Tire Maintenance

Automobile Tires TireTeam Checking Auto Tire Air Pressure goes a lõng way toward saving fuel and lives www.TireTeam.com The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that under inflated tires contribute to more than 600 33.000 fatalities injuries each year Fuel Efficiency Properly inflated tires can improve fuel efficiency by 3.3% and save $.09 a gallon at the pump Approximately 1.2 billion gallons of fuel are wasted each year by U.S. motorists driving on under inflated tires Tire Efficiency 55% Rim Diameter of vehicles had at least one under inflated tire 20% had at least one tire under inflated by 6 psi Radial Tire Width (millimeters) Mud & Snow 31% had at least one tire under inflated by 4 psi 98H M+S P225/60R16 POT 123456 15% had at least one tire under inflated by 8 pounds per square inch (psi) Vehicles with 4 properly inflated tires Max load rating Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association, US Tire Degradation TIRE SHAPE Properly inflated Underinflated Overinflated TIRE IMPRESSION Tire Aging National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analyzed insurance stats from several states and found: Mushroomed Tread 84% Cracking hetween Trear of tire-related insurance claims involved tires that were at least 6 years old Tires age faster in areas with higher ambient temperature Higher temperatures higher rates of degradation Source: CBS Atlanta Hlatspot What is the grading system for passenger car tires? Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQGS) UTQGS characteristics To aid consumers in making informed choices when purchasing passenger car tires, information about their relative performances in the areas of treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance is required on new pneumatic tires The UTQGS apply to all passenger car tires except: O deep tread • winter type snow tires O space-saver or temporary-use spare tires O limited production tires URE RESISTANCE TA OWEAR .......... TEMPERA ..... ... TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE is a tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions The codes are one of the letters, "A," "B," or "C", with "A" signifying the highest traction coefficient TRACTION is a tire's ability to stop on wet pavement • under controlled conditions The codes are one of the letters, • "A," "B." or "C", with "A" signifying the highest traction coefficient TREADWEAR is the wear rate of a tire when tested under controlled conditions The codes set forth in the UTQGS are two- or three- digit numbers representing a percentage of a standard value when a tire is tested in accordance with specified procedures. The higher the number, the better the treadwear Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, US Dangers of driving with worn tires or tires with low tread depth According to NHTSA, tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch Result from a survey on more than 7,000 vehicles sponsored by Rubber Manufacturers Association 11%.. of all vehicles has at least one bald tire A bald tire can increase the risk of a crash particularly in wet weather conditions (fall and winter months) 1/16 of an inch Source: Smart Tread Why is buying tires of good quality so important? Tires are the single most important mechanical component of vehicle control and safe driving INTERSTATE STOP 195 You have only three ways to control a car: brake accelerate steer All are dependent upon rolling friction with the ground beneath your wheels and the only contact you have is through the tires Under normal conditions the contact patch is about the size of your palm. Under heavy cornering, that patch may shrink to the size of your thumbprint Think about that for a moment and you'll realize the condition of your tires is critical Tire Teamw www.TireTeam.com Source: Oregon State Police, Patrol Division reastime