sory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride leveler s, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special
trim.
. Radial ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at substantially 90 degrees to
the centerline of the tread.
. Recommended inflation pres-
sure
The cold inflation pressure recom-
mended by a vehicle manufacturer.
. Reinforced tire
A tire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation pres-
sures than the corresponding stan-
dard tire.
. Rim
A metal support for a tire or a tire
and tube assembly upon which the
tire beads are seated.
. Rim diameter
Nominal diameter of the bead seat.
. Rim size designation
Rim diameter and width.
. Rim type designation
The industry of manufacturer’s des-
ignation for a rim by style or code.
. Rim width
Nominal distance between rim
flanges.
. Section width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, excluding elevations
due t o labe ling, de coration, or
protective bands.
. Sidewall
That portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
. Sidewall separation
The parting of the rubber com-
pound from the cord material in
the sidewall.
. Test rim
The rim on which a tire is fitted for
testing, and it may be any rim listed
as appropriate for use with that tire.
. Tread
That portion of a tire that comes
into contact with the road.
. Tread rib
A tread section running circumfer-
entially around a tire.
. Tread separation
Pulling away of the tread from the
tire carcass.
. Treadwear indicators (TWI)
The projections within the principal
grooves designed to give a visual
indication of the degrees of wear of
the tread.
. Vehicle capacity weight
The rated cargo and luggage load
plus 150 lbs (68 kg) times the
vehicle’s designated seating capa-
city.
. Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the maximu m
loaded vehicle weight and dividing
by two.
. Vehicle normal load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the curb weight,
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects 13-9
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