
Black plate (64,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-64 Vehicle Care
Tire Inspection
We recommend that you
regularly inspect your vehicle's
tires, including the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, for signs
of wear or damage at least once
a month.
Always remove the tires if any
of the following statements
are true:
.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.
.The tire has a bump, bulge,
or split.
.The tire has a puncture, cut,
or other damage that cannot
be repaired well because of
the size or location of the
damage.
Tire Rotation
Tires should be rotated every
12 000 km (7,500 miles).
SeeScheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑2.
The purpose of a regular tire
rotation is to achieve a uniform
wear for all tires on the vehicle.
This will ensure that the vehicle
continues to perform most like it
did when the tires were new.
Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate the tires as soon
as possible and check wheel
alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time for New
Tires on page 10‑65 andWheel
Replacement on page 10‑71.
When rotating the vehicle's tires,
always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Do not include the spare tire in
the tire rotation.

Black plate (65,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-65
After the tires have been
rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. SeeTire
Pressure on page 10‑57
and Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑24.
Reset the Tire Pressure Monitor
System. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on
page 10‑60.
Make certain that all wheel
nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
off and cause an accident. When
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where
the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, use a cloth or a
paper towel to do this; but be sure
to use a scraper or wire brush
later, if needed, to get all the rust
or dirt off. SeeIf a Tire Goes Flat
on page 10‑73.
Lightly coat the center of the
wheel hub with wheel bearing
grease after a wheel change or
tire rotation to prevent corrosion
or rust build-up. Do not get
grease on the flat wheel
mounting surface or on the
wheel nuts or bolts.
When It Is Time for New
Tires
Various factors, such as
maintenance, temperatures, driving
speeds, vehicle loading, and road
conditions influence when you need
new tires.
One way to tell when it is time for
new tires is to check the treadwear
indicators, which appear when the
tires have only 1.6 mm (1/16 in)
or less of tread remaining.

Black plate (67,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-67
GM's exclusive TPC Spec system
considers over a dozen critical
specifications that impact the
overall performance of your
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure
monitoring performance. GM's TPC
Spec number is molded onto the
tire's sidewall near the tire size.
If the tires have an all‐season
tread design, the TPC spec number
will be followed by an MS for mud
and snow. SeeTire Sidewall
Labeling on page 10‑52 for
additional information.
GM recommends replacing tires in
sets of four. This is because uniform
tread depth on all tires will help
keep your vehicle performing most
like it did when the tires were new.
Replacing less than a full set of
tires can affect the braking and
handling performance of your
vehicle. See Tire Inspection on
page 10‑64 andTire Rotation on
page 10‑64 for information on
proper tire rotation.{WARNING
Tires could explode during
improper service. You or others
could be injured or killed if you
attempt to mount or dismount
a tire. Only your dealer or an
authorized tire service center
should mount and dismount the
tires.
{WARNING
Mixing tires could cause you to
lose control while driving. If you
mix tires of different sizes,
brands, or types (radial and
bias-belted tires), the vehicle
might not handle properly, and
you could have a crash. Using
tires of different sizes, brands,
or types could also cause
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
damage to your vehicle. Be sure
to use the same size, brand, and
type of tires on all wheels.
Your vehicle may have a different
size spare than the road tires
(those originally installed on your
vehicle). When new, your vehicle
included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with a similar overall
diameter as your vehicle's road
tires and wheels, so it is all right
to drive on it. Because this spare
was developed for use on your
vehicle, it will not affect vehicle
handling.

Black plate (68,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-68 Vehicle Care
{WARNING
If you use bias-ply tires on the
vehicle, the wheel rim flanges
could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail
suddenly, causing a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle's
tires with those that do not have a
TPC Spec number, make sure they
are the same size, load range,
speed rating, and construction type
(radial and bias‐belted tires) as your
vehicle's original tires. Vehicles that have a tire pressure
monitoring system may give an
inaccurate low‐pressure warning
if non‐TPC Spec-rated tires are
installed on your vehicle. Non‐TPC
Spec-rated tires may give a
low‐pressure warning that is higher
or lower than the proper warning
level you would get with TPC
Spec-rated tires. See
Tire Pressure
Monitor System on page 10‑59.
Your vehicle's original equipment
tires are listed on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
See Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑24 for more information
about the Tire and Loading
Information label and its location
on your vehicle.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are
a different size than your original
equipment wheels and tires, this
could affect the way your vehicle
performs, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, and electronic stability
control, the performance of these
systems can be affected.

Black plate (69,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-69
{WARNING
If you add different sized wheels,
your vehicle may not provide
an acceptable level of
performance and safety if tires
not recommended for those
wheels are selected. You may
increase the chance that you will
crash and suffer serious injury.
Only use GM specific wheel and
tire systems developed for your
vehicle, and have them properly
installed by a GM certified
technician.
See Buying New Tires on
page 10‑66 andAccessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3 for
additional information.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), 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 (UTQG) 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.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.

Black plate (70,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-70 Vehicle Care
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 (1½) 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
–AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades 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 straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics. 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 Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum

Black plate (71,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-71
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 tires and wheels on the vehicle
were aligned and balanced carefully
at the factory to give the longest tire
life and best overall performance.
Adjustments to wheel alignment and
tire balancing will not be necessary
on a regular basis. However, if there
is unusual tire wear or the vehicle
pulls to one side or the other, the
alignment should be checked. If the
vehicle vibrates when driving on a
smooth road, the tires and wheels
might need to be rebalanced. See
your dealer for proper diagnosis.
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 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 the
wheels, wheel bolts, wheel nuts,
or Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) sensors, replace them only
with new GM original equipment
parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts,
wheel nuts, and TPMS sensors for
the vehicle.{WARNING
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 If a Tire Goes Flat on
page 10‑73 for more information.

Black plate (72,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-72 Vehicle Care
Used Replacement Wheels
{WARNING
Putting a used wheel on the
vehicle is dangerous. You cannot
know how it has been used
or how far it has been driven.
It could fail suddenly and cause
a crash. If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{WARNING
Do not use tire chains. There is
not enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to
lose control of the vehicle and
you or others may be injured
in a crash. Use another type of(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for
use on the vehicle and tire size
combination and road conditions.
Follow that manufacturer's
instructions. To help avoid
damage to the vehicle, drive
slowly, re‐adjust or remove the
device if it is contacting the
vehicle, and do not spin the
wheels. If you do find traction
devices that will fit, install them
on the rear tires.