1996 Toyota Supra Owners Manual - Page 165

Rotating tires Your Supra has been fitted with specially developed tires which provide exceptional dynamic performance under general road conditions. However, you may also notice that your tires wear more rapidly than standard tires as a result of their superior performance. The effectiveness of snow tires is lost if the tread wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.). Check the tires regularly for damage such as cuts, splits and cracks. If any damage is found, consult with a technician and have the tire repaired or replaced. Even if the damage does not appear serious, a qualified technician should examine the damage. Objects which have penetrated the tire may have caused internal damage. Any tires which are over six years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if damage is not obvious. Tires deteriorate with age even if they have never or seldom been used. This also applies to the spare tire and tires stored for future use. REPLACING YOUR TIRES When replacing a tire, use only the same size and construction as originally installed and with the same or greater load capacity. Using any other size or type of tire may seriously affect handling, ride, speedometer/odometer calibration, ground clearance, and clearance between the body and tires or snow chains. ! CAUTION Do not mix radial, bias belted, or bias-ply tires on your vehicle. It can cause dangerous handling characteristics, resulting in loss of control. Toyota recommends all four tires, or at least both of the front or rear tires be replaced at a time as a set. See "If you have a flat tire" in Part 4 for tire change procedure. When a tire is replaced, the wheel should always be balanced. An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle handling and tire life. Wheels can get out of balance with regular use and should therefore be balanced occasionally. When replacing a tubeless tire, the air valve should also be replaced with a new one. Do not perform rotation of the tires, from front to rear or from left to right, or using the compact spare tire. Performing such tire rotation may result in the tires interfering with the body or in uneven wear of the tires, so that steerability of the vehicle is impaired. Tires with turning direction indicator- The tire is a uni-directional type and cannot be used for tire rotation. Using the tire on the opposite side to the designated side will impair the tire performance. The compact spare tire- The tire is designed for temporary use only and cannot be used for tire rotation. 159