Tires and wheels -
-----------------------------
•
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating <letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h) =>
page 338. You may not find this informa -
tion on all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire
sidewall and indicates the maximum permissible road speeds =>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 341.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires
are underinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell-
tale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling 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
=> page 335, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire 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 miles (kilometers) or perform in a certain way.
It simply gives tire buyers additional information to combine with
other considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recom-
mendations . Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufac-
turers in three areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resis -
tance . The UTQG information on the tires, molded into the
sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire'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 manufac-
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2207 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22th week of 2007. The
other numbers are marketing 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 total seating capacity as listed on the label
located either on the driver's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by dis trib-
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by dis trib-
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below =>
page 328) and dividing by two. ..,.
Vehicle care
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