Utah Administrative Code
Topic - Public Safety
Title R714 - Highway Patrol
Rule R714-162 - Equipment Standards for Heavy Motor Vehicle, Trailer and Bus Safety Inspections
Section R714-162-8 - Tires and Wheels

Universal Citation: UT Admin Code R 714-162-8

Current through Bulletin 2024-06, March 15, 2024

(1) When examining the tire and wheels of a vehicle, the inspector shall:

(a) check the vehicle for proper mudguard protection, which must be at least as wide as the tire it is protecting, be directly in line with the tire, and maintain a ground clearance of not more than 50% of the diameter of a rear axle wheel under any conditions; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) tire tread is not fully covered by the body, trailer, or fender;

(B) rear tires do not have the top 50% of the tire covered by mudflaps; or

(C) rear mud flaps are not as wide as the tire;

(ii) Wheel covers, mudguards, flaps, or splash aprons are not required if the motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer is designed and constructed to meet the requirements in Subsection R714-162-8(1)(a).

(b) check for proper tire width, size, and load rating; and (i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) a tire's width is beyond the outside of the vehicle body; or

(B) a tire is not of proper size and load rating per axle as determined by OEM specifications;

(c) check valve stems for damage or cracks; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) a valve stem is cracked, damaged, or shows evidence of wear because of misalignment;

(d) check the rims; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) rims and rings are mismatched;

(B) a ring shows evidence of slippage, rust, or damage;

(C) a rim or ring is bent, sprung, cracked, improperly sealed, or otherwise damaged;

(D) there is slippage on Louisville or Dayton type wheels;

(E) wheel nuts, studs, or clamps are loose, broken, damaged, missing, mismatched, cracked, stripped, have improper thread engagement, or otherwise ineffective;

(F) wheel rings, disc, spoke, or rim type wheels show any evidence of having been repaired or re-welded;

(G) stud holes are out of round or elongated;

(H) there are cracks between the hand holes or the stud holes in the disc; or

(I) wheel casting is cracked or there is evidence of wear in the clamping area; and

(e) check the wheel welds; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) there are any cracks in welds attaching wheel disc to rim;

(B) there are any cracks in welds attaching tubeless demountable rim to the adapter;

(C) there are any welded repairs on any aluminum wheels; or

(D) there are any welded repairs other than disc to rim attachment on steel disc wheels mounted on the steering axle.

(2) When examining the front steering axle tires of a vehicle, the inspector shall:

(a) check tire tread depth, which may not be measured on the tread wear bar; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when tread depth is less than 4/32 inch on steering axle tires when measured in any two adjacent major tread grooves at three equally spaced intervals around the circumference of the tire; and

(b) check tire condition and inflation; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) a tire is cut or otherwise damaged, exposing body ply or belt material through the tread or sidewall;

(B) a tire has any tread or sidewall separation;

(C) a tire is labeled for other than highway use or displaying other markings that would exclude use on a steering axle;

(D) a tire is a tube-type radial tire without radial tube stem markings, which include a red band around the tube stem, the word "radial" embossed in metal stems, or the word "radial" molded in rubber stems;

(E) there is mixing of bias and radial tires on the same axle;

(F) a tire flap protrudes through the valve slot in rim and touches the stem;

(G) There are re-grooved tires on the steering axle;

(H) a tire has a boot, blowout patch, or other ply repairs;

(I) the weight carried exceeds the tire load limit, including an overloaded tire resulting from low air pressure;

(J) a tire is flat, has noticeable leak, or is inflated to less than 50% of the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire pressure;

(K) a tire is mounted or inflated so that it comes in contact with any part of the vehicle;

(L) a tire is over inflated;

(M) a tire is worn to the extent secondary rubber is exposed in the tread or sidewall area; or

(N) if the vehicle is a bus and is equipped with a recapped or re-treaded tire.

(3) When examining tires other than the front steering axle tires of a vehicle, the inspector shall:

(a) check the tire tread depth, which may not be measured on the tread wear bar; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when tread depth is less than 2/32 inch in any two adjacent major tread grooves at three equally spaced intervals around the circumference of the tire; and

(b) check the tire condition and inflation; and (i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) the weight carried exceeds the tire load limit, including an overloaded tire resulting from low air pressure;

(B) a tire is flat, has noticeable leak, or is inflated to less than 50% of the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire pressure;

(C) a tire is cut or otherwise damaged, exposing body ply or belt material through the tread or sidewall;

(D) a tire has any tread or sidewall separation;

(E) a tire is mounted or inflated so that it comes in contact with any part of the vehicle, including a tire that contacts its mate;

(F) a tire is labeled for other than highway use or displays other markings that would exclude its use; or

(G) a tire is worn to the extent secondary rubber is exposed in the tread or sidewall area.

(4) When examining the dual tires of a vehicle, if equipped, the inspector shall:

(a) check for mismatching of tire construction, such as radial and bias, sizes, and wear on any set of duals; and
(i) issue a rejection inspection certificate when:
(A) the tire diameter of one of the duals is not within 1/4 inch of the other on 8.25-20 and smaller, or 1/2 inch on 9.00-20 and larger;

(B) the dual tires are in contact with any part of vehicle body or adjacent tire; or

(C) a tire has a boot, blowout patch, or other ply repairs that are sub-standard and not identified by a triangular label in the immediate vicinity.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Utah may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.