Tire Load Rating; Used; Ply Composition And Material Used; Rotation - Mercedes-Benz 2009 M-Class Operator's Manual

Operation
Tires and wheels
recall situations or other safety matters
concerning tires and gives purchasers the
means to easily identify such tires. The TIN is
comprised of "Manufacturer's identification
mark", "Tire size", "Tire type code" and "Date
of manufacture".

Tire load rating

Numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
Tire ply composition and material used
This indicates the number of plies or the
number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in
the tire tread and sidewall. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the ply
materials in the tire and sidewall, which
include steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
Tire speed rating
Part of tire designation; indicates the speed
range for which a tire is approved.

Total load limit

Rated cargo and luggage load plus
68 kilograms (150 lb) times the vehicle's
designated seating capacity.
268

Traction

Force exerted by the vehicle on the road via
the tires. The amount of grip provided.

Tread

The portion of a tire that comes into contact
with the road.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called "wear bars"
that show across the tread of a tire when only
1
/ in (1.6 mm) of tread remains.
16

TWR (Tongue Weight Rating)

Maximum permissible weight on trailer
tongue.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire's traction,
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using U.S.
government testing procedures. The ratings
are molded into the sidewall of the tire.

Vehicle maximum load on the tire

Load on an individual tire that is determined
by distributing to each axle its share of the
maximum loaded vehicle weight and dividing
it by two.
Rotating tires
G Warning!
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.
G Warning!
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque
of 110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle's rims.
Tire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all around.
If your vehicle is equipped with tires of the
same dimension all around, tires can be
rotated, observing a front-to-rear rotation
pattern that will maintain the intended