wheel bolts SATURN VUE 2004 Owners Manual

Page 317 of 392

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 retailer if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer 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 Saturn
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 5-78for more
information.
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Page 324 of 392

Removing the Wheel
You must take off the wheel cover or hubcap to reach
the wheel bolts.
For steel wheels with full plastic covers and aluminum
wheels with large circular center caps, do the following:
1. Loosen all
ve hex-shaped
plastic caps by
turning the wrench
counterclockwise. Do
not try to remove
plastic caps from the
cover or center cap.
2. Pull the cover or center cap away from the wheel
and place it in the trunk.
When reinstalling full plastic covers or center caps,
tighten all ve plastic caps hand snug with the aid of the
wheel wrench and tighten them with the wheel wrench
an additional one–quarter of a turn.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove them yet.
2. The jack has a bolt head at the end. Attach the
wheel wrench to the jack bolt head and rotate
the wheel wrench clockwise (to the right). That will
raise the lift head a little.
3. Move the jack over to where the at tire is.
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Page 327 of 392

9. 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.
10. Place the compact spare tire on the wheel-mounting
surface.
11. Reinstall the wheel nuts. Tighten each nut by hand
until the wheel is held against the hub.
12. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise.
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Page 328 of 392

13. Tