Owner's Manual
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
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.
Temperature
--
A,
B,
C
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.
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