4-Star Bumper Pull Horse Trailer

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Fundamental characteristics of tires

Tire safety tips.

Tire Safety

Use this information to make tire safety a regular part of your vehicle maintenance routine. Recognize that the time you spend is minimal compared with the inconvenience and safety consequences of a fl at tire or other tire failure.

load limit, that is, the greatest amount of weight a vehicle can safely carry and the vehicle’s tire size.

The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is referred to as the “recommended cold infl ation pressure.”

(As you will read below, it is diffi cult to obtain the recommended tire pressure if your tires are not cold.)

3.5.1 Safety First- Basic Tire Maintenance

Because tires are designed to be used on more than one type of vehicle, tire manufacturers list the

“maximum permissible infl ation pressure” on the tire sidewall. This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.

Properly maintained tires improve the steering, stopping, traction, and load-carrying capability of your vehicle. Underinfl ated tires and overloaded vehicles are a major cause of tire failure. Therefore, as mentioned above, to avoid fl at tires and other types of tire failure, you should maintain proper tire pressure, observe tire and vehicle load limits, avoid road hazards, and regularly inspect your tires.

3.5.4 Safety First- Basic Tire Maintenance

It is important to check your vehicle’s tire pressure at least once a month for the following reasons:

3.5.2 Finding Your Vehicle’s Recommended

Tire Pressure And Load Limits

Tire information placards and vehicle certifi cation labels contain information on tires and load limits.

These labels indicate the vehicle manufacturer’s information including:

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Most tires may naturally lose air over time.

Tires can lose air suddenly if you drive over a pothole or other object or if you strike the curb when parking.

With radial tires, it is usually not possible to determine under infl ation by visual inspection.

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Recommended tire size

Recommended tire infl ation pressure

Vehicle capacity weight (VCW–the maximum occupant and cargo weight a vehicle is designed to carry)

Front and rear gross axle weight ratings (GAWR– the maximum weight the axle systems are designed to carry).

Both placards and certifi cation labels are permanently attached to the trailer near the left front.

For convenience, purchase a tire pressure gauge to keep in your vehicle. Gauges can be purchased at tire dealerships, auto supply stores, and other retail outlets. The recommended tire infl ation pressure that vehicle manufacturers provide refl ects the proper psi when a tire is cold. The term cold does not relate to the outside temperature. Rather, a cold tire is one that has not been driven on for at least three hours.

When you drive, your tires get warmer, causing the air pressure within them to increase. Therefore, to get an accurate tire pressure reading, you must measure tire pressure when the tires are cold or compensate for the extra pressure in warm tires.

3.5.3 Understanding Tire Pressure And Load

Limits

3.5.5 Steps For Maintaining Proper Tire

Pressure

Tire infl ation pressure is the level of air in the tire that provides it with load-carrying capacity and affects the overall performance of the vehicle. The tire infl ation pressure is a number that indicates the amount of air pressure– measured in pounds per square inch

(psi)–a tire requires to be properly infl ated. (You will also fi nd this number on the vehicle information placard expressed in kilopascals (kPa), which is the metric measure used internationally.)

Manufacturers of passenger vehicles and light trucks determine this number based on the vehicle’s design

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Locate the recommended tire pressure on the vehicle’s tire information placard, certifi cation label, or in the owner’s manual.

Record the tire pressure of all tires.

If the tire pressure is too high in any of the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing on the tire valve stem with the edge of your tire gauge until you get to the correct pressure.

If the tire pressure is too low, note the difference between the measured tire pressure and the correct tire pressure. These “missing” pounds of pressure are what you will need to add.