Glossary of Tire Terminology

Cold Tire Pressure – The tire air pressure when the vehicle has been parked for at least three hours or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km).

Load Rating – The maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given inflation pressure.

Maximum Inflation Pressure – The maximum tire air pressure that the tire can hold.

Maximum Load Rating – The load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible inflation pressure for that tire.

Recommended Inflation Pressure – The cold tire inflation pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

Treadwear Indicators (TWI) – The projections within the principal grooves designed to give a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread.