Floe 500-95500-00 Owner's Manual page 18

Safety
Tire Safety
NExT NUMBER
This two-digit number, known as the aspect ratio,
gives the tire's ratio of height to width. Numbers
of 70 or lower indicate a short sidewall for im-
proved steering response and better overall han-
dling on dry pavement.
R
The "R" stands for radial. Radial ply construction
of tires has been the industry standard for the past
20 years.
NExT NUMBER
This two-digit number is the wheel or rim diam-
eter in inches. If you change your wheel size, you
will have to purchase new tires to match the new
wheel diameter.
NExT NUMBER
This two- or three-digit number is the tire's load
index. It is a measurement of how much weight
each tire can support. You may find this informa-
tion in your owner's manual. If not, contact a local
tire dealer. Note: You may not find this information
on all tires because it is not required by law.
M+S
The "M+S" or "M/S" indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability. Most radial tires
have these markings; hence, they have some mud
and snow capability.
Page 18
SPEED RATING
The speed rating denotes the speed at which a tire
is designed to be driven for extended periods of
time. The ratings range from 99 miles per hour
(mph) to 186 mph. These ratings are listed below.
Note: You may not find this information on all
tires because it is not required by law.
LETTER SPEED
SPEED
Q 99 mph
R 106 mph
S 112 mph
T 118 mph
U 124 mph
* For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph,
tire manufacturers sometimes use the letters ZR. For those
with a maximum speed capability over 186 mph, tire manu-
facturers always use the letters ZR.
U.S. DOT TIRE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
This begins with the letters "DOT" and indicates
that the tire meets all federal standards. The next
two numbers or letters are the plant code where
it was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year the tire was built.
For example, the numbers 3197 means the 31st
week of 1997. The other numbers are marketing
codes used at the manufacturer's discretion. This
information is used to contact consumers if a tire
defect requires a recall.
LETTER
H 130 mph
V 149 mph
W 168* mph
Y 186* mph