Maintenance9-44
Traction
The friction between the tire and the
road surface. The amount of grip
provided.
Tread
The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
“wear bars”, that show across the
tread of a tire when only 1/16 inch of
tread remains.
UTQGS
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards is a tire information system
that provides consumers with ratings
for a tire’s traction, temperature and
treadwear. Ratings are determined by
tire manufacturers using government
testing procedures. The ratings are
molded into the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle Capacity Weight
The number of designated seating
positions multiplied by 150 lbs. (68
kg) plus the rated cargo and luggage
load.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire
Load on an individual tire due to curb
and accessory weight plus maximum
occupant and cargo weight.
Vehicle Normal Load on the Tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the curb weight,
accessory weight, and normal
occupant weight and dividing by 2.
Vehicle Placard
A label permanently attached
to a vehicle showing the
original equipment tire size and
recommended inflation pressure.All Season Tires
HYUNDAI specifies all season
tires on some models to provide
good performance for use all year
round, including snowy and icy
road conditions. All season tires
are identified by ALL SEASON and/
or M+S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
sidewall. Snow tires have better
snow traction than all season tires
and may be more appropriate in
some areas.
Summer Tires
HYUNDAI specifies summer tires on
some models to provide superior
performance on dry roads. Summer
tire performance is substantially
reduced in snow and ice. Summer
tires do not have the tire traction
rating M+S (Mud and Snow) on
the tire side wall. If you plan to
operate your vehicle in snowy or icy
conditions, HYUNDAI recommends
the use of snow tires or all season
tires on all four wheels.
Snow Tires
If you equip your car with snow
tires, they should be the same size
and have the same load capacity as
the original tires. Snow tires should
be installed on all four wheels;
otherwise, poor handling may result.
Snow tires should carry 4 psi (28 kPa)
more air pressure than the pressure
recommended for the standard
tires on the tire label on the driver’s
side of the center pillar, or up to the
maximum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less. Do not
drive faster than 75 mph (120 km/h)
when your vehicle is equipped with
snow tires.
09
9-45
Radial-Ply Tires
Radial-ply tires provide improved
tread life, road hazard resistance
and smoother high speed ride. The
radial-ply tires used on this vehicle
are of belted construction, and are
selected to complement the ride
and handling characteristics of your
vehicle.
Radial-ply tires have the same load
carrying capacity, as bias-ply or
bias belted tires of the same size,
and use the same recommended
inflation pressure. Mixing of radial-
ply tires with bias-ply or bias belted
tires is not recommended. Any
combinations of radial-ply and bias-
ply or bias belted tires when used
on the same vehicle will seriously
deteriorate vehicle handling. The
best rule to follow is: Identical pairs
of radial-ply tires should always be
used as a set for the front tires and a
set for the rear tires.
Longer wearing tires can be more
susceptible to irregular tread wear.
It is very important to follow the tire
rotation interval in this chapter to
achieve the tread life potential of
these tires. Cuts and punctures in
radial-ply tires are repairable only in
the tread area, because of sidewall
flexing. Consult your tire dealer for
radial-ply tire repairs.
WARNING
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply
tires under any circumstances.
This may cause unusual handling
characteristics that may cause loss
of vehicle control resulting in an
accident.
Low Aspect Ratio Tires
(if equipped)
The aspect ratio is lower than 50 on
low aspect ratio tires.
Because low aspect ratio tires are
optimized for handling and braking,
their sidewall is a little stiffer than
a standard tire. Also low aspect
ratio tires tend to be wider and
consequently have a greater contact
patch with the road surface. In some
instances they may generate more
road noise compared with standard
tires.
