must never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating.
You can find the Gross Axle Weight Rating on the
B-pillar on the driver's side.
Speed rating: the speed rating is part of the tire
identification. It specifies the speed range for
which a tire is approved.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight): the Gross Vehicle
Weight comprises the weight of the vehicle includ-
ing fuel, tools, the spare wheel, any accessories
installed, occupants, luggage and the trailer nose-
weight if applicable. The Gross Vehicle Weight
must never exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-
ing (GVWR) specified on the B-pillar on the driver's
side.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): the GVWR is
the maximum permitted gross weight of the fully
laden vehicle (weight of the vehicle including all
accessories, occupants, fuel, luggage and the
trailer noseweight if applicable). The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating is specified on the vehicle identifica-
tion plate on the B-pillar on the driver's side.
Maximum weight of the laden vehicle: the maxi-
mum weight is the sum of the vehicle's curb
weight, weight of the accessories, maximum load
and the weight of optional equipment installed at
the factory.
Kilopascal (kPa): metric unit for tire pressure.
6.9 kPa are the equivalent of 1 psi. Another unit
for tire pressure is bar. 100 kilopascals (kPa) are
the equivalent of 1 bar.
Curb weight: the weight of a vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum capacity of fuel,
oil and coolant. It also includes the air-conditioning
system and optional equipment if these are instal-
led on the vehicle, but does not include passen-
gers or luggage.
Maximum tire load: the maximum tire load is the
maximum permissible weight in kilograms or lbs
for which a tire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure: maximum per-
missible tire pressure for one tire.
Maximum load on one tire: maximum load on one
tire. This is calculated by dividing the maximum
axle load for one axle by two.
PSI (pounds per square inch): standard unit of
measurement for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio: relationship between tire height and
tire width in percent.
Tire pressure: pressure inside the tire applying an
outward force to every square inch of the tire's
surface. The tire pressure is specified in pounds
per square inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa) or in bar.
The tire pressure should only be corrected when
the tires are cold.
Tire pressure on cold tires: the tires are cold when
the vehicle has been parked with the tires out of
direct sunlight for at least three hours and the
vehicle has been driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Tire contact surface: the part of the tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Tire bead: the purpose of the tire bead is to ensure
that the tire sits securely on the wheel rim. There
are several wire cores in the tire bead to prevent
the tire from changing length on the wheel rim.
Side wall: the part of the tire between the tread
and the tire bead.
Special equipment weight: the combined weight of
those optional extras that weigh more than the
replaced standard parts and more than 5 lbs
(2.3 kg). Special equipment, such as high-perform-
ance brakes, level control system, a roof luggage
rack or a high-performance battery, are not inclu-
ded in the curb weight and the weight of the
accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number): a unique identifi-
cation number which can be used by a tire manu-
facturer to identify tires, for example in a product
recall, and thus identify the purchasers. The TIN is
made up of the manufacturer identification code,
tire size, tire type code and the manufacturing
date.
Load-bearing index: the load-bearing index (also
load index) is a code that contains the maximum
load-bearing capacity of a tire.
Traction: traction is the result of friction between
the tires and the road surface.
Wear indicator: narrow bars (tread wear bars) that
are distributed over the tire contact surface. If the
tire tread is level with the bars, the wear limit of
1/16 in (1.6 mm) has been reached.
Distribution of vehicle occupants: distribution of
vehicle occupants over designated seat positions
in a vehicle.
Maximum permissible payload weight: nominal
load and luggage load plus 150 lbs (68 kg) multi-
plied by the number of seats in the vehicle.
Wheels and tires 257
