Ford Transit (2018 year). Manual - part 65

•

Higher - to allow higher load carrying
capacity and to allow it to travel over
rough terrain without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.

•

Shorter - to give it the capability to
approach inclines and drive over the
crest of a hill without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
All other things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs
than a vehicle with a longer wheelbase.

•

Narrower - to provide greater
maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use.

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As a result of the above dimensional
differences, sport-utility vehicles, vans and
trucks often will have a higher center of
gravity and a greater difference in center
of gravity between the loaded and
unloaded condition.

These differences that make your vehicle
so versatile also make it handle differently
than an ordinary passenger car.

TIRE CARE

Information About Uniform
Tire Quality Grades

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Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
The tire 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.
They do not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, light truck or LT type
tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104 ©)(2).

Tire Quality Grades are
determined by standards that the
United States Department of
Transportation has set.

United States Department of
Transportation Tire Quality
Grades

The United States of America
Department of Transportation
requires Ford Motor Company to
give you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the
government has written it.

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

Traction AA A B C

WARNING

The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on

straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.

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

Temperature A B C

WARNING

The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a

tire that 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.

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. The grade C
corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 139. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law.

Glossary of Tire Terminology

•

Tire label: A label showing the
OE (Original Equipment) tire
sizes, recommended inflation
pressure and the maximum
weight the vehicle can carry.

•

Tire Identification Number
(TIN): A number on the
sidewall of each tire providing
information about the tire
brand and manufacturing
plant, tire size and date of
manufacture. Also referred to
as DOT code.

•

Inflation pressure: A measure
of the amount of air in a tire.

•

Standard load: A class of

P-metric or Metric tires
designed to carry a maximum
load at set pressure. For
example: for P-metric tires
35 psi (2.4 bar) and for Metric
tires 36 psi (2.5 bar). Increasing
the inflation pressure beyond
this pressure will not increase
the tire capability.

•

Extra load: A class of P-metric
or Metric tires designed to carry
a heavier maximum load at
42 psi (2.9 bar). Increasing the

inflation pressure beyond this
pressure will not increase the
tire’s load carrying capability.

•

bar Metric unit of atmospheric
pressure.

•

kPa: Kilopascal, a metric unit
of air pressure.

•

PSI: Pounds per square inch, a
standard unit of air pressure.

•

Cold tire pressure: The tire
pressure when the vehicle has
been stationary and out of
direct sunlight for an hour or
more and prior to the vehicle
being driven for 1 mi (1.6 km).

•

Recommended inflation
pressure: The cold inflation
pressure found on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label
(affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the
door edge that meets the
door-latch post, next to the
driver seating position) or Tire
Label located on the B-Pillar or
the edge of the driver door.

•

B-pillar: The structural
member at the side of the
vehicle behind the front door.

•

Bead area of the tire: Area of
the tire next to the rim.

•

Sidewall of the tire: Area

between the bead area and the
tread.

•

Tread area of the tire: Area of
the perimeter of the tire that
contacts the road when
mounted on the vehicle.

•

Rim: The metal support
(wheel) for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the
tire beads are seated.

Information Contained on the
Tire Sidewall

United States of America, and
Canada Federal regulations
require tire manufacturers to place
standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and
describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also
provides a United States of
America DOT Tire Identification
Number for safety standard
certification and in case of a recall.

P Type Tires

P215/65R15 95H is an example of
a tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below.

Note: Tire size, load index and
speed rating for your vehicle may
be different from the following
example.

H

I

J

K

L

M

A

B

C D

E

F

G

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P: Indicates a tire,
designated by the Tire
and Rim Association, that
may be used for service on
cars, sport utility vehicles,
minivans and light trucks.

A

215: Indicates the nominal
width of the tire in
millimeters from sidewall
edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the
number, the wider the tire.

B

65: Indicates the aspect
ratio which gives the tire's
ratio of height to width.

C

R: Indicates a radial type
tire.

D