2011 CHEVROLET CORVETTE tires

Black plate (59,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-59
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, see
Buying New Tires on page 10‑73.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.
Run-Flat Tires
This vehicle, when new, had run-flat
tires. There is no spare tire, no tire
changing equipment, and no place
to store a tire in the vehicle. Run-flat
tires perform so well without any air
that a Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is used to alert you if a tire
has lost pressure.
{WARNING
When the low tire warning light is
displayed on the instrument panel
cluster, your vehicle's handling
capabilities will be reduced during
severe maneuvers. If you drive
too fast, you could lose control
of your vehicle. You or others
could be injured. Do not drive
over 55 mph (90 km/h) when the
low tire warning light is displayed.
Drive cautiously and check your
tire pressures as soon as
you can.
If a tire goes flat, you will not
need to stop on the side of the
road to change the tire. You can
keep driving, however, if driven
too far or too fast, the tire may
be permanently damaged and
you might not be able to continue
driving on the tire. The tire can
be driven with no air pressure for
up to 105 km (65 miles) at speeds
slower than 90 km/h (55 mph).

Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
10-60 Vehicle Care
The shorter the distance you drive
and the slower the speed, the
greater the chance that the tire will
not have to be replaced. As soon
as possible, contact the nearest
authorized GM or run-flat servicing
facility for inspection and repair or
replacement. When a tire is filled
with air, it provides a cushion
between the road and the wheel.
Because you will not have this
cushion when driving on a deflated
run-flat tire, try to avoid potholes
and other road hazards that could
damage the tire and/or wheel
beyond repair. When a tire has been
damaged, or if you have driven any
distance on a run-flat tire, check
with an authorized run-flat tire
service center to determine whether
the tire can be repaired or should be
replaced. To maintain your vehicle's
run-flat feature, all replacement tires
must be run-flat tires.To locate the nearest GM or run-flat
servicing facility, call Roadside
Assistance. For phone numbers
and Roadside Service details see
Roadside Assistance Program
(United States and Canada) on
page 13‑8
orRoadside Assistance
Program (Mexico) on page 13‑10.
The valve stems on your run-flat
tires have sensors that are part of
the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS). See Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑68. These
sensors contain batteries which are
designed to last for 10 years under
normal driving conditions. See your
dealer if you ever need to have a
wheel replaced, or if the sensors
ever need replacement. Notice:
Using liquid sealants
can damage the tire valves and
tire pressure monitor sensors
in the vehicle's run-flat tires.
This damage would not be
covered by warranty. Do not use
liquid sealants in the vehicle's
run-flat tires.
Low-Profile Tires
Low‐Profile Performance Tire
The original equipment tires on
your vehicle are classified as
low‐profile performance tires.
These tires are designed for
very responsive driving on wet
or dry pavement. You may also
notice more road noise with
low‐profile tires and that they
tend to wear faster.

Black plate (61,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-61
Notice:If the vehicle has
low‐profile tires, they are more
susceptible to damage from
road hazards or curb impact
than standard profile 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.
The vehicle warranty does not
cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct
inflation pressure and, when
possible avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other
road hazards.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a
tire is molded into its sidewall.
The example below shows a
typical passenger (p‐metric)
tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size
is a combination of letters
and numbers used to define
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
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications 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.

Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
10-62 Vehicle Care
(D) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following DOT code are the Tire
Identification 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
see Uniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 10‑76. (G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following illustration shows
an example of a typical
passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of
a metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S.
Tire and Rim Association. (B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio
:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A
letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or
bias ply construction; and the
letter B means belted‐bias ply
construction.

Black plate (65,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-65
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:A
tire used on passenger cars and
some light duty trucks and
multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Inflation
Pressure
:Vehicle
manufacturer's recommended
tire inflation pressure as
shown on the tire placard.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑66 andVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑14.
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 1.6 mm
(1/16 inch) of tread remains.
See When It Is Time for New
Tires on page 10‑72. 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.
See
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 10‑76.
Vehicle Capacity Weight
:
The number of designated
seating positions multiplied by
68 kg (150 lbs) plus the rated
cargo load. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑14.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the
Tire
:Load on an individual tire
due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and
cargo weight.

Black plate (66,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
10-66 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Placard:A label
permanently attached to
a vehicle showing the vehicle's
capacity weight and the
original equipment tire size
and recommended inflation
pressure. See “Tire and Loading
Information Label” underVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑14.
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount
of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice: Do not let anyone tell
you that under‐inflation or
over‐inflation is all right. It is
not. If your tires do not have
enough air (under‐inflation),
you can get the following:
.Tire overloading and
over-heating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air
(over‐inflation), you can get
the following:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.
A vehicle specific Tire and
Loading Information label
is attached to your vehicle.
This label shows your vehicle's
original equipment tires and the
correct inflation pressures for
your tires when they are cold. The recommended cold tire
inflation 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
Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑14.
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.

Black plate (67,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-67
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they are under‐inflated. Check
the tire's inflation 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
gauge firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no
further adjustment is necessary.
If the inflation pressure is low,
add air until you reach the
recommended amount.If you overfill 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 gauge.
Be sure to put the valve caps
back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by
keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Pressure for
High-Speed Operation
{WARNING
Driving at high speeds, 160 km/h
(100 mph) 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
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
inflation 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
inflation pressure for the
vehicle load.
If you will be driving your vehicle at
speeds of 175 mph (282 km/h) or
higher, where it is legal, set the cold
inflation pressure to the maximum
inflation pressure shown on the
tire sidewall, or 38 psi (265 kPa),
whichever is lower. See the
example following. When you end
this high-speed driving, return the
tires to the cold inflation pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑14.

Black plate (68,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
10-68 Vehicle Care
Example:
You will find the maximum load and
inflation pressure molded on the
tire's sidewall, in small letters,
near the rim flange. It will read
something like this: Maximum load
690 kg (1521 lbs) 300 kPa (44 psi)
Max. Press.
For this example, you would set the
inflation pressure for high‐speed
driving at 38 psi (265 kPa).
Racing or other competitive driving
may affect the warranty coverage
of your vehicle. See your warranty
booklet for more information.Tire Pressure Monitor
System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) uses radio and sensor
technology to check tire pressure
levels. The TPMS sensors monitor
the air pressure in your tires and
transmit tire pressure readings to a
receiver located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare
(if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly
under‐inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure. Driving on
a significantly under‐inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under‐inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and
tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping
ability.