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TIRE ROTATION
Rotating tires from front to back and from side to side
can reduce irregular wear (for vehicles that have tires that
are all the same size). Look in your owner’s manual for
information on how frequently the tires on your vehicle
should be rotated and the best pattern for rotation.
TIRE REPAIR
The proper repair of a punctured tire requires a plug
for the hole and a patch for the area inside the tire that
surrounds the puncture hole. Punctures through the tread
can be repaired if they are not too large, but punctures
to the sidewall should not be repaired. Tires must be
removed from the rim to be properly inspected before
being plugged and patched.
TIRE FUNDAMENTALS
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place
standardized information on the sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also provides a tire
identification number for safety standard certification and
in case of a recall.
A Tire Rotation Example
For maximum mileage, rotate your tires every 5,000
miles. Follow correct rotation patterns.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING SYSTEM
(UTQGS)
To help consumers compare a passenger car tire’s
treadwear rate, traction performance, and temperature
resistance, the federal government requires tire
manufacturers to grade tires in these three areas. This
grading system, known as the Uniform Tire Quality
Grading System, provides guidelines for making relative
comparisons when purchasing new tires. You also can use
this information to inquire about the quality of tires placed
on new vehicles.
Although this rating system is very helpful when buying new
tires, it is not a safety rating or guarantee of how well a tire
will perform or how long it will last. Other factors such as
personal driving style, type of car, quality of the roads, and
tire maintenance habits have a significant influence on your
tire’s performance and longevity.
Treadwear grades are an indication of a tire’s relative wear
rate. The higher the treadwear number is, the longer it
should take for the tread to wear down. For example, a tire
grade of 400 should wear twice as long as a tire grade of
200.
Traction grades are an indication of a tire’s ability to stop
on wet pavement. A higher graded tire should allow you
to stop your car on wet roads in a shorter distance than a
tire with a lower grade. Traction is graded from highest to
lowest as “AA”, “A”, “B”, and “C”.
Temperature grades are an indication of a tire’s resistance
to heat. Sustained high temperature (for example, driving
long distances in hot weather), can cause a tire to
deteriorate, leading to blowouts and tread separation. From
highest to lowest, a tire’s resistance to heat is graded as
“A”, “B”, or “C”.
