1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner's Manual - Page 278

A CAUTION: Mixing tires couldcause you to lose control while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not handle properly, andyou could have a crash. Using tires of different sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same size and type tires on all four wheels. It's all right to drive with your compact spare, though. It was developed for use on vehicle. your 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 of performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions their use, however, and may depart significantly fiom the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate. 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. Uniform The Tire Quality Grading system does not apply deep tread, to winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires. Traction A, B, C The traction grades, from highest to lowest, areA, B, and C, and they represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on k specified government test surfacesof asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction performance. Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turning) traction. - 6-40