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Technical data
Consumer information
The following text is published as re-
quired of all manufacturers of passenger
cars under Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal
Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the
"National Traffic and Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1966."
Quality grades can be found, where ap-
plicable, on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum section
width. For example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition
to these grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear 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 tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half (11/2) times as
well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to varia-
tions in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s re-
sistance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested un-
der controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade C corre-
sponds to a level of performance which
all passenger car tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the lab-
oratory test wheel than the minimum re-
quired by law.
Uniform tire quality grading
Treadwear Traction Temperature
200 AA A
Warning! G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Warning! G
The temperature grade for this tire is es-
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un-
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause ex-
cessive heat build-up and possible tire fail-
ure.
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