Chevrolet Light Duty Truck 1973, Service Manual

Page: 865 / 979

SECTION 10
WHEELS AND TIRES
INDEX
General Description.....................................................10-1
Maintenance..................................................................10-2
Wheel Nut Torques....................................................10-2
Tire Rotation..............................................................10-2
Tire Inflation Pressure...............................................10-2
Service Operations.........................................................10-4
Correcting Irregular Tire Wear................................10-4
Wheel Removal and Installation..............................10-6
Tire Mounting and Demounting..............................10-6
RHP Rims.......................................................................10-8
RHP Rim Tire Mounting and Demounting..........10-9
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The 1973 truck is equipped with a wide range of tube or
tubeless type tires and wheels selected according to the
truck GVW rating and type of service. The dual rear
wheel option is available on Series 30 trucks, except G
models. The factory installed tires on your truck are
selected to provide the best all around tire performance
for all normal operations. All tires are manufactured for
use on wheels of specific size, configuration and load
carrying capacity. When replacing a worn or damaged
tire it is essential to use a replacement tire of the same
size and load rating as that with which the vehicle was
equipped when manufactured.
The load capacity chart in the General Information
section of this manual lists the
minimum
size tire
required for each GVW rating. Only tires of the sizes
shown in the chart or tires of greater capacity approved
for use with your vehicle should be installed. Use of any
other size of tire may seriously affect ride, handling,
ground clearance, tire clearance and speedometer
calibration. Similarly, use of wheels with offsets other
than recommended or use of what are commonly
referred to as "reversed rims" may seriously overload
Fig. 1 —Front Wheels and Attachm ents
wheel bearings or other axle components causing rapid
wear or failure of these parts and void your vehicle
warranty.
NOTE: On four-wheel drive vehicles all tires
must be of equal size (but not necessarily ply
rating) and of same tread configuration.
10 SERIES 20, 30 SERIES DUAL REAR
Fig. 2 — R e a r W h e e ls a n d A tta c h m e n ts
TUBELESS TIRES
These tires have an inner liner which, if punctured, tends
to cling to the penetrating object forming a partial seal
until the object is removed from the tire. It is essential to
conduct a periodic pressure check according to the tire
inflation tables on the following pages plus a visual tire
inspection to detect imbedded objects which might
otherwise go unnoticed and cause serious casing damage.
TUBE TIRES
Some commercial vehicles are equipped (at customer
option) with synthetic rubber tires and tubes.
THEORY
TIRE TRACTION
A decrease in driving, cornering, and braking traction
occurs when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material is
on the road surface. Driving practices and truck speed
should be adjusted to the road conditions.
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This phenomenon, known as hydroplaning, may
cause partial or complete loss of traction, which
adversely affects vehicle control and stopping ability. To
reduce the possibility of traction loss, the following
precautions should be observed.
10 SERIES 20-30 SERIES
LIGHT DUTY TRUCK SERVICE MANUAL