1995 Chevrolet Corvette Owner's Manual - Page 288

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 tovariations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate. excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger cartires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance 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. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, eitherseparately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. These grades are molded on thesidewalls of passenger car tires. While the tires available as standard or optional equipment on General Motors vehicles may vary with respect to thesegrades, all such tires meet General Motors performance standards and have been approved for useon General Motors vehicles. All passenger type (P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety requirements in addition to these grades. Traction A, B, C The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B, and C. 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. - Temperature A, B, C The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and - 6-53