flat tire TOYOTA SUPRA 1996 User Guide

159
Your Supra has been fitted with specially
developed
tires which provide exceptional
dynamic performance under general road
conditions. However, you may also notice
that your tires wear more rapidly than standard tires as a result of their superiorperformance. The effectiveness of snow tires is lost
if the tread wears down below 4 mm(0.16 in.).
Check the tires regularly for damage
such as cuts, splits and cracks. If anydamage is found, consult with a tech-
nician and have the tire repaired or re- placed. Even if the damage does not appear seri-
ous, a qualified technician should ex-
amine the damage. Objects which havepenetrated the tire may have caused in- ternal damage.
Any tires which are over six years old
must be checked by a qualified techni-
cian even if damage is not obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This also applies to the spare tire and tires
stored for future use. REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use only the
same size and construction as origi-
nally installed and with the same or
greater load capacity.
Using
any other size or type of tire may se-
riously affect handling, ride, speedome-
ter/odometer calibration, ground clear-
ance, and clearance between the body
and tires or snow chains.
CAUTION
Do not mix radial, bias belted, or
bias-ply tires on your vehicle. It can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of control.!
Toyota recommends all four tires, or at least both of the front or rear tires be
replaced at a time as a set.
See If you have a flat tireº in Part 4 for tire
change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Wheels can get out
of balance with regular use and should
therefore be balanced occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the air
valve should also be replaced with a
new one.
Do not perform rotation of the tires,
from front to rear or from left to right,
or using the compact spare tire. Per-forming such tire rotation may result
in the tires interfering with the body or
in uneven wear of the tires, so that
steerability of the vehicle is impaired.
Tires with turning direction indicatorÐ
The tire is a uni-directional type and can-not be used for tire rotation. Using the tire
on the opposite side to the designated
side will impair the tire performance. The compact spare tireÐ
The tire is designed for temporary use
only and cannot be used for tire rotation.
Rotating tires

160WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recom-
mended when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires. SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select tires of
the same size, construction and loadcapacity as the original tires on your
Toyota.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all wheels.
Installing snow tires on the rear wheels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure to install them in the same direction when replacing.

Do not drive with the snow tires
incorrectly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75
mph) with any type of snow tires.
CAUTION!
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION Use the tire chains of correct size and type. Use SAE Class Sº type radial tire chains
except radial cable chains or V-bar type chains.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of r oad, so always check them be-
fore installing chains.
Do not install tire chains on the
255/40ZR17 tires, as this could dam-
age the vehicle body.
NOTICE
CHAIN INSTALLATION
Install the chains on the rear tires as
tightly as possible. Do not use tirechains on the front tires. Retighten
chains after driving 0.5 '1.0 km
(1/4 '1/2 mile).
When installing chains on your tires, care-fully follow the instructions of the chain
manufacturer.
If wheel covers are used, they will be
scratched by the chain band, so removethe covers before putting on the chains.
Do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) or
the chain manufacturer's recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully avoiding bumps,
holes, and sharp turns, which maycause the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel
braking, as use of chains may ad-
versely affect vehicle handling.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to use a tire chain on
the compact spare tire, as it may
result in damage to the vehicle as well as the tire.
NOTICE
Installing snow tires and chains

186Traction A, B, CÐ
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 govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor trac-
tion performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, CÐ The temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C, rep-
resenting the tire's resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled condi-tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degener- ate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure. The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires
must meet under the Federal Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of perfor- mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law. Warning: The temperature grade for this
tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessivespeed, underinflation, or excessive load- ing, either separately or in combination,can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.