1998 Chevrolet Prizm Owner's Manual - Page 266

When It's Time for New Tires One way to tell when it's time for new tires is to check the treadwear indicators, which will appear when your tires have only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or less of tread remaining. Buying New Tires To find outwhat kind and sizeof tires you need,look at the Tire-Loading Information label. Make sure the replacements are the same size, load range, speed rating and construction type (bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires. You need a new tire if any of thefollowing statements are true: 0 You can see the indicators at three or more places around the tire. 0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire's rubber. 0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep enough to show cord or fabric. The tire has a bump, bulge or split. 0 The tire has a puncture, cut or other damagethat can't be repaired well because of the size or location of the damage. Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while driving. If you mixtires of different sizes or types (radial andbias-belted tires), the vehicle may not handle properly, and you could havea crash. Using tires of different sizes may also cause damage to yourvehicle. Be sure touse the same size and type tires on all wheels. It's all right to drive with your compact spare, though. It was developedfor use on your vehicle. 6-40