Interpretation ID: nht68-3.3

DATE: 12/30/68

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; H. M. Jackson, Jr.; NHTSA

TO: General Motors Corporation

TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION

TEXT: This will acknowledge your letter of October 23, 1968, requesting the addition of the 5-inch alternative rim size for use with the 155-13/6.15-13 tire size designation.

In your request you cited a letter from the German Rubber Industry stating that "for passenger car tires in addition to the rims specified in the German Industrial Standards (DIN) also the use of the next large size rims is permissible." The subject of the foot note in the German standard was discussed by my staff in conversations with Mr. Von Polhemus. When the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were written, it was the intent to accept the German Industrial Standards (DIN) of 1967 for all tire and rim combinations listed based on established usage. We did not intend to apply foot notes from any 1967 reference materials to the present or future tire and rim combinations.

However, on the basis of the data submitted indicating compliance with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 109 and No. 110 and other information submitted in accordance with the procedural guidelines set forth in the Federal Register, Volume 33, No. 195, page 14969, dated October 5, 1968, the 5J alternative rim size for the 155-13/6.15-13 tire size designation will be listed within Table I of Appendix A to Standard No. 110. This change will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

The addition of this new alternative rim size to the table is accomplished through an abbreviated procedure consisting of the publication in the Federal Register of the petitioned alternative rim size. If no comments are received, the amendment became effective after 30 days from the date of publication. If comments objecting to amendments are received, additional rule making pursuant to Part 216 of the Procedural Rules for Motor Vehicle Safety Standards will be considered.