Chevrolet 1970 Owner's Manual page 79

MAINTAINING SAFETY AND DEPENDABILITY
liste d bel ow are a numbe r of veh icl e feature s that should b e pe riodically checked to he lp mainta in
continue d safe and d e pendable vehicle ope ration. Some will require physical checks, either while
parke d or driving , whil e othe rs can be
accomplished by simple visual
inspections, In certain other
instances, you shou ld ask your d e al e r or service station to che ck th e items when your vehicle is in
for reg ular maintenance. Because w e ather and atmospheric conditions, varying road surfaces,
indi~
vidual d riving habits and vehicle usag e have a considerable eff ect on th e need for replacing or ad-
just in g th ese ite ms, a si ngle uniform se rvice interval recomme ndation for all drive rs is nOf always
prac tical for eve ry item .
TffiES
Tires will wear under normal use and require replace -
ment periodically throughout the life of the vehicle.
Original equipment passen ger car type tires incorpor-
ate built- in tread wear indicator s to assist in deter-
mining when your tires have been worn to the extent
that replacement is needed. Refer to the index for the
page number on which you will find further informa-
tion covering tire wear indicators. Whenever your
vehicle is on the hoist for ser vice, have your service-
man take a good look at your tires, ch ecking them for
excessive wear, cuts, nails etc. Check too that all
wheel nuts are tight and that each wheel is running
true (no wobble, as would occur with bent wheels) .
Improper inflation, r apid acceleration, qu ick stops,
fast cornering, h igh speeds and heavy loading ad -
versely affect tire life and can caUse uneven wear.
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles for more
uniform wear and maximum life. Check inflation
pressure at least monthly.
A1
WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING
Wheel alignment and balancing contribute greatly to
longer tire life and better vehicle h andling. The need
for wheel alignment service will gen er ally be indi-
cated by abnormal t ire wear, and in some cases, by a
noticeable pull to the right or left wh en driving on a
straight level road. The need for wheel balancing may
be indicated by a chattering or shimmying condition
at the steering wheel or by a front end bounce or
noise. Take your vehicle to your dealer or a qualified
wheel alignment shop whenever the need for wh eel
alignment or balance is indicated or suspected.
BRAKES
Brake lining wear will vary depending upon driving
con ditions and driving habits of each individual driver .
Brake linings, as well as the other internal brake
components at each wheel (such as drums, wheel
cylinders, etc.) should be checked by a competent
mechanic at least
every 12,000 miles or m ore often if
driving conditions and h abits result
in
frequ ent brake