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Tires and wheels
201
Tread
means that port ion of a tire t hat comes into
contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the tread from the tire
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal
grooves designed to give a visual indication of
the degrees of wear of the tread. See
c:>
page 207, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
for
more informat ion on measuring t ire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires. The UTQG is not a safety rating and not a
guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed
number of mi les or per form in a certain way.
It simply gives tire buyers additional informa-
tion to combine with other considerations,
such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recom-
mendations. Under UTQG, tires are graded by
the tire manufacturers
in three areas: tread-
wear, traction and temperature
resistance.
The UTQG information on the tires, molded in-
to the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the t ire's "serial number"
It
begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured,
and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT ... 2211 .. .
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd
week of 2011. The other numbers are market-
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
tire manufacturer . This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the vehicle's to-
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo-
cated on the driver's side B-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that loa d on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in
accordance with tab le below
c:>
page 201)
and dividing by two.
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants
4
Vehicle normal load, number
Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants
_____
mally loaded vehicle
2
2 in front
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