1997 Buick Riviera Owner's Manual - Page 285

Traction A, B, C 7 The traction grades, from highest to lowest, areB, and A, -C, they represent the tire's ability to stop on wet and cpavementas measured under controlled conditions on of :specified government test surfaces asphalt and concrete. -Atire marked C may have poor traction performance. -- Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. Wheel Alignment andTire Balance v. 'Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced ion braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire Life mclude cornering (turning) traction. and best overall performance. Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not Temperature A, B, C needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or The temperature gradesare A (the highest),B, and C, your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment arepresenting the tire's resistance the generation of to If may need to be reset. you notice your vehicle !heat andits ability to dissipate heat when tested under vibrating when drivingon a smooth road, your wheels gcontrolled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory may need to be rebalanced. ,test wheel. Sustained high temperature cause the can :material of the tire to degenerate and reduce life, and tire nexcessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. of The grade C corresponds to a level performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the No. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels performance on the of laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law. --