1996 CHEVROLET EXPRESS tire type

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving
out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really
is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake
lamps are not flashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little
to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when
the three control systems (brakes, steering
and‘acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet
the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited
to existing conditions, and
by not ‘‘overdriving” those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid,
too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration
skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
A 13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you’re using your platform hitch as a weight-carrying
hitch, the trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 10 percent of
the total loaded trailer weight (B). If you’re using your
platform hitch as a weight-distributing hitch, the trailer
tongue
(A) should weigh 12 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t,
you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for
cold tires. You’ll find these numbers
on the Certification
label at the rear edge of the driver’s door or see “Tire
Loading” in the Index. Then be sure
you don’t go over
the
GVW limit for your vehicle, including the weight of
the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are
a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
0
0
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does
not attach to the
bumper.
Do not use a ball hitch, because it could pull
the bumper loose.
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will
weigh more than 4,000 lbs. (1 800 kg), be sure to use
a properly mounted, weight-distributing hitch and
sway control
of the proper size. This equipment is
very important for proper vehicle loading and good
handling when you’re driving.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Certificationflire label, which is on the rear edge of
the driver’s door, 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 1 mile (1.6 km).
I 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 junderinflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued)
I NOTICE: (Continued) I
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Also, check the
tire pressure of the spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell
if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure
to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Dual Tire Operation Buying New Tires
To
find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificatioflire label.
When
the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel, wheel
bolt or wheel nut is replaced, check the wheel nut torque
after
100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and
10 000 km) of driving. For proper torque, see “Wheel
,Nut Torque” in the Index.
The outer tire on a dual wheel setup generally wears
faster than the inner tire. Your tires will wear more
evenly and last longer if you rotate the tires periodically.
If you’re going to be doing a lot of driving on
high-crown roads, you can reduce tire wear by adding
5 psi (35 kPa) to the tire pressure in the outer tires. Be
sure to return to the recommended pressures when no
longer driving under those conditions. See “Changing a
Flat Tire” in the Index for more information. 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 an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
11 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.
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underinflated, the tire can overheat. An
overheated tire can lose air suddenly or catch
fire.
You or others could be injured. Be sure all
tires (including the spare) are properly inflated.
6-45

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I ' A CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires
of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure
to use the same
size and type tires on
all wheels.
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.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls
of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or
to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect
to these
grades,
they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
6-46

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your
GM dealer has two GM cleaners, a solvent-type
spot lifter and a foam-type powdered cleaner. They will
clean normal spots and stains very well.
Do not use
them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
0 Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
0 Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area
often. A soft brush may be used if stains
are stubborn.
0 Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
only. If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
0 If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
area immediately
or it will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
1. Vacuum and brush the area to remove any
loose dirt.
2. Always clean a whole trim panel or section.
Mask surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
3. Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following
the directions on
the container label.
4. Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
5. Don’t saturate the material.
6. Don’t rub it roughly.
7. As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a
sponge to remove the suds.
8. Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
9. Wipe off what’s left with a slightly damp paper
towel or cloth.
10. Then dry it immediately with a blow dryer.
11. Wipe with a clean cloth.
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