Buying New Tires - Chevrolet 2008 Tahoe Owner's Manual

Buying New Tires

GM has developed and matched specific tires for your
vehicle. The original equipment tires installed on your
vehicle, when it was new, were designed to meet
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria Specification
(TPC spec) system rating. If you need replacement tires,
GM strongly recommends that you get tires with the same
TPC Spec rating. This way, your vehicle will continue to
have tires that are designed to give the same
performance and vehicle safety, during normal use, as
the original tires.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec system considers over a
dozen critical specifications that impact the overall
performance of your vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling, traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's sidewall near the tire
size. If the tires have an all-season tread design, the
TPC spec number will be followed by an MS for mud and
snow. See Tire Sidewall Labeling on page 5-64 for
additional information.
GM recommends replacing tires in sets of four. This is
because uniform tread depth on all tires will help keep
your vehicle performing most like it did when the tires
were new. Replacing less than a full set of tires can affect
the braking and handling performance of your vehicle.
See Tire Inspection and Rotation on page 5-75 for
information on proper tire rotation.
5-78
CAUTION:
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Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes,
brands, or types (radial and bias-belted tires),
the vehicle might not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes, brands, or types could also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the
same size, brand, and type tires on all wheels.
Your vehicle may have a different size spare
than the road tires (those originally installed on
your vehicle). When new, your vehicle included
a spare tire and wheel assembly with a similar
overall diameter as your vehicle's road tires and
wheels, so it is all right to drive on it. Because
this spare was developed for use on your
vehicle, it will not affect vehicle handling.