tire size CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX 2007 6.G Owners Manual

The Tire and Loading Information label also shows
the tire size of the original equipment tires (C) and
the recommended cold tire ination pressures (D).
For more information on tires and ination see
Tires on page 397andInation - Tire Pressure
on page 406.
There is also important loading information on the
Certication label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see
“Certication Label” later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX pounds” on your
vehicle placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or
XXX pounds.4. The resulting gure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX” amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be ve 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how
this reduces the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
If your vehicle can tow a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 333for important information
on towing a trailer, towing safety rules,
and trailering tips.
325

Tires............................................................ 397
Winter Tires.............................................. 398
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 399
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 403
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 406
High-Speed Operation............................... 407
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 408
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 409
Buying New Tires...................................... 410
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 412
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 412
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 414
Wheel Replacement.................................. 414
Tire Chains............................................... 416
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 417
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 418
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 419
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 422
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools
(Sedan).................................................. 428
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools
(Sedan SS)............................................ 430Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools
(All MAXX Models)................................. 432
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 434
Appearance Care........................................ 435
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 435
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 436
Leather...................................................... 437
Ultra Lux Suede........................................ 438
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 438
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 439
Weatherstrips............................................ 439
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 439
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 440
Finish Care............................................... 440
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 440
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 441
Tires......................................................... 441
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 442
Finish Damage.......................................... 442
Underbody Maintenance............................ 442
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 442
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
342

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.
398

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
399

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
400

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.
401

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 rst 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.
(E) Rim Diameter:Diameter of the wheel in
inches.
(F) Service Description:These characters
represent the load range and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents the load carry
capacity a tire is certied to carry. The load index
can range from 1 to 279. The speed rating is
the maximum speed a tire is certied to carry a
load. Speed ratings range from A to Z.
402

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.
405

You need a new tire 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.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires
for your vehicle. The original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle, when it was new,
were designed to meet General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria Specication (TPC spec)
system rating. If you need replacement tires,
GM strongly recommends that you get tires with
the same TPC Spec rating. This way, your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed to
give the same performance and vehicle safety,
during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications 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 by the tire manufacturer.
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 399for additional information.
410

{CAUTION:
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 may not
handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may also cause damage
to your vehicle. Be sure to use the correct
size, brand, and type of tires on all
wheels. It is all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on your vehicle. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 434.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim anges 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 your 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.
Your vehicle’s original equipment tires are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information label. This
label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar
(B-pillar). SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 324,
for more information about the Tire and Loading
Information label and its location on your vehicle.
411