2021 DODGE DURANGO traction control

TIRES
17
Tire Types
All Season Tires — If Equipped
All season tires provide traction for all seasons (Spring, Summer,
Au
tumn, and Winter). Traction levels may vary between different all
season tires. All season tires can be identified by the M+S, M&S, M/S
or MS designation on the tire sidewall. Use all season tires only in sets
of four; failure to do so may adversely affect the safety and handling
of your vehicle.
Summer Or Three Season Tires — If Equipped
Summer tires provide traction in both wet and dry conditions, and are
no
t intended to be driven in snow or on ice. If your vehicle is equipped
with summer tires, be aware these tires are not designed for winter or
cold driving conditions. Install winter tires on your vehicle when
ambient temperatures are less than 40°F (5°C) or if roads are covered
with ice or snow. For more information, contact an authorized dealer.
Summer tires do not contain the all season designation or mountain/
sn
owflake symbol on the tire sidewall. Use summer tires only in sets
of four; failure to do so may adversely affect the safety and handling
of your vehicle.
Snow Tires
Some areas of the country require the use of snow tires during the
w i

nter. Snow tires can be identified by a “mountain/snowflake”
symbol on the tire sidewall.

If you need snow tires, select tires equivalent in size and
type to the original equipment tires. Use snow tires only
in
sets of four; failure to do so may adversely affect the
safety and handling of your vehicle.

Snow tires generally have lower speed ratings than
wh
at was originally equipped with your vehicle and
should not be operated at sustained speeds over 75 mph (120 km/h).
WARNING!
Do not use Summer tires in snow/ice conditions. You could lose
ve
hicle control, resulting in severe injury or death. Driving too
fast for conditions also creates the possibility of loss of vehicle
control.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADES
21
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM TIRE
QUALITY GRADES
The following tire grading categories were established by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The specific grade rating
assigned by the tire's manufacturer in each category is shown on the
sidewall of the tires on your vehicle.
All passenger vehicle tires must conform to federal safety
re
quirements in addition to these grades.
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 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.
Traction Grades
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These
gr
ades 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.
WARNING!
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
br
aking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.

BFGOODRICH® TIRES
31
TIRE SPINNING
Do not spin wheels in excess of 35 mph (55 km/h) as indicated on the
sp

eedometer. Excessive speed in a free-running, unloaded tire can
cause it to “explode” from centrifugal force. The energy released by
such an explosion is sufficient to cause serious physical injury or
death. Never allow anyone to stand near or behind the spinning tire.
When in mud, sand, snow, ice or other slippery conditions, do not
en
gage in excessive wheel spin. Accelerating the motor excessively,
particularly with automatic transmission vehicles, may cause a drive
tire that has lost traction to spin beyond its speed capability. This is
also true when balancing a drive tire/wheel assembly on the vehicle
using the vehicle engine to spin the tire/wheel assembly.
HIGH SPEED DRIVING CAN BE DANGEROUS
Correct inflation pressure is especially important. H
owever, at high
speeds, even with the correct inflation pressure, a road hazard, for
example is more difficult to avoid and if contact is made, has a greater
chance of causing tire damage than at a lower speed. Moreover,
driving at high speed reduces the reaction time available to avoid
accidents and bring your vehicle to a safe stop.
If you see any damage to a tire or wheel, replace it with the spare at
on
ce and visit a participating BFGoodrich® Tire Retailer.
Exceeding the maximum speeds shown on the following page for each
ty
pe of BFGoodrich® tire will cause the tire to build up excessive heat
which can cause tire damage that could result in sudden tire
destruction and rapid air loss. Failure to control a vehicle when one or
more tires experience a sudden air loss can lead to an accident.
In any case, you should not exceed reasonable speeds as indicated
by
the legal limits and driving conditions.

