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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.
(5) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(6) 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 0405. (7) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load. For
information on recommended
tire pressure see Tire Pressure
0 392 and Vehicle Load Limits
0 239.
(8) Temporary Use Only
:Only
use a temporary spare tire until
the road tire is repaired and
replaced. This spare tire should
not be driven on over 112 km/h
(70 mph), or 88 km/h (55 mph)
when pulling a trailer, with the
proper inflation pressure. See
Full-Size Spare Tire 0420.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Tire Size:The tire size code
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.

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(2) 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.
(3) Dual Tire Maximum Load
:
Maximum load that can be
carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support that
load when used in a dual
configuration. For information on
recommended tire pressure see
Tire Pressure 0392 and Vehicle
Load Limits 0239.
(4) 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.
DOT Tire Date of
Manufacture
:The last four
digits of the TIN indicate the tire
manufactured date. The first two
digits represent the week
(01-52) and the last two digits,
the year. For example, the third
week of the year 2010 would
have a four-digit DOT date
of 0310.
(5) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the 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. (6) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(7) Single Tire Maximum
Load
:Maximum load that can
be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support that
load when used as a single. For
information on recommended
tire pressure see Tire Pressure
0 392 and Vehicle Load Limits
0 239.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The examples show a typical
passenger vehicle and light
truck tire size.

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
(1) 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.
(2) Tire Width
:The three-digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio
:A two-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 75, as shown in
item C of the tire illustration, it would mean that the tire's
sidewall is 75 percent as high as
it is wide.
(4) 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.
(5) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(6) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents
the load carrying capacity a tire
is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Light Truck (LT-Metric)
Tire
:The United States version
of a metric tire sizing system.
The letters LT as the first two
characters in the tire size mean
a light truck tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(2) Tire Width
:The three-digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio
:A two-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 75, as shown in
item 3 of the light truck
(LT-Metric) tire illustration, it

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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would mean that the tire's
sidewall is 75 percent as high as
it is wide.
(4) 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.
(5) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(6) Load Range
:Load Range.
(7) Service Description
:The
service description indicates the
load index and speed rating of a
tire. If two numbers are given as
in the example, 120/116, then
this represents the load index for
single versus dual wheel usage
(single/dual). The speed rating is
the maximum speed a tire is
certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples of
optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords between the plies and the
tread. Cords may be made from
steel or other reinforcing
materials. Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a tire,
measured in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch)
before a tire has built up heat
from driving. See Tire Pressure
0 392.
Curb Weight
:The weight of a
motor vehicle with standard and
optional equipment including the
maximum capacity of fuel, oil,
and coolant, but without
passengers and cargo.
DOT Markings
:A code molded
into the sidewall of a tire
signifying that the tire is in
compliance with the U.S.

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Caution
Neither tire underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires
that do not have enough air,
can result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
Overinflated tires, or tires that
have too much air, can
result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards. The Tire and Loading
Information label on the vehicle
indicates the original equipment
tires and the correct cold tire
inflation pressures. The
recommended pressure is the
minimum air pressure needed to
support the vehicle's maximum
load carrying capacity.
For additional information
regarding how much weight the
vehicle can carry, and an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, see
Vehicle
Load Limits 0239. How the
vehicle is loaded affects vehicle
handling and ride comfort. Never
load the vehicle with more
weight than it was designed to
carry.
When to Check
Check the tires once a month
or more. Do not forget the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one. See
Full-Size Spare Tire
0420 for
additional information.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
Proper tire inflation cannot be
determined by looking at the tire.
Check the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are cold, meaning
the vehicle has not been driven
for at least three hours or no
more than 1.6 km (1 mi).
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 the recommended
pressure is reached. If the

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{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
This vehicle may have a
different size spare than the
road tires originally installed
on the vehicle. When new, the
vehicle included a spare tire
and wheel assembly with a
similar overall diameter as the
road tires and wheels, so it is
all right to drive on it. The
spare tire was developed for
use on this vehicle and will not
affect vehicle handling.{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’ maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires. Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0394.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 239 for the label location and
more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,

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Tire Chains
{Warning
If the vehicle has dual wheels or
265/65R18, P265/65R18,
P275/55R20, LT265/70R17,
LT265/70R18, LT265/60R20,
LT275/65R18, P285/50R20,
285/45R22, or P285/45R22 size
tires, do not use tire chains. They
can damage the vehicle because
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 traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for use on the
vehicle and tire size combination(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
and road conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
help avoid damage to the vehicle,
drive slowly, readjust, or remove
the device if it is contacting the
vehicle, and do not spin the
vehicle's wheels.
If you do find traction devices that
will fit, install them on the rear
tires.
Caution
If the vehicle does not have dual
wheels and has a tire size other
than 265/65R18, P265/65R18,
P275/55R20, LT265/70R17,
LT265/70R18, LT265/60R20,
LT275/65R18, P285/50R20,
285/45R22, or P285/45R22, use
tire chains only where legal and
only when you must. Use chains
that are the proper size for the(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
tires. Install them on the tires of
the rear axle. Do not use chains
on the tires of the front axle.
Tighten them as tightly as
possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow
the chain manufacturer's
instructions. If you can hear the
chains contacting the vehicle,
stop and retighten them. If the
contact continues, slow down
until it stops. Driving too fast or
spinning the wheels with chains
on will damage the vehicle.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it is much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if there ever is a
blowout, here are a few tips about
what to expect and what to do:

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3. Assemble the wheel blocks (2)and jack (7) together with the
wing nut (1) and retaining
bolt (8).
4. Position the jack (7) in the mounting bracket (6). Position
the holes in the base of the
jack (7) onto the pin in the
mounting bracket (6).
5. Return them to their original location in the vehicle. See
“Removing the Spare Tire and
Tools.”
Full-Size Spare Tire
If this vehicle came with a full-size
spare tire, it was fully inflated when
new, however, it can lose air over
time. Check the inflation pressure
regularly. See Tire Pressure0392
and Vehicle Load Limits 0239. For
instructions on how to remove,
install, or store a spare tire, see Tire
Changing 0410.
If equipped with a temporary use
full-size spare tire, it is indicated on
the tire sidewall. See Tire Sidewall
Labeling 0386. This spare tire should not be driven on over
112 km/h (70 mph), or 88 km/h
(55 mph) when pulling a trailer, at
the proper inflation pressure. Repair
and replace the road tire as soon as
it is convenient, and stow the spare
tire for future use.
Caution
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive
and a different size spare tire is
installed, do not drive in
four-wheel drive until the flat tire
is repaired and/or replaced. The
vehicle could be damaged and
the repairs would not be covered
by the warranty. Never use
four-wheel drive when a different
size spare tire is installed on the
vehicle.
The vehicle may have a different
size spare tire than the road tires
originally installed on the vehicle.
This spare tire was developed for
use on this vehicle, so it is all right
to drive on it. If the vehicle has four-wheel drive and a different size
spare tire is installed, drive only in
two-wheel drive.
After installing the spare tire on the
vehicle, stop as soon as possible
and check that the spare tire is
correctly inflated.
Have the damaged or flat road tire
repaired or replaced and installed
back onto the vehicle as soon as
possible so the spare tire will be
available in case it is needed again.
Do not mix tires and wheels of
different sizes, because they will not
fit. Keep your spare tire and its
wheel together. If the vehicle has a
spare tire that does not match the
original road tires and wheels in size
and type, do not include the spare in
the tire rotation.