190 T ire s and w heel s
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo-
ry." Old used tires may have been dam-
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of R t ron ic, powe r stee ring, powe r brakes,
power w indows , power sea ts , rad io, a nd hea t-
e r, to the extent that these it ems are available
as facto ry-installed equipment (whether in-
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the heigh t to the w idt h of
the tir e in percen t . Numbers of 55 or lower in-
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved st eer ing re-
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he pa rt of the t ire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped o r reinforce d by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the
tire .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means t he tire pressure recommended by the
ve hicle manufacture r for a tire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
is measu red or adjusted.
- If you notice un usua l vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driving, a l-
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam-
age.
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor vehicle with
standard equipment includ ing the max imum
capa city of fuel, oil, and coolant, a ir cond i-
tion ing a nd addi t ional weig ht of option al
equipmen t.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at highe r inflat ion press ures tha n
the cor responding standard t ire . Extr a load
t ires my be ident ified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on t he sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carry ing capacity of a s ingle
axle system , measured at the tire-ground in-
te rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code)
me a ns t he maximum load that a ti re is rated
to carry fo r a given inflation press ure. You
may not find this information on all tires be-
cause it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me a ns t he load rati ng for a t ire at t he maxi-
mum perm issib le inflation pressure for that
ti re.
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