Treadwear
Temperature
--
A,
B,
C
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
a
half
(1
1/2)
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 variations
in
driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
--
A,
B,
C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
A,
B,
and
C,
and they represent 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 performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned
to
this tire is based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
The temperature grades are
A
(the highest),
B,
and
C,
representing the tire's resistance
to
the generation of
heat and its ability
to
dissipate heat
when
tested under
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
corresponds
to
a
level of
performance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No.
109.
Grades
B
and
A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum
required
by
law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for
a
tire that
is
properly inflated and
not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive
loading,
either separately or
in
combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
6-41
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