TIRE APPLICATIONS & USE
Mark Panning
Manager, Passenger Tire Development
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
TOPICS
Intent = Informative
 TIRE SELECTION & FITMENT
 TIRE MAINTENANCE
 TIRE REGULATIONS
TIRE SELECTION
UNDERSTANDING THE CORRECT FITMENT
TIRE SELECTION
CONSIDERATIONS:
 Size
 Load Rating
 Speed Rating
 Inflation
TIRE SELECTION
FITMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
 Recommend replacing 4 tires
 Alternatively, new tires should
be fitted to rear axle
TIRE MAINTENANCE
TIPS & PROCEDURES
TIRE MAINTENANCE
 INFLATION MAINTENANCE
 TIRE REPAIRS
 TIRE ROTATION
 VEHICLE ALIGNMENT
INFLATION MAINTENANCE
#1 - PROPER INFLATION:
FOLLOW PLACARD OR CONSULT MFR
INFLATION MAINTENANCE
INFLATION MAINTENANCE
INFLATION MAINTENANCE
RECOMMEND MONTHLY CHECKS  TPMS DOES NOT ALERT UNTIL -25%
 VALVE CAP USAGE IMPORTANT
TIRE MAINTENANCE
BENEFITS OF INFLATION MAINTENANCE:
 Tread Wear
 Tire Longevity
 Fuel Efficiency
 Optimal Ride & Handling
 Shorter Braking Distances
 Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions
TIRE MAINTENANCE
 INFLATION MAINTENANCE
 TIRE REPAIRS
 TIRE ROTATION
 VEHICLE ALIGNMENT
TIRE REPAIRS
#1 - INSPECTION & ASSESSMENT:
 Remove the tire from the rim
 Determine if the puncture is repairable
 Location of the injury
 Size of the injury
 Inspect the inside of tire
 'Run low on air'
 Extent of the damage
TIRE REPAIRS
#2 – GENERAL PROCEDURES:
 Clean the innerliner around the hole
 Buff the innerliner around the hole
 Drill out the hole to clean it up
 Cement the area
 Apply 'Combi' unit or 'Plug & Patch'
 Check valve before re-installing !
TIRE REPAIRS
TIRE MAINTENANCE
 INFLATION MAINTENANCE
 TIRE REPAIRS
 TIRE ROTATION
 VEHICLE ALIGNMENT
TIRE ROTATION
#1 – DO IT (REGULARLY) !
#2 – CROSS ROTATION IF POSSIBLE
#3 – COMBINE WITH INSPECTION
 Inside / Outside Tire Wear
 Tire Damage or Injury
 Good Time to Check Inflation
 Suspension Damage, Need for Align…
TIRE ROTATION
PATTERNS:
All allow for reverse direction of rotation except for 'D'
Leading edge becomes the trailing edge of element
TIRE ROTATION
BENEFITS:
Extend Tire Life by Lessening Irregular Wear
Tires tell a story about condition of vehicle
Helps you to identify maintenance issues
before they become big problems
TIRE MAINTENANCE
 INFLATION MAINTENANCE
 TIRE REPAIRS
 TIRE ROTATION
 VEHICLE ALIGNMENT
VEHICLE ALIGNMENT
PROPER ALIGNMENT OF WHEEL ENDS –
Allows vehicle to track straight on road
Is beneficial to vehicle handling
Generally results in more even tire wear
VEHICLE ALIGNMENT
TYPICAL 'ALIGNMENT' PARAMETERS
TIRE REGULATIONS
U.S. MARKET REQUIREMENTS
U.S. TIRE REGULATIONS
49 CFR Part 571 Std 139 - Pneumatic Tires for Light Vehicles
49 CFR Part 571 Std 110 - Tire Selection & Rims
49 CFR Part 575 Std 104 - UTQG
49 CFR Part 571 Std 119 - Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles
Other Than Passenger Cars
STD 139 - TIRES
Applies to vehicles with GVWR < 10,000 lbs
Requirements:
Size recognized by a tire standards organization
Specific sidewall markings
High speed test requirement
Endurance test requirement
Low pressure endurance test
Road hazard (plunger) test
Bead unseating test
STD 110 - TIRE SELECTION
Aimed more at vehicle manufacturers than
tire manufacturers.
Intent is to prevent over-loading.
Defines vehicle weight limits.
Provides for 'placard' to communicate the
vehicle's load limits, O.E. tire size & inflation,
and O.E. rim size.
STD 104 - UTQG
Provide Consumer Purchasing Information:
A. Treadwear
B. Traction (on wet roads)
C. 'Temperature Resistance'
Grades for Parts A. & B. based on outdoor
testing at facilities in Texas against a CMT tire.
Grade for Part C. based on the indoor high
speed test from MVSS-139.
UTQG - TREADWEAR
Treadwear grade based tire wear rate after
7,200 road miles as compared to the CMT tire
wear rate.
No direct correlation to how many miles you
will get.
Manufacturer cannot rate tires higher than
measured grade.
"560"-A-B
UTQG - TRACTION
Traction grade based locked wheel 'skid
number' on wet asphalt & wet concrete as
compared to the CMT tire skid numbers.
Does not directly correlate with performance
on vehicles with ABS.
Manufacturer cannot rate tires higher than
measured grade.
560-"A"-B
UTQG - TEMPERATURE
Temperature (resistance) grade based indoor
test wheel test at increasing speeds.
Does not directly correlate with long term tire
performance.
Minimum time requirement for each grade,
with "C" being the overall minimum.
560-A-"B"
U.S. TIRE REGULATIONS
POTENTIAL CHANGES:
Discussion on-going concerning Fuel Efficiency
grading in the U.S.
Plans are more well defined in Europe
Phase-in of letter grades beginning Nov, 2012
Unique grade system – A, B, C, E, F G (no D)
U.S. status unresolved
"Final" issued by NHTSA in March, 2010
Test procedure not defined
Thank You For Your Attention !