TIRES/WHEELS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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TIRES/WHEELS
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING..................1
TIRE AND WHEEL VIBRATION..............1
STANDARD PROCEDURE...................4
TIRE AND WHEEL BALANCE...............4
TIRE AND WHEEL MATCH MOUNTING.......6
TIRE AND WHEEL ROTATION..............6
REMOVAL...............................7
INSTALLATION............................7
TIRES
DESCRIPTION............................8
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING..................9
TIRE NOISE............................9
TIRE/VEHICLE LEAD.....................9
TIRE WEAR PATTERNS..................11
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS...............11
STANDARD PROCEDURE..................11
TIRE INFLATION PRESSURES.............11
TIRE PRESSURE FOR HIGH SPEED
OPERATION...........................12TIRE LEAK REPAIRING..................12
CLEANING..............................13
WHEELS
DESCRIPTION...........................13
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING.................13
WHEEL INSPECTION....................13
CLEANING..............................14
SPECIFICATIONS........................14
WHEEL COVER
DESCRIPTION...........................14
REMOVAL..............................14
INSTALLATION...........................14
WHEEL MOUNTING STUDS - FRONT
REMOVAL..............................15
INSTALLATION...........................16
WHEEL MOUNTING STUDS - REAR
REMOVAL..............................16
INSTALLATION...........................17
TIRES/WHEELS
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - TIRE AND WHEEL
VIBRATION
Tire and wheel imbalance, runout and force varia-
tion can cause vehicles to exhibit steering wheel
vibration.
VISUAL INSPECTION
Visual inspection of the vehicle is recommended
prior to road testing or performing any other proce-
dure. Raise vehicle on a suitable hoist. Refer to
Hoisting in Lubrication and Maintenance.
Inspect for the following:
²Verify correct (OEM) wheel and tire, as well as
correct wheel weights. Aluminum wheels require
unique wheel weights. They are designed to fit the
contour of the wheel (Fig. 1).
²Inspect tires and wheels for damage, mud pack-
ing and unusual wear; correct as necessary.
²Check and adjust tire air pressure to the pres-
sure listed on the label attached to the rear face of
the driver's door.
ROAD TEST
Road test vehicle on a smooth road for a least five
miles to warm tires (remove any flat spots). Lightlyplace hands on steering wheel at the 10:00 and 2:00
positions while slowly sweeping up and down from 90
to 110 km/h (55 to 70 mph) where legal speed limits
allow.
Observe the steering wheel for:
²Visual Nibble (oscillation: clockwise/counter-
clockwise, usually due to tire imbalance)
Fig. 1 Aluminum Wheel Weight
1 - TIRE
2 - WHEEL
3 - WHEEL WEIGHT
RSTIRES/WHEELS22-1
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DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - TIRE WEAR
PATTERNS
Under inflation will cause wear on the shoulders of
tire. Over inflation will cause wear at the center of
tire.
Excessive camber causes the tire to run at an
angle to the road. One side of tread is then worn
more than the other (Fig. 18).
Excessive toe-in or toe-out causes wear on the
tread edges and a feathered effect across the tread
(Fig. 18).
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - TREAD WEAR
INDICATORS
Tread wear indicators are molded into the bottom
of the tread grooves. When tread depth is 1.6 mm
(1/16 in.), the tread wear indicators will appear as a
13 mm (1/2 in.) band (Fig. 19).
Tire replacement is necessary when indicators
appear in two or more grooves or if localized balding
occurs.
STANDARD PROCEDURE - TIRE INFLATION
PRESSURES
The specified tire pressures have been chosen to
provide safe operation, vehicle stability, and a smooth
ride. The proper tire pressure specification can be
found on the Tire Inflation Pressure Label provided
with the vehicle (usually on the rear face inside the
glove box).
A quality air pressure gauge is recommended to
check tire air pressure. Tire pressure should be
checked cold once per month. Check tire pressure
more frequently when the weather temperature var-
ies widely. Tire pressure will decrease when the out-door temperature drops. After checking the air
pressure, replace valve cap finger tight.
Inflation pressures specified on the Tire Inflation
Pressure Label are always the cold inflation pressure
of the tire. Cold inflation pressure is obtained after
the vehicle has not been operated for at least 3
hours, or the vehicle is driven less than one mile
after being inoperative for 3 hours. Tire inflation
pressures may increase from 2 to 6 pounds per
square inch (psi) during operation. Do not reduce this
normal pressure buildup.
Fig. 18 Tire Wear Patterns
Fig. 19 Tread Wear Indicators
1 - TREAD ACCEPTABLE
2 - TREAD UNACCEPTABLE
3 - WEAR INDICATOR
RSTIRES/WHEELS22-11
TIRES (Continued)
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CLEANING - TIRES
Before delivery of a vehicle, remove the protective
coating on the tires with white sidewalls or raised
white letters. To remove the protective coating, apply
warm water and let it soak for a few minutes. After-
wards, scrub the coating away with a soft bristle
brush. Steam cleaning may also be used to remove
the coating.
CAUTION: DO NOT use gasoline, mineral oil, oil-
based solvent or a wire brush for cleaning.
WHEELS
DESCRIPTION - WHEEL
Original equipment wheels are designed for proper
operation at all loads up to the specified maximum
vehicle capacity.
All models use either steel or aluminum drop-cen-
ter wheels. Every wheel has raised sections between
the rim flanges and rim drop well called safety
humps (Fig. 23). Initial inflation of the tires forces
the bead over these raised sections. In case of air
loss, the safety humps hold the tire in position on the
wheel until the vehicle can be brought to a safe stop.
Cast aluminum wheels require special balance
weights to fit on the flange of the rim (Fig. 24).
When wheel alignment is necessary on a vehicle
with cast aluminum wheels, special wheel clamps are
required to avoid damage to the wheel's finish.The wheel studs and nuts are designed for specific
wheel applications and must be replaced with equiv-
alent parts.
All aluminum wheels have wheel mounting (lug)
nuts with an enlarged nose. This enlarged nose is
necessary to ensure proper retention of the wheels.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - WHEEL
INSPECTION
Inspect wheels for:
²Excessive runout
²Dents, cracks or irregular bends
²Damaged wheel stud (lug) holes
²Air Leaks
NOTE: Do not attempt to repair a wheel by hammer-
ing, heating or welding.
If a wheel is damaged, an original equipment
replacement wheel should be used. When obtaining
replacement wheels, they should be equivalent in
load carrying capacity. The diameter, width, offset,
pilot hole and bolt circle of the wheel should be the
same as the original wheel.
WARNING: FAILURE TO USE EQUIVALENT
REPLACEMENT WHEELS MAY ADVERSELY
AFFECT THE SAFETY AND HANDLING OF THE
VEHICLE.
WARNING: REPLACEMENT WITH USED WHEELS IS
NOT RECOMMENDED. THE SERVICE HISTORY OF
THE WHEEL MAY HAVE INCLUDED SEVERE TREAT-
MENT OR VERY HIGH MILEAGE. THE RIM COULD
FAIL WITHOUT WARNING.
Fig. 23 Safety Rim
1 - TIRE
2 - WELL
3 - SAFETY HUMPS
4 - FLANGE
Fig. 24 Styled Aluminum Wheel Weight
1 - TIRE
2 - WHEEL
3 - STYLED WHEEL WEIGHT
RSTIRES/WHEELS22-13
TIRES (Continued)
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