All About Wheels And Tires; Overview - Mercedes-Benz 2016 SLK Operator's Manual

All about wheels and tires

322
Step 3
Permissible
load (maxi-
mum gross
vehicle weight
rating from
the Tire and
Loading Infor-
mation plac-
ard minus the
gross weight
of all occu-
pants)
Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total cargo
carefully, you should still make sure that the
gross vehicle weight rating and the gross axle
weight rating are not exceeded. Details can
be found on the vehicle identification plate on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle
( page 319).
Y
Permissible gross vehicle weight: the
gross weight of the vehicle, all passengers
and the load must not exceed the permissible
gross vehicle weight.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): the
maximum permissible weight that can be car-
ried by one axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed
the maximum permissible values (gross vehi-
cle weight and maximum gross axle weight
rating), have your loaded vehicle (including
driver, occupants and the load) weighed on a
suitable vehicle weighbridge.
Example 1 Example 2
1500 lbs 1500 lbs
(680 kg) Ò (680 kg) Ò
175 lbs 370 lbs
(80 kg) = (168 kg) =
1325 lbs 1130 lbs
(600 kg) (512 kg)
All about wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are
U.S. government specifications. Their pur-
pose is to provide drivers with uniform relia-
ble information on tire performance data. Tire
manufacturers have to grade tires using three
performance factors: treadwear grade :,
traction grade ; and temperature grade =.
These regulations do not apply to Canada.
Nevertheless, all tires sold in North America
are provided with the corresponding quality
grading markings on the sidewall of the tire.
Where applicable, the tire grading informa-
tion can be found on the tire sidewall between
the tread shoulder and maximum tire width.
Example:
Treadwear grade: 200
R
Traction grade: AA
R
Temperature grade: A
R
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
i
The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.