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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
I
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads could result in
costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is
wrong with your brakes.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but if
you ever hear a
rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear brake linings inspected.
Also, the
rear brake drums should be removed and inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation or changing. When
you have the front brakes replaced,
have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to normal height, or if
there
is a rapid increase in pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake
trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes adjust for wear.
If your brake pedal goes down farther than normal, your rear drum brakes
may need adjustment. Adjust them by backing up and firmly applying the
brakes a few times.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex. Its many parts have to
be of top quality and work well together if the vehicle is
to have really good
braking. Vehicles we design and
test have top-quality GM brake parts in
them, as your vehicle does when it is new. When you replace parts of your
braking system
- for example, when your brake linings wear down and
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Page 275 of 348

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loading Your Vehicle
The CertificatiodTire label is found on the driver’s door lock pillar. The
label shows
the size of your original tires and the inflation pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight capacity
of your vehicle. This is called the
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the weight
of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
The Certificationnire label
also tells you the maximum weights for the
front and rear axles, called Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To find
out
the actual loads on your front and rear axles, you need to go to a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help you with this. Be sure
to spread out your load equally on both sides
of the centerline.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out.
Using heavier suspension components to get added durability might not
change your weight ratings.
Ask your dealer to help you load your vehicle
the right way.
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Page 278 of 348
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new vehicle comes with high quality tires made
by a leading tire manufacturer. These tires are warranted by the tire
manufacturers and their warranties are delivered with every new vehicle.
If
your spare tire is a different brand than your road tires, you will have a tire
warranty folder from each of these manufacturers.
Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Certificatioflire label which is on the driver’s door lock pillar, shows
the correct inflation pressures for your tires, when they’re cold. “Cold”
means your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven no
more than
a mile.
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Page 279 of 348
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or overinflation is
all right. It’s not. If your tires don’t have enough air
(underinflation)
you can get:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire pressure. Simply looking
at the tires will not tell you the pressure, especially if you have radial tires
- which may look properly inflated even if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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Page 280 of 348
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them inspected and rotated at the
mileages recommended in the Maintenance Schedule.
See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services’’ in the Index.
FRT FRT
Use this rotation
pattern.
U
If your vehicle has front tires with different load ratings or tread designs
(such as all season
vs. on/off road) than the rear tires, don’t rotate your tires
front to rear.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust
the front and rear inflation pressure
as shown on the CertificationEire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque” in the Index.
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Page 281 of 348

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When lt’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when
it’s time for new tires
is to check the
treadwear indicators,
which will appear
when your tires have
only
2/32 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of
tread remaining.
You need a new tire if
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep enough to show
cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that can’t be repaired well
because
of the size or location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at the
CertificatiodTire label.
The tires installed
on your vehicle when it was new had a Tire Performance
Criteria Specification (TPC Spec) number
on each tire’s sidewall. When you
get new tires, get
ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way, your
vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed to give proper
endurance, handling, speed rating, traction, ride and other things during
normal service
on your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the
TPC number will be followed by a “MS” (for mud and snow).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you ever replace your tires with those not having a TPC Spec number,
make sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating and construction
type (bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United
States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which grades tires
by treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies
only to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
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 one and a half (1 1/2)
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 traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B, and C. They 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.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turning)
traction.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard\
No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls
of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional equipment on General
Motors vehicles may vary
with respect to these grades, all such tires meet
General Motors performance standards and have been approved for use on
General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform
to Federal safety requirements
in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you
will not need to have your wheels aligned again.
However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling one way or
the other, the alignment may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on
a smooth road, your wheels may need to be
rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep
coming loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be replaced. If
the wheel leaks air, replace
it (except some aluminum wheels, which can
sometimes
be repaired). See your GM dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load carrying capacity, diameter,
width, offset, and be mounted the same way as the one
it replaces.
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