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184
T i re s and w heel s
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of t heir "previous histo-
ry." Old used tires may have been dam-
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of R t ron ic, powe r stee ring, powe r brakes,
power w indows, power sea t s, rad io, and hea t-
e r, to the extent that these it ems are available
as facto ry-installed equipment (whether in-
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idt h of
the ti re in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in-
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved st eer ing re -
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he part of the t ire that is made of
steel wires, wra pped o r reinforce d by p ly cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between
compo nents in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means t he tire pressure recommended
by the
ve hicle manufacturer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
is measu red or adjusted.
- If you notice un usual vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l-
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam-
age.
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor vehicle w it h
standard equipment includ ing the max imum
capa city of fuel, oil, and coolant, a ir cond i-
ti on ing a nd additional weig ht of option al
equipmen t.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at highe r inflat ion press ur es tha n
the cor responding standard t ire. Extr a load
t i res my be ident ified as "XL" , "xl", "EXTRA
LO AD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carry ing capacity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum tota l loaded we ight of
the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rat ing (code)
me a ns t he maximum load that a ti re is rated
to carry fo r a given inflation press ure. You
may not fi nd this information on all tires be-
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me a ns t he load rati ng fo r a t ire at t he m axi-
mum perm issib le inflation pressure for that
ti re.
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