2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX tires

Low-Prole Performance Tire
If your vehicle has P225/50R18 or P225/50R17
size tires, they are classied as low-prole
performance tires. These tires are designed
for very responsive driving on wet or dry
pavement. You may also notice more road
noise with low-prole performance tires and
that they tend to wear faster.
Notice:If your vehicle has low-prole tires,
they are more susceptible to damage from
road hazards or curb impact than standard
prole tires. Tire and/or wheel assembly
damage can occur when coming into contact
with road hazards like, potholes, or sharp
edged objects, or when sliding into a curb.
Your GM warranty does not cover this type
of damage. Keep tires set to the correct
ination pressure and, when possible avoid
contact with curbs, potholes, and other
road hazards.
Winter Tires
If you expect to drive on snow or ice covered
roads often, you may want to get winter tires for
your vehicle. All season tires provide good overall
performance on most surfaces but they may
not offer the traction you would like or the same
level of performance as winter tires on snow or ice
covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are designed for
increased traction on snow and ice covered roads.
With winter tires, there may be decreased dry
road traction, increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After switching to winter tires, be alert
for changes in vehicle handling and braking.
See your dealer for details regarding winter
tire availability and proper tire selection.
Also, seeBuying New Tires on page 410.
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If you choose to use winter tires:
Use tires of the same brand and tread type on
all four wheel positions.
Use only radial ply tires of the same size, load
range, and speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed rating as your
original equipment tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y, and ZR speed rated tires. If you choose
winter tires with a lower speed rating, never
exceed the tire’s maximum speed capability.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire
sidewall.
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a combination of
letters and numbers used to dene a particular
tire’s width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “Tire Size”
illustration later in this section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specic tire performance criteria have
a TPC specication code molded onto the sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
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GM’s TPC specications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of Transportation):
The Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(D) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters
and numbers following DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identication
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire
was manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both
sides of the tire, although only one side may have
the date of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG):
Tire manufacturers are required to grade
tires based on three performance factors:
treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance.
For more information seeUniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 412.(G) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
(A) Temporary Use Only:The compact spare
tire or temporary use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and should
not be driven at speeds over 65 mph (105 km/h).
Compact Spare Tire Example
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The compact spare tire is for emergency use
when a regular road tire has lost air and gone at.
If your vehicle has a compact spare tire, see
Compact Spare Tire on page 434andIf a Tire
Goes Flat on page 417.
(B) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(C) Tire Identication Number (TIN):The letters
and numbers following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identication
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire
was manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both
sides of the tire, although only one side may have
the date of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination Load Limit:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.(E) Tire Ination:The temporary use tire or
compact spare tire should be inated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on tire pressure
and ination seeInation - Tire Pressure on
page 406.
(F) Tire Size:A combination of letters and
numbers dene a tire’s width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service description. The
letter T as the rst character in the tire size means
the tire is for temporary use only.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specication):Original equipment tires designed
to GM’s specic tire performance criteria have
a TPC specication code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
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Radial Ply Tire:A pneumatic tire in which the
ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of the tread.
Rim:A metal support for a tire and upon which
the tire beads are seated.
Sidewall:The portion of a tire between the tread
and the bead.
Speed Rating:An alphanumeric code assigned
to a tire indicating the maximum speed at
which a tire can operate.
Traction:The friction between the tire and the
road surface. The amount of grip provided.
Tread:The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators:Narrow bands, sometimes
called wear bars, that show across the tread of
a tire when only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
remains. SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires on
page 409.UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards):A tire information system that
provides consumers with ratings for a tire’s
traction, temperature, and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The ratings are
molded into the sidewall of the tire. SeeUniform
Tire Quality Grading on page 412.
Vehicle Capacity Weight:The number of
designated seating positions multiplied by 150 lbs
(68 kg) plus the rated cargo load. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 324.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:Load on an
individual tire due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard:A label permanently attached to
a vehicle showing the vehicle’s capacity weight
and the original equipment tire size and
recommended ination pressure. See “Tire and
Loading Information Label” underLoading
Your Vehicle on page 324.
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Ination - Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of air pressure to
operate effectively.
Notice:Do not let anyone tell you that
under-ination or over-ination is all right. It is
not. If your tires do not have enough air
(under-ination), you can get the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (over-ination),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazardsA Tire and Loading Information label is attached to
the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). This label
shows your vehicle’s original equipment tires and
the correct ination pressures for your tires
when they are cold. The recommended cold tire
ination pressure, shown on the label, is the
minimum amount of air pressure needed to
support your vehicle’s maximum load carrying
capacity.
For additional information regarding how much
weight your vehicle can carry, and an example of
the Tire and Loading Information label, see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 324. How you load
your vehicle affects vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load your vehicle with more weight
than it was designed to carry.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Do not
forget to check the compact spare tire, it should be
at 60 psi (420 kPa). For additional information
regarding the compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 434.
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How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are
properly inated simply by looking at them. Radial
tires may look properly inated even when they
are under-inated. Check the tire’s ination
pressure when the tires are cold. Cold means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours
or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem.
Press the tire gage rmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement. If the cold tire
ination pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading Information
label, no further adjustment is necessary. If the
ination pressure is low, add air until you reach the
recommended amount.
If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on
the metal stem in the center of the tire valve.
Re-check the tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
High-Speed Operation
{CAUTION:
Driving at high speeds, 100 mph (160 km/h)
or higher, puts an additional strain on tires.
Sustained high-speed driving causes
excessive heat build up and can cause
sudden tire failure. You could have a crash
and you or others could be killed. Some
high-speed rated tires require ination
pressure adjustment for high speed
operation. When speed limits and road
conditions are such that a vehicle can be
driven at high speeds, make sure the tires
are rated for high speed operation, in
excellent condition, and set to the
correct cold tire ination pressure for the
vehicle load.
Set the cold tire ination pressure to
35 psi (241 kPa) for the front and rear tires, when
operating your vehicle at high-speed conditions.
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When you end high-speed driving return the tires
to the cold ination pressure shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 324andInation - Tire
Pressure on page 406.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 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.
SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires on page 409
andWheel Replacement on page 414for
more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The
rst rotation is the most important. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 460.When rotating your tires, always use the correct
rotation pattern shown here.
Do not include the compact spare tire in your tire
rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front
and rear ination pressures as shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly
tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specications on page 454.
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