tire type CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1998 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”\

those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot
off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.
If your TCS system is off, then an acceleration slud
is also best handled by easing your foot
off the
accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs. Of
course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll\

want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues --
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to
make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service
tow your vehicle. They can provide the right equipment
and know-how to tow your vehicle without damage.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory new by adding aftermarket items like
fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you
do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed with sling-type equipment.
0 That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
0 If the vehicle is to be towed from the rear with a
wheel-lift truck, a front dolly will be required.
When the towing service arrives; let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want
to
see them.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (55 kh), 50 miles (80 km)
I NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or bumper,
fog lamps and air dam damage will occur. Use
wheel-lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car-carrier
equipment. Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Use the shipping slots for car-carrier securing.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the rear wheels
unless you have to.
If the vehicle must be towed
on the rear wheels, don’t exceed the tow limits or
your transmission will be damaged.
NOTICE: (Continued) NOTICE: (Continued)
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage the vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or
J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use R-hooks inserted in the
shipping slots.
I NOTICE:
When using wheel-lift equipment, front tire to
ground clearance distance must be a minimum of
17 inches (43 cm) and a maximum of 22 inches
(56 cm) or damage will occur.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rear Towing
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper will be damaged. Use wheel-lift or
car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping may
be required for car-carrier equipment. Use safety
chains and wheel straps. Use the shipping slots
for car-carrier securing. When using wheel-lift
equipment, a towing dolly must be used under
the front wheels or vehicle damage will occur.
When using wheel-lift equipment, rear tire to
ground clearance distance must be
a minimum of
13 inches (33 cm) and a maximum of 18 inches
(46 cm) or damage will occur.
NOTICE: (Continued)
5-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Rotation
The tires on your Corvette are directional and are
different sizes front to rear. Due to this, your tires should
not be rotated. Each tire and wheel should be used only
in the position it is in.
When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only 1/16 inch (1.6
mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if
any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
0 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
can’t be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
6-45

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine /i CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes (other
than those originally installed on your vehicle) or
types (radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle
may not handle properly, and you could have
a
crash. Using tires of different sizes (other than
those originally installed on your vehicle) may
also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use
the correct size and type tires on all four wheels.
If you feel that winter tires are needed, see “Extended
Mobility Tires” in the Index.
A CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
~ wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could
1 fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply
~ tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 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 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.
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
(1 1/2) 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 -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they 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 braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
6-47

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you or someone else is going to remove the wheels on
your vehicle, make sure that the special wheel nut socket
and wheel lock key
are being used.
NOTICE:
Your wheels could be damaged if the wheel nut
socket
is not used to remove your vehicle’s wheels.
The wheel nut socket can be used with an air wrench or
a torque wrench. The wheel lock key can be used with a
torque wrench, but not with an air or impact wrench.
I NOTICE:
Your wheel lock key or lock nuts could be
damaged if an
air or impact wrench is used with
this key.
Tire Chains
NOTICE:
Don’t use tire chains. They can damage your
vehicle because there’s not enough clearance.
Use another type of traction device only
if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions.
To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device
if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit, install
them on the rear tires.
6-51

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Corvette has a “basecoatlclearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that
are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoatklearcoat
paint finish.
NOTICE: I
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
1
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible.
If
necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years.
You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Cleaning Your Convertible Top
Your convertible top should be cleaned often. If you use
an automatic car wash, use one with water jets and
hanging cloths. High pressure car washes may cause
water to enter your vehicle.
When you hand wash the top, do it in partial shade. Use
a mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft sponge.
A
chamois or cloth may leave lint on the top, and a brush
can chafe the threads in the top fabric. Don’t use
detergents, harsh cleaners, solvents or bleaching agents.
Wet the entire vehicle and wash the top evenly to avoid
spots or rings. Let the soap remain on the fabric for a
few minutes. When the top is really dirty, use a mild
foam-type cleaner. Thoroughly rinse the entire vehicle,
then let the top dry in direct sunlight.
To protect the convertible top:
After you wash the vehicle, make sure the top is
completely dry before you lower it.
Don’t get any cleaner on the vehicle’s painted finish;
If you decide to go through an automatic car wash,
ask the manager if the equipment could damage
your top. it could leave streaks.
6-57

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Appearance Care Materials Chart
PART NUMBER USAGE DESCRIPTION
SIZE
994954
Exterior polishing cloth
Polishing Cloth - Wax
Treated
23 in. x 25 in.
1050172
Use on chrome, stainless steel, nickel, copper and brass
Chrome Cleaner and Polish 16
02. (0.473 L) 1050173 Removes
tar, road oil and asphalt
Tar and Road Oil Remover
16 02. (0.473 L)
1050174
I 16 oz. (0.473 L) I White Sidewall Tire Cleaner I Removes soil and black marks from whitewalls
1050214
I 32 oz. (0.946 L) I Vinyl Cleaner I Cleans vinyl tops, upholstery and convertible tops I
1050427 I 23 02. (0.680 L) I Glass Cleaner I Removes dirt, grime, smoke and fingerprints
1052870
I 16 02. (0.473 L) I Wash Wax Concentrate I Cleans and lightly waxes
1052918**
I 8 02. (0.237 L) I Armor AUT’ Protectant I
Protects leather, wood, acrylics, Plexiglas , plastic,
rubber and vinyl
1052925
I 16 02. (0.473 L) I Multi-Purpose Interior Cleans carpets,
seats, interior trim, door panels
I Cleaner and floor mats
1052929
I 16 oz. (0.473 L) I Wheel Cleaner I Spray on and rinse with water
1052930
Shines vehicle without scratching Synthetic Chamois
2.5 sq. ft.
12345721 Cleans and
shines a variety
of surface types Armor
All TM Cleaner
16 oz. (0.473 L)
12345002 Attracts, absorbs and
removes soils
Capture
Dry Spot Remover 8 02. (0.237 L)
12345725
See your General Motors Parts Department for these products.
** Not recommended for use on instrument panel vinyl.
Removes
contaminants, blemishes and swirl marks Surface Cleaner
16
oz. (0.473 L) 12377984 Removes light scratches and oxidation and protects finish Cleane\
r
Wax 16 02. (0.473 L)
12377966 Removes
dust, fingerprints and surface contaminants
Finish Enhancer
16
02. (0.473 L)
12377964 Spray
on tire shine Silicone
Tire Shine 12 02. (0.354 L)
See “Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
6-61