Tire Information
397
Consumer Information and Reporting Safety Defects13
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The vehicle placard shows original
tire size, recommended cold tire
inflation pressure on each tire at
maximum loaded vehicle weight,
seating capacity and loading infor-
mation.
▼Adverse safety consequences
of under-inflation
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to flex severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp
increase in temperature could
cause tread separation, and failure
of the tire(s). Possible resulting loss
of vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
▼ Measuring and adjusting air
pressure to achieve proper
inflation
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month and
before any long journey. Check the
tire pressures when the tires are
cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the
specific values. Driving even a short
distance warms up the tires and
increases the tire pressures. Also,
the tire pressures are affected by
the outside temperature. It is best to
check tire pressure outdoors before
driving the vehicle. When a tire
becomes warm, t
he air inside it
expands, causing the tire pressure
to increase. Be careful not to
mistakenly release air from a warm
tire to reduce its pressure.
■ Glossary of Tire TerminologyAccessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be
replaced) of automatic transmis-
sion, power steering, power brakes,
power windows, power seats, radio,
and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-
installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Bead
The part of the tire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit
the rim.
Bead separation
A breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Bias ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at alternate an gles substantially
less than 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
Carcass
The tire structure, except tread and
sidewall rubber which, when
inflated, bears the load.
Chunking
The breaking away of pieces of the
tread or sidewall.
Cold tire pressure
The pressure in a tire that has been
driven less than 1 mile or has been
standing for three hours or more.
Cord
The strands forming the plies in the
tire.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
406Suspension, bearings, axles and
other parts of the body could break
or experience accelerated wear that
will shorten vehicle life.
Tires could fail.
Tread separation could occur.
Tire could separate from its rim.■ Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit1. Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg
or XXX lbs.” on your vehicle’s
placard.
2. Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the “
XXX
” amount equals
1,400 lbs (635 kg) and there will be
five 150 lbs (68 kg) passengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs (1,400
− 750 (5 ×
150) = 650 lbs).
5. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
13-3. Uniform Tire Quality Grading StandardsThis information i ndicates the rela-
tive performance of passenger car
tires in the area of treadwear, trac-
tion, and temperature resistance.
This is to aid the consumer in
making an informed choice in the
purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
TREADWEAR 200 TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
The quality grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on
passenger cars. However, they do
not apply to deep tread, winter type
snow tires, space-saver or tempo-
rary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 12 inches
or less, or to some limited produc-
tion tires.
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