Suspension And Chassis; Types Of Tires - Toyota RAV4 1997 Owner's Manual

Suspension and chassis

CAUTION
!
Do not modify the suspension/
chassis with lift kits, spacers,
springs, etc. It can cause danger-
ous handling characteristics, re-
sulting in loss of control.
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Types of tires

Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on
snow-covered or icy roads, we recom-
mend using snow tires. If installing snow
tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have ad-
equate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance compared
with summer tires in highway driving.
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CAUTION
!
D Do not mix summer and all sea-
son tires on your vehicle as this
can cause dangerous handling
characteristics, resulting in loss
of control.
D Do not use tire other than the
manufacturer's designated tires,
and never mix tires or wheels of
the sizes different from the origi-
nals.