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Uniform lire Qualify Grading
The following information relates
to
the system developed by the United
States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which grades tires
by treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies
only
to
vehicles sold
in
the
United States.)
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
(I
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.
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,
6,
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 fdilure. 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.
6-59
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