Information Contained On The Tire Sidewall; Information On “P” Type Tires - Mazda 2005 Tribute Owner's Manual

Tires, Wheels and Loading
WARNING: When a wheel is installed, always remove any
corrosion, dirt or foreign materials present on the mounting
surfaces of the wheel or the surface of the front disc brake hub
and rotor that contacts the wheel. Installing wheels without
correct metal-to-metal contact at the wheel mounting surfaces
can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to come off
while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss of control.

INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL

Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized
information on the sidewall of all tires. This information identifies and
describes the fundamental characteristics of the tire and also provides a
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number for safety standard certification and
in case of a recall.
Information on "P" type tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a
tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
1. P: Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be used for
service on cars, SUVs, minivans
and light trucks.
Note: If your tire size does not
begin with a letter this may mean it
is designated by either ETRTO
(European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
2. 215: Indicates the nominal width of the tire in millimeters from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the
wider the tire.
3. 65: Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire's ratio of height to
width.
4. R: Indicates a "radial" type tire.
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REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute (j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) (own2002),
Market: USA_English (fus)