Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
due to labeling, decoration , or
protective bands.
. Sidewall
That portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
. Sidewall separation
The parting o f 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 weigh t
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 maximum
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,
accessory weight, and normal oc-
cupant weight (distributed in accor-
dance with Table 1 that is ap-
pended to the end of this section)
and dividing by 2.
. Wheel-holding fixture
The fixture used to hold the wheel
and tire assembly securely during
testing.
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