1997 Chevrolet Lumina Owner's Manual - Page 275

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 size of tires you need,look at and the Tire-Loading Information label. The tires installed on your vehicle whenit was new had a TirePerformance Criteria Specification (TPCSpec) number on each tire's sidewall. When you get tires, new get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way your vehicle willcontinue to have tires that are designed to give properendurance, handling, speed rating, traction, ride and other things duringnormal service on your vehicle.If your tires have an all-season tread design, the TPC number willbe followed by an "MS" (for mudand snow). Mixing tires could cause 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, and you could have crash. a Using tires of different sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same size and type tires on all wheels. It's all right to drive with your compact spare, though. It was developed for use on your vehicle. Uniform Tire Quality Grading The following information relates tothe 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 the United States.)The in grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does . not apply todeep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to30 cm), or to some limited-production tires. 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. 6-43