Uniform tire quality grading -22 – NISSAN CVT SIC0697 User Manual

Page 269

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DOT (Department Of Transportation) Quality

Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to

federal safety requirements in addition to these

grades.
Quality grades can be found where applicable

on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and

maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A

Treadwear

Treadwear grade is a comparative rating based

on tire wear rate when tested under controlled

conditions on specified government test

courses. 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. How-

ever, relative tire performance depends on actual

driving conditions, and may vary significantly

from the norm due to variations in driving habits,

service practices and differences in road char-

acteristics and climate.

Traction AA, A, B and C

The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are

AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the

tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-

sured under controlled conditions on specified

government test surfaces of asphalt and con-

crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction

performance.

WARNING

The traction grade assigned to your ve-
hicle tires is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not in-
clude acceleration, cornering, hydro-
planing, or peak traction characteristics.

Temperature A, B and C

Temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and

C. They represent a tire’s resistance to heat

build-up, and its ability to dissipate heat when

tested under controlled conditions on a speci-

fied indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high

temperature can cause tire material to degener-

ate, reducing tire life. Excessive temperatures

can lead to sudden tire failure. Grade C corre-

sponds to a performance level which all passen-

ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades A and

B represent higher levels of performance on

laboratory test wheels than the minimum re-

quired 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 combi-
nation, can cause heat buildup and pos-
sible tire failure.

UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY

GRADING

9-22

Technical and consumer information

04.4.5/Z50-D/V5.0

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