Pontiac 1955 Owner's Manual page 26

FRONT
TIRE BALANCE—Many tires are marked at the factory with a red
mark on the sidewall near the bead denoting the light point of the
casing. The valve stem is the heavy point of the wheel and the tire
should always be mounted with the mark at this point. If no red mark
is found on the casing this indicates that the tire has been balanced
by the tire manufacturer and no special mounting is needed. Due to
irregularities in tread wear caused by sudden brake applications,
misalignment, low inflation pressures, tire repairs, etc., a tire assembly
can lose its original balance.
If a disturbance is felt in the steering wheel due to the action of the
front wheels, or if pounding, tramping, or shimmying is experienced
while driving, one of the first items to check is the static balance of
tires and wheels.
TIRE SWITCHING—Switching tires from one
position to another on the car usually prolongs
tire life. If you have four good tires, you might
consider switching at regular intervals by cross-
changmg them from right front to left rear and
left front to right rear. With five good tires,
however, tire switching as shown in the diagram
saves tires by equalizing wear and "exercising"
the spare. By having your tires switched every
4,000 miles and using the spare, you can drive
20,000 miles and only put 16,000 miles wear on each of the tires.
SAVING TIRES WHEN YOU DRIVE-Maximum tire life can be
secured by careful attention to driving habits and a few essential
details of service. We have listed below the most important points to
help you secure this maximum.
1. Keep tires properly inflated at all times.
2. Avoid spinning wheels when starting.
3. Avoid sudden stops.
4. Turn corners at moderate speeds.
5. Steer around bumps, ruts, or minor obstructions in the road.
6. Keep out of car tracks.
7. Do not bump or scrape the curb.
8. Keep the front wheels in proper alignment. (See page 27.)
9. Keep brakes adjusted. Uneven brake adjustment causes
uneven tire wear.
10. Switch tires every 4,000 miles. (See above.)
TO CLEAN WHITE SIDEWALLS-Pontiac's Swaco white sidewall
cleaner available at all Pontiac dealers is recommended for cleaning
white sidewall tires. Simply follow instructions on can. Do not use
gasoline, kerosene, or any oil product that will discolor the sidewalls
or rot the rubber.
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