• Vehicle dr ift
For proper tire pressure specifica tion r efer to the
Tire Infla tion Pressur e Cha rt provided with t he vehi-
cles Owner s Manual. A Cert ifica tion Label on the
dr iver s side door pillar provides the m inimum tire
and rim size for t he vehicle. Th e label a lso list the
cold in flation pressur e for th ese tires at full loa d
operat ion
Tire pressu res h ave been chosen to provide sa fe
operat ion, veh icle stability, an d a smooth ride. Tire
pr essu re should be ch ecked cold on ce a m onth. Tire
pr essu re decr eases a s the ambient temper atu re
dr ops. Check t ire pressure frequen tly wh en am bient
temperature varies widely.
Tire inflation pressures are cold in flation pressure.
The vehicle must sit for at least 3 hou rs to obt ain the
correct cold inflation pressure r eadin g. Or be dr iven
less th an one mile after sitt ing for 3 hours. Tir e
inflation pressures m ay increa se fr om 2 to 6 poun ds
per squa re inch (psi) during opera tion. Do not reduce
this normal pressu re build-up.
WARNING: OVER OR UNDER INFLATED TIRES CAN
AFFECT VEHICLE HANDLING AND TREAD WEAR.
THIS MAY CAUSE THE TIRE TO FAIL SUDDENLY,
RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
DI AGN OSI S AN D T EST I N G
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - PRESSURE
GAUGES
A quality air pr essu re gauge is recommen ded to
check tir e pressu re. After ch ecking the air pressu re,
repla ce valve ca p finger tight.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - TIRE NOISE OR
VIBRATION
Radia l-ply tir es ar e sensitive to force impu lses
caused by improper m ounting, vibration , wheel
defects, or possibly tire imbalance.
To find ou t if tires are causin g th e noise or vibra -
tion, drive t he vehicle over a smoot h roa d at varying
speeds. Note the noise level du ring acceleration and
deceler ation. The en gine, different ial a nd exhaust
noises will change as speed varies, while the t ire
noise will usua lly rem ain constant.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - TREAD WEAR
INDICATORS
Tread wear indica tors are molded in to the bottom
of th e trea d grooves. When tr ead depth is 1.6 m m
(1/16 in.), the tr ead wea r indicators will appea r as a
13 mm (1/2 in.) band (F ig. 14).
Tire replacem ent is necessa ry when indicator s
appear in two or more gr ooves or if localized balding
occurs.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - TIRE WEAR PAT-
TERNS
Under inflation will cause wea r on t he shoulders of
tire. Over infla tion will cause wear at the center of
tire.
Excessive camber causes th e tire to run at an
angle t o the road. One side of t read is then worn
more t han the other (F ig. 15).
Excessive toe-in or toe-ou t cau ses wear on th e
trea d edges an d a feathered effect a cross the trea d
(Fig. 15).
Fig. 14 Tread Wear Indicators
1 - TREAD ACCEPTABLE
2 - TREAD UNACCEPTABLE
3 - WEAR INDICATOR
VA TIRES/WHEELS 22 - 9
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