Lexus ES: Tire information

Typical tire symbols

Full-size tire

1. Tire size
2. DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Location of treadwear indicators
4. Tire ply composition and materials
   Plies are layers of rubber-coated parallel cords. Cords are the strands which form the plies in a tire.
5. Radial tires or bias-ply tires
   A radial tire has "RADIAL" on the sidewall. A tire not marked "RADIAL" is a bias-ply tire.
6. TUBELESS or TUBE TYPE
   A tubeless tire does not have a tube and air is directly put into the tire. A tube type tire has a tube inside the tire and the tube maintains the air pressure.
7. Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure
8. Maximum cold tire inflation pressure
   This means the pressure to which a tire may be inflated.
9. Uniform tire quality grading
   For details, see "Uniform Tire Quality Grading" that follows.
10. Summer tires or all season tires
    An all season tire has "M+S" on the sidewall. A tire not marked "M+S" is a summer tire.

Compact spare tire

1. Tire size
2. DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Location of treadwear indicators
4. Tire ply composition and materials
   Plies are layers of rubber-coated parallel cords. Cords are the strands which form the plies in a tire.
5. Radial tires or bias-ply tires
   A radial tire has "RADIAL" on the sidewall. A tire not marked "RADIAL" is a bias-ply tire.
6. TUBELESS or TUBE TYPE
   A tubeless tire does not have a tube and air is directly put into the tire. A tube type tire has a tube inside the tire and the tube maintains the air pressure.
7. Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure
8. Maximum cold tire inflation pressure
   This means the pressure to which a tire may be inflated.
9. "TEMPORARY USE ONLY"
   A compact spare tire is identified by the phrase "TEMPORARY USE ONLY" molded on its sidewall. This tire is designed for temporary emergency use only.

Typical DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN)

Type A

1. DOT symbol*
2. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Tire manufacturer's identification mark
4. Tire size code
5. Manufacturer's optional tire type code (3 or 4 letters)
6. Manufacturing week
7. Manufacturing year

*: The DOT symbol certifies that the tire conforms to applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Type B

1. DOT symbol*
2. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Tire manufacturer's identification mark
4. Manufacturer's code
5. Manufacturing week
6. Manufacturing year

*: The DOT symbol certifies that the tire conforms to applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Tire size

■ Typical tire size information The illustration indicates typical tire size.

1. Tire use (P = Passenger car, T = Temporary use)
2. Section width (millimeters)
3. Aspect ratio (tire height to section width)
4. Tire construction code (R = Radial, D = Diagonal)
5. Wheel diameter (inches)
6. Load index (2 digits or 3 digits)
7. Speed symbol (alphabet with one letter)

■ Tire dimensions

1. Section width
2. Tire height
3. Wheel diameter

Tire section names

1. Bead
2. Sidewall
3. Shoulder
4. Tread
5. Belt
6. Inner liner
7. Reinforcing rubber
8. Carcass
9. Rim lines
10. Bead wires
11. Chafer

Uniform Tire Quality Grading

This information has been prepared in accordance with regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

It provides the purchasers and/or prospective purchasers of Lexus vehicles with information on uniform tire quality grading.

Your Lexus dealer will help answer any questions you may have as you read this information.

■ DOT quality grades All passenger vehicle tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to these grades. Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section width.

For example: Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A

■ 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 (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.

Performance may differ significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.

■ Traction AA, A, B, C The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, 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.

■ Temperature A, B, 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 failure.

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 grades of a tire assume that it 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.

