When To Replace Your Vehicle’s Tires; Tire Life; Maximum Load Of Tire; Tire Types - Lexus LS500 Owner's Manual

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6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
When to replace your vehicle's tires
■
Tires should be replaced if:
● The treadwear indicators are showing on
a tire.
You have tire damage such as cuts, splits,
●
cracks deep enough to expose the fabric,
and bulges indicating internal damage
● A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be
properly repaired due to the size or loca-
tion of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Lexus
dealer.
■

Tire life

Any tire over 6 years old must be checked
by a qualified technician even if it has sel-
dom or never been used or damage is not
obvious.

Maximum load of tire

■
Check that the maximum load of the
replacement tire is greater than 1/2 of the
Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of
either the front axle or the rear axle, which-
ever is greater.
For the GAWR, see the Certification Label.
For the maximum load of the tire, see the
load limit at maximum cold tire inflation
pressure mentioned on the sidewall of the
tire. (→P.472)
■

Tire types

Summer tires
●
Summer tires are high-speed performance
tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions. Since summer tires do not
have the same traction performance as
snow tires, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy roads. For
driving on snow-covered roads or icy
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U)
roads, the use of snow tires is recom-
mended. When installing snow tires, be
sure to replace all four tires.
All season tires
●
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions as well
as for use year-round. All season tires,
however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in
heavy or loose snow. Also, all season tires
fall short in acceleration and handling per-
formance compared with summer tires in
highway driving.
● Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy
roads, we recommend using snow tires. If
you need snow tires, select tires of the
same size, construction and load capacity
as the originally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equip-
ment, make sure your snow tires also have
radial construction. Do not install studded
tires without first checking local regula-
tions for possible restrictions. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels.
(→P.309)
If the tread on snow tires wears down
■
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.
WARNING
■ When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drive train as well as danger-
ous handling characteristics, which may
lead to an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.