BRIDGESTONE® - FIRESTONE®
63
HIGH PERFORMANCE, LOW ASPECT RATIO TIRES
Many new vehicles come equipped from the factory with high
pe
rformance and/or low aspect ratio tires. Generally, these tires
provide increased vehicle handling capability, but may also have
numerous engineering performance trade-offs associated with their
designs.
• Low aspect ratio tires, with reduced sidewall height, may be more
s
usceptible to damage from potholes, road hazards, and other
objects such as curbs. This is true for the wheels as well. Therefore,
as with all other tires, it is important to drive with care and maintain
proper inflation pressure and load conditions. See “Tire Inflation
Pressure” and “Tire Damage, Inspection and Service Life” in this
manual.
• Some sports cars and other handling performance enhanced vehi -
c
les, including sedans and light trucks/SUVs, may be originally
eq
uipped with high performance tires that are more optimized for
warmer weather use. Colder, winter weather traction may be
reduced for these types of tires. Winter tires may be recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer for colder weather application. See
“Winter Tires,” the next section in this manual.
• High performance tires may also wear more quickly, ride more
f
irmly, and produce more noise during operation.
Consult your vehicle Owner’s Manual and tire information placard, or
a
qualified tire service professional, for more information and
specifics regarding these types of tires.
WINTER TIRES
In Winter driving conditions, vehicle control and safe operation under
b r

aking and cornering is especially dependent upon the rear tires. For
this reason, Winter tires are best applied to all wheel positions. Some
WARNING!
Winter driving presents special challenges for vehicle mobility.
Th
e use of winter tires (including studs and chains)—while
improving traction performance in snow and ice—requires special
care with regard to acceleration, braking, cornering, and speed. It
is important to drive with care, not only on snow and ice, but on
dry and wet roads as well.

BRIDGESTONE® - FIRESTONE®
78
Ply Composition and Materials: The actual number of plies in the
sidewall and tread area and the generic name(s) of their cord
material(s) are marked on at least one sidewall. For example:
• TREAD 2 PLY POLYESTER + 2 STEEL
•

SIDEWALL 2 PLY POLYESTER
R
adial: Radial ply tires will have the word "radial" on at least one
s
idewall. An “R” in the tire size designation also indicates radial ply
construction.
Tubeless or Tube Type: T
ires are marked as either “tubeless” or “tube
type,” whichever is applicable, on at least one sidewall.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (“UTQG”) standards are intended
to
assist you in making an informed choice in your purchase of
passenger car tires by providing information indicating relative
performance of these tires in the areas of tread wear, wet braking
traction (straight-ahead), and temperature resistance. All passenger
car tires must conform to federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
th
e 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 1/2) 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 variation in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
gr
ades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete.

NOTE:

The traction grade assigned to a tire is based on straight-ahead
br
aking traction tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.

FALKEN TIRE CORPORATION
99
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 Winter tires.
Ho
wever, speeds should be reduced to match the tires new
“maximum” speed capability.
Any tire that is repaired, damaged, abused, altered from its original
st
ate or retreaded voids the speed rating on that particular tire and
should be considered a non-speed rated tire.
HIGH PERFORMANCE, LOW ASPECT RATIO TIRES
Various new vehicles come equipped with high performance and/or
lo
w aspect ratio tires from the factory. These tires generally provide
increased vehicle handling characteristics, but may also have
engineering performance 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 conditions. 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, or qualified tire service professional for more information
about these kinds of tires.
WINTER TIRES

Falken recommends all four tires be replaced when replacing your
o r

iginal equipment tires and installing winter tires for the winter months.

WARNING!
Falken does not recommend the use of mixing different speed
ra
tings on a vehicle. This can cause poor handling and
unpredictable steering.
WARNING!
Never use just two winter tires. It could lead to adverse handling,
lo
ss of control, which could cause serious injury or death.

FALKEN TIRE CORPORATION
106
MAX LOAD AND INFLATION
The maximum load and inflation pressure are marked on the tire
si
dewall in english and metric units.
PLY COMPOSITION AND MATERIALS
The number of plies and their generic composition of cord materials in
th
e sidewall and tread areas can be found on at least one sidewall of a
tire.
RADIAL MARKING
A radial ply tire will have the word “radial” marked on at least one
si
dewall. An “R” found in the tire size marking also refers to the tire
being a radial ply tire.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING SYSTEM (UTQG)
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQG) were created to
he
lp you make an informed decision when purchasing passenger car
tires by providing relative information about a tire’s treadwear,
traction, and temperature characteristics. Here is a breakdown of the
different categories that the UTQG grades:
TREAD WEAR
The tread wear 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 a half (1½) 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.
TRACTION
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA
, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specific government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.

FALKEN TIRE CORPORATION
107
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 or on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce in 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.109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than minimum required by law.
WARNING!
The traction grades assigned to this tire is based on straight ahead
br
aking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
WARNING!
The temperature grade for each tie is established for a tire that is
pr
operly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
under-inflation, or excessive loading either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.