Glossary of tire terminology

Tire related term	Meaning
Cold tire inflation pressure	Tire pressure when the vehicle has been parked for three hours or more, or has not been driven more than 1 mile or 1.5 km under that condition
Maximum inflation pressure	The maximum cold inflated pressure to which a tire may be inflated, shown on the sidewall of the tire
Recommended inflation pressure	Cold tire inflation pressure recommended by a manufacturer
Accessory weight	The combined weight (in excess of those standard items which may be replaced) of hybrid transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio and heater, to the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equipment (whether installed or not)
Curb weight	The weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment, including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil and coolant, and if so equipped, air conditioning and additional weight optional engine
Maximum loaded vehicle weight	The sum of: (a) Curb weight (b) Accessory weight (c) Vehicle capacity weight (d) Production options weight
Normal occupant weight	150 lb. (68 kg) times the number of occupants specified in the second column of Table 1* that follows
Occupant distribution	Distribution of occupants in a vehicle as specified in the third column of Table 1* below
Production options weight	The combined weight of installed regular production options weighing over 5 lb. (2.3 kg) in excess of the standard items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty 12-volt battery, and special trim
Rim	A metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon which the tire beads are seated
Rim diameter (Wheel diameter)	Nominal diameter of the bead seat
Rim size designation	Rim diameter and width
Rim type designation	The industry manufacturer's designation for a rim by style or code
Rim width	Nominal distance between rim flanges
Vehicle capacity weight (Total load capacity)	The rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lb. (68 kg) times the vehicle's designated seating capacity
Vehicle maximum load on the tire	The load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight, and dividing by two
Vehicle normal load on the tire	The load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle its share of curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with Table 1* below), and dividing by two
Weather side	The surface area of the rim not covered by the inflated tire
Bead	The part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim
Bead separation	A breakdown of the bond between components in the bead
Bias ply tire	A pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at alternate angles substantially less than 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread
Carcass	The tire structure, except tread and sidewall rubber which, when inflated, bears the load
Chunking	The breaking away of pieces of the tread or sidewall
Cord	The strands forming the plies in the tire
Cord separation	The parting of cords from adjacent rubber compounds
Cracking	Any parting within the tread, sidewall, or innerliner of the tire extending to cord material
CT	A pneumatic tire with an inverted flange tire and rim system in which the rim is designed with rim flanges pointed radially inward and the tire is designed to fit on the underside of the rim in a manner that encloses the rim flanges inside the air cavity of the tire
Extra load tire	A pneumatic tire with an inverted flange tire and rim system in which the rim is designed with rim flanges pointed radially inward and the tire is designed to fit on the underside of the rim in a manner that encloses the rim flanges inside the air cavity of the tire
Groove	The space between two adjacent tread ribs
Innerliner	The layer(s) forming the inside surface of a tubeless tire that contains the inflating medium within the tire
Innerliner separation	The parting of the innerliner from cord material in the carcass
Intended outboard sidewall	(a) The sidewall that contains a whitewall, bears white lettering, or bears manufacturer, brand, and/or model name molding that is higher or deeper than the same molding on the other sidewall of the tire, or (b) The outward facing sidewall of an asymmetrical tire that has a particular side that must always face outward when mounted on a vehicle
Light truck (LT) tire	A tire designated by its manufacturer as primarily intended for use on lightweight trucks or multipurpose passenger vehicles
Load rating	The maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given inflation pressure
Maximum load rating	The load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible inflation pressure for that tire
Maximum permissible inflation pressure	The maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be inflated
Measuring rim	The rim on which a tire is fitted for physical dimension requirements
Open splice	Any parting at any junction of tread, sidewall, or innerliner that extends to cord material
Outer diameter	The overall diameter of an inflated new tire
Overall width	The linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or protective bands or ribs
Passenger car tire	A tire intended for use on passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and trucks, that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 lb. or less.
Ply	A layer of rubber-coated parallel cords
Ply separation	A parting of rubber compound between adjacent plies
Pneumatic tire	A mechanical device made of rubber, chemicals, fabric and steel or other materials, that, when mounted on an automotive wheel, provides the traction and contains the gas or fluid that sustains the load
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
Reinforced tire	A tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher inflation pressures than the corresponding standard tire
Section width	The linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, excluding elevations due to labeling, decoration, or protective bands
Sidewall	That portion of a tire between the tread and bead
Sidewall separation	The parting of the rubber compound from the cord material in the sidewall
Snow tire	A tire that attains a traction index equal to or greater than 110, compared to the ASTM E-1136 Standard Reference Test Tire, when using the snow traction test as described in ASTM F-1805-00, Standard Test Method for Single Wheel Driving Traction in a Straight Line on Snow-and Ice-Covered Surfaces, and which is marked with an Alpine Symbol ( ) on at least one sidewall
Test rim	The rim on which a tire is fitted for testing, and 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 circumferentially 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
Wheel-holding fixture	The fixture used to hold the wheel and tire assembly securely during testing

*: Table 1 - Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities

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