wheel GMC SONOMA 2003 Repair Manual

Buying New Tires
Tofind out what kind and size of tires you need,
look at the Certification/Tire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type
(bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare (if you have one). It was
developed for use on your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rimanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
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Temperature–A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
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Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.{CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel nuts for replacement.
Notice:The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 5-68for more
information.
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Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been
used or how far it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash. If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has P235/75R15, P235/70R15,
P235/55R16 or 31x10.50R15LT/C size tires,
don’t use tire chains. They can damage your
vehicle because there’s not enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the tire chains
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and you or others may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels.
If you dond traction devices that willt,
install them on the rear tires.
Notice:If your vehicle has a tire size other than
P235/75R15, P235/70R15, P235/55R16 or
31x10.50R15LT/C, use tire chains only where legal
and only when you must. Use only SAE Class″S″
type chains that are the proper size for your tires.
Install them on the drive axle tires (four-wheel-drive
vehicles can use chains on both axles) and tighten
them as tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions. If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them. If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or spinning the wheels with
chains on will damage your vehicle.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to“blowout”while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a“blowout”, here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, theflat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheelfirmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop—well off the road if possible.
If a tire goesflat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change aflat tire safely.
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Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goesflat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your
hazard warningflashers.
{CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over you
or other people. You and they could be badly
injured. Find a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brakermly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transmission to
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).
3. Turn off the engine.
Put the wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire farthest away from the one
being changed. That would be the tire on
the other side of the vehicle, at the
opposite end.The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jacking equipment you’ll need is stored inside the
plastic jack cover which is behind the front seats, either
on the center of the wall (extended cab) or on the
passenger’s side of the wall (regular cab).
The jacking equipment for the crew cab is located behind
the rear seatback on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
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1. To remove it, turn the plastic wing nut
counterclockwise. Remove the jack cover.
2. Turn the wing nut counterclockwise and remove the
wheel blocks, jack and wheel wrench.
Notice:Never remove or restow a tire from/to a
stowage position under the vehicle while the vehicle
is supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire
fully against the underside of the vehicle when
restowing.3. Insert the chisel end
of the wheel wrench,
on an angle, into
the hole in the rear
bumper.
Be sure the chisel end of the wheel wrench
connects into the hoist shaft.
4. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower
the spare tire. Keep turning the wheel wrench until
the spare tire can be pulled out from under the
vehicle.
5. When the tire has been completely lowered, tilt the
retainer at the end of the cable and pull it through
the wheel opening.
6. Pull the tire out from under the vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with a compact spare
tire, it is stowed underneath the rear of your vehicle.
SeeCompact Spare Tire on page 5-78for more
information about the compact spare.
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Notice:To help avoid vehicle damage, do not drive
the vehicle before the cable is restowed.
7. Put the spare tire near theflat tire.
The tools you’ll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench (B). Your vehicle may also have an optional
hub cap removal tool.Removing Wheel Covers
Position the bent end of your hub cap removal tool
(shown), or the chisel end of your wheel wrench, in the
notch of the hub cap and pry off the hub cap.
Some of the molded plastic hub caps have imitation
wheel nuts molded into them. The wheel wrench won’t
fit these imitation nuts, so don’t try to remove them
with the socket end of the wheel wrench.
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If you have individual wheel nut caps that cover each
nut, they must be removed in order to get to the wheel
nuts. Use the socket end of the wheel wrench to
remove the wheel nut caps.
Your wheel nut caps may attach your hub cap to the
wheel. Remove these wheel nut caps before you take
off the hub cap.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove them yet.
2. Turn the jack handle clockwise slightly to raise the
jack lift head.
3. Fit the jack into the appropriate hole nearest the
flat tire.
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4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room for the spare tire to
fit underneath the wheel well.
5. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off theflat tire.
6. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
the places where the wheel attaches to the
vehicle. In an emergency, you can use a cloth
or a paper towel to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you need to,
to get all the rust or dirt off.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If
you do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel
could fall off, causing a serious accident.
7. Place the spare on the wheel mounting surface.
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