516
9-1. Specifications
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure.
ment test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
Grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
braking (straight ahead) traction
tests and does not include corner-
ing (turning) traction.
Grades B and A represent higher
levels of performance on the labo-
ratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
I
Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C, repre-
senting the tire’s resistance to
the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor labo-
ratory test wheel.
Warning: The temperature grades
of a tire assume that it is properly
inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fail-
ure.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to
Glossary of tire terminology
Tire related term
Meaning
Tire pressure when the vehicle has been
parked for three hours or more, or has not
been driven more than 1 mile or 1.5 km
under that condition
Cold tire inflation pressure
Maximum inflation pressure
The maximum cold inflated pressure to
which a tire may be inflated, shown on the
sidewall of the tire
Recommended inflation pres- Cold tire inflation pressure recommended
sure by a manufacturer