1997 CHEVROLET TRACKER tires

Tires
Your new Geo comes with high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service, see
your Geo Warranty booklet for details.
A CAUTION:
I
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
0 Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
0 Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
impact
-- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
0 Overinflated tires are more likely to be
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Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information 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 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 (underinflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued) NOTICE:
(Continued)
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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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires
on the vehicle. The first
rotation
is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services’’ in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
+
Q
I
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
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Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause
an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can
use a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.) When
It’s
’I --ne for N:-- S
L
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
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
around the tire.
tire’s rubber. deep enough to show cord or fabric.
can’t be repaired well because of the
size or location
of the damage.
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Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information 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 an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
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.
/! 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.
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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.
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, and 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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Temperature -9 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.
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. Scheduled
wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not
needed. 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 or corroded. 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 Geo 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.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts, replace them only with new
GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure
to have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for
your Geo model.
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A CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous.
It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control.
You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel nuts for replacement.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for
more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
I A CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous.
You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far it’s been driven.
It could fail suddenly
and cause an accident.
If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new GM original equipment 1 wheel.
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