1997 Mercury Mountaineer Owner's Manual - Page 159
1997 Mercury Mountaineer Manual
Page 159 highlights
Maintenance and care 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 11⁄2 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 A B C The temperature grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B and C. These 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. The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turning) traction. 159