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Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the ti re side wa ll between tread shoulde r
and maximum section wid t h ¢ page 193,
fig. 151 .
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperatu re
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder-
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grad es.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a t ire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100 .
The relat ive perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv-
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B and C. Those grades represent the
tire's abil ity to stop on wet pavement as
measured unde r controlled cond it ions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire ma rked C may have poor
t ract ion perfo rmance¢ &. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, repr esenting the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability t o dissi-
Tire s an d wheel s
197
pate heat when tested under controlled condi -
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
whee l.
Sustaine d high temperature can cause the
mater ial of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive tempe rat ure can lead
to sudden tire f ailure ¢ &. .
The grade C correspon ds t o a level of perform -
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand-
ard No. 109 . Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum requ ired by law.
A
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accelerat ion,
cor neri ng, hydroplaning or peak t raction
characte rist ics.
A
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es-
tablishe d for a t ire that is properly inf lated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un-
derinflation, or excessive loading, eit her
separately or in combinat ion, can cause
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter or "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
fou r wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that are the same size and construction
type as the othe r ti res on you r vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the st andard tires . Howev-
er, we stro ngly recommend that you always
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