Wheel And Rim Safety - Blue Bird D3RE 2014 Driver's Handbook Manual

Wheel And Rim Safety

Wheels and wheel components must be properly maintained to avoid adverse ef-
fects on the life of the tire and/or wheel. An inflated tire is potentially very destruc-
tive. Careless handling and inexperience cause accidents. Safety literature can be ob-
tained from your wheel and rim distributor, a wheel and rim manufacturer, NHTSA,
or OSHA. If you have any questions, consult the distributor or manufacturer directly.
The load carrying requirements of each vehicle should also be determined before
selecting the proper tire/wheel combination. Always remember that the weakest
weight carrying component of the vehicle (i.e., the tires, wheels, axles, bearings, etc.)
determines the load carrying capacity for the vehicle.
[WARNING] Improper handling of wheels and rims has caused many injuries
and deaths. Failure to follow directions is the leading cause of such accidents.
Obtain procedures from wheel and rim manufacturer before working with a
wheel or rim.
The tire and wheel must always be properly matched. For example, do not
mount a 20-inch tire on a 22-1/2-inch wheel. Failure to strictly adhere to these
important instructions may result in an explosive separation and could cause
serious bodily injury or death. It is very important to determine the size of
each component before beginning any assembly operations.
When replacing tires, use the same size, load range, and construction type as
originally installed on the vehicle. When replacing wheels, use original equip-
ment manufacturer's wheels or equivalent available from your dealer with
equivalent capacity, width, offset, and mounting configuration as those origi-
nally installed on your vehicle. Use of improper replacement wheels and tires
may adversely affect ride, handling, load carrying capacity, bearing life, the
clearance to body and chassis components, vehicle ground clearance, vehicle
width, and brake cooling. Do not mix rim, lock ring, and wheel components
from different manufacturers.
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DRIVER'S HANDBOOK