User Guide

Important Safety Warning
Replace Fewer than Four Tires: Whether your vehicle is front-,
rear-, or all-wheel drive, if your rear tires lose traction because of
hydroplaning on a wet road, an oversteer skidding condition may
result and lead to loss of control, particularly in a turn. Generally,
new tires provide increased resistance to hydroplaning due to
their full tread depth. With the new tires on the rear, oversteer
skidding condition may be more easily avoided.
Therefore, if replacing only one or two tires at a time:
• Two new tires should be placed on the rear axle.
• One new tire should be paired with another tire from the vehicle
with the deepest tread depth, and then both should be placed
on the rear axle.
• Additional or alternate recommendations may apply for some
vehicles. Always refer to and follow the vehicle manufacturer’s
tire replacement and tire application recommendations; consult
your vehicle owner’s manual and tire information placard.
SERVICE LIFE OF A TIRE
There is no hard and fast rule to measure service life of a tire. Tires
are made with various types of raw materials and a variety of
rubber compounds all having varying performance properties.
Once a tire is designed and manufactured to achieve given
performance property and put into use, it is still subjected to
varying conditions such as weather, storage, and still further
varying use conditions such as load, speed, inflation pressure,
maintenance and road condition. Since all these factors affect the
service life of a tire, it just is not possible to predict with accuracy
or scientific validity service life of a tire.
Tires unquestionably degrade over time, whether in use or not in
use. Some tire and vehicle manufacturers published warnings to
consumers of their products to the effect that tires should be
replaced after six years of manufacture. Certain industry
organizations issued statements concurring with six year service
life for tires. Depending on severity of adverse use conditions or
non-use, many tires degrade fast enough to require replacement
before 6 years of service life. Others in perfectly favorable use
conditions may enjoy service life of more than six years.
General Recommendations
The following recommendations are intended to give consumers
some idea concerning service life of a tire. Hankook always insists
and mandates that consumers properly maintain and periodically
inspect their tires. Even if a consumer properly maintains and
periodically inspects the tire, most tires will require replacement
before 10 years of manufacture regardless of tread-wear. It is
recommended that tires in service 10 years or more from the date
of manufacture must be replaced even if it was never used. Date
of manufacture can be determined by reading the Department of
Transportation (DOT) code on the sidewall. The entire code will be
printed on outbound side of the tire. The DOT code will end with
the week and year of manufacture. For example, a tire with DOT
code reading 1GFN AVN 1408, was manufactured during the 14th
week of 2008. Consumers must regularly have tires inspected by
qualified tire dealers throughout its life. Furthermore, tires that
are over five years of age should be inspected at least twice a year
and more frequently if the use is heavy.
Consumers must always be vigilant of their tires performance,
condition, inflation pressure, and any other issues that could affect
the life of a tire.
Consumers must properly maintain, including proper inflation
pressures, and periodically inspect your tires. Failure to do so
might result in separation or performance loss resulting in vehicle
damage, injury or even death.
For original equipment tires, acquired when purchasing a new
vehicle, consumers should follow all of the vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
TIRE REGISTRATION
Registration of your tires is an important safety precaution since
it enables the manufacturer to notify you in the event of a recall.
When you purchase replacement tires, the retailer will provide a
registration card on which the tire identification numbers have
been recorded; fill in your name and address on the card and mail
it promptly. Some retailers may submit the registration for you.
You do not need to register tires which come as original equipment
on new vehicles—the vehicle and tire manufacturers handle that
for you.
Sample Tire Registration Card
TIRE ROTATION
For safety and maximizing tire life, rotate your tires at least every
7,500 miles or at the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended
mileage, if sooner. Each tire pressure must be checked after
rotation and adjusted to the vehicle recommendation for the tire’s
new location on the vehicle. If irregular wear is evident, vehicle
alignment or other mechanical problem should be checked.
*Tire Rotation variation patterns; refer to proper pattern for
asymmetrical, directional tires
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
The vehicle center line of the chassis/body is found by measuring
in equal distance from both sides of the vehicle. The geometric
center line is something a little different. It is determined by the
midpoint between the front wheels and rear wheels. If the wheels
or axles are not offset to one side, the geometric center line and
vehicle center line will be identical. Should the front wheels or rear
axle be slightly off center, however, the geometric center line will
be at an angle to the vehicle center line. When the two lines do not
coincide, tracking problems result. The rear wheels will not follow
the front wheels because one set of wheels is offset from true
center.
The third line we must deal with is the thrust line. This imaginary
line also runs the length of the vehicle, and is determined by the
total toe of the rear wheels. The thrust line divides the total toe in
half. If toe for both rear wheels is zero (which is where it should
be), the thrust line would be 90 degrees to the rear axle right up
the center of the car.
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