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Tires
Revised European Union (EU) labeling regulations for passenger car, light commercial vehicle and heavy bus/truck tires went into effect May 1, 2021. These revised regulations update and will replace those originally introduced in 2012 to further harmonize the information available when...
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Installation |
Tires
White wall, outlined white letter and raised white letter tires all share a common manufacturing technique of adding a layer of white rubber on a stylized sidewall, strategically covered by a thin layer of non-staining black rubber to create the desired letter, stripe or effect. The...
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Installation |
Tires
Advantages of Correct Tire InflationMaintaining correct tire inflation pressure helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy. Correct tire inflation pressure allows drivers to experience tire comfort, durability and performance designed to match the needs of their vehicles. Tire deflection...
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Tires
A tire's most important job is to carry the load required of it, and the load range/ply rating branded on the tire's sidewall indicates how much load the tire is designed to carry (at a specific pressure). Whenever changing tire sizes or from one tire type to another, it's important to ensure...
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Tires
Sports cars are often described as vehicles that "stick to the road." Sports car tires make a major contribution to this phenomenon. These tires are very complex products meeting numerous, largely contradictory demands. Finding the proper structure that balances these demands for any given...
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Wheels
Photo #1 - No Protection
While curbs and debris on the road have never been considered a tire's friend, many of today's tires resist accidental damage by featuring thicker rubber molded at key locations on their sidewalls. This helps reduce damage to the tires and/or wheels when drivers...
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Tires
Since tires play such an important role in establishing the personality of a vehicle, numerous vehicle manufacturers require their tire suppliers identify some or all of their Original Equipment (OE) tires with symbols or codes branded on the sidewalls that confirm the tire's original use. Some...
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Tires
Tires are subjected to one of the harshest environments experienced by any consumer product. In addition to being stretched millions of times as they roll through their life, tires are exposed to acid rain, brake dust, harsh chemicals and direct sunlight, as well as summer's heat and winter's...
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Tires
Sidewall Indentations / UndulationsFig. A: Vertical indentation on sidewall from rim to tread. A common byproduct of radial tire construction, sidewall indentations/undulations are more noticeable in tires with taller sidewalls or operate at higher inflation pressures. Fortunately sidewall...
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Tires
How do M+S (Mud and Snow) branded tires, All-Season tires, and three-peak mountain snowflakeAll-Season tires, and three-peak mountain snowflake branded tires differ in the snow? One word; Traction! And while you may not know which tire offers the best traction in winter weather, it'll only take...
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Tires
Maximum LoadA tire's maximum load is the most weight the tire is designed to carry. Since a tire's load carrying capacity is related to the tire's size and construction and how much inflation pressure is actually used, maximum loads are rated with the tire inflated to an industry assigned...
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Tires
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to provide standardized information permanently branded on the sidewalls of all tires sold in the United States. This includes information about the tire's basic characteristics, capacities and construction, as well as its U.S. Department of...