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Treadwear Temperature
--
A,
B,
C
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.
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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