You should be familiar with the markings on the sidewall of a tire. You will need this information to complete a VIDS/MAF for a tire change. The

Figure 11-12.Size designation of tires.

markings engraved or embossed on a sidewall are shown in figure 11-13. 

Most of the markings are self-explanatory, Item 10 has a maximum of 10 characters. The first four positions show the date of manufacture in the form of a Julian date (last digit of the year followed by the day of the year, or 17 Oct 1985 = 5290). The next positions are completed by the manufacturer and are either numbers or letters. They are used to create a unique serial number for a particular tire. The cut limit (11 ) is expressed in thirty-seconds of an inch and

Figure 11-13.New tire identification markings.

is used to evaluate the depth of cuts in the thread area. Tires are marked with a red dot (14) on the sidewall to indicate the lightweight (balance) point of the tire.