds up excessive heat that may result in sudden
tire destruction. If tires are supplied as original equipment, refer to the
tire decal on the vehicle (check vehicle and/or vehicle owner ’s manual
for decal location) for the recommended operating pressures. For replace-
ment tires, the correct inflation pressure will be provided by your tire
retailer; if not, refer to the vehicle decal.
These inflation pressures must be maintained as a minimum. However,
do not exceed the maximum pressure rating indicated on the tire
sidewall.
SELF-SUPPORTING TIRES. ZERO PRESSURE (ZP) TIRES, AND PAX
SYSTEM TIRES, AT LOW OR ZERO AIR PRESSURE
The handling characteristics of a vehicle with a deflated PAX System tire
or Self- Supporting Zero Pressure (ZP) tire (whether front or rear) are not
the same as those of a vehicle with normally inflated tires. Avoid high
speeds and hard cornering whenever a low pressure warning is acti-
vated.
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safety humps or ledges. As with any other tire air valve, the PAX®
System valve stem-pressure sensor combination must be in good
condition to assure its performance. Always utilize valve caps capable
of containing the tire’s air pressure, should the valve core leak. The
valve cap is the primary seal against air loss.
It is recommended that you have your tires and wheels balanced. Tires
and wheels which are not balanced may cause steering difficulties, a
bumpy ride, and irregular tire wear.
SPECIAL MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAX® SYSTEM
TIRES
PAX System wheels are different from all other wheels. Never attempt to
mount a non-PAX System tire on a PAX System wheel, or a PAX® System
tire on a non-PAX System wheel. Attempting to do so could cause serious
injury or death. All PAX System components (tire, wheel, support ring,
pressure sensor and gel) must be utilized. Never utilize a PAX System tire
and wheel without every other properly functioning component part,
correctly installed by an Authorized PAX System retailer. The PAX
System must be used on all wheel positions.
After a low or zero pressure driving event, the PAX System tire and wheel
may be hot to the touch.Always allow a PAX® System tire to cool
before attempting to handle it. Failure to do so could result in injury.
SPECIAL MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR SELF-SUPPORTING
ZERO PRESSURE™ (ZP) TIRES
ZP tires can be more difficult to mount than conventional tires. They
should be mounted and demounted only by a properly trained tire
professional. ZP tires can generate a tremendous amount of heat when
run at low or zero pressure. ALWAYS ALLOW A ZP TIRE TO COOL
BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO HANDLE IT. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD
RESULT IN INJURY.
MICHELIN® ZP tires are tubeless tires designed to operate in emergency
conditions at low or zero air pressure.
MICHELIN® SELF SUPPORTING Zero Pressure (ZP) TIRES AND
SPECIAL SH-M (SYMMETRIC HUMP-MODIFIED) WHEELS
Some MICHELIN® ZP tires can only perform with zero pressure
capability when mounted on special SH-M wheels. These tires bear the
SH-M designation immediately following the ZP designation on the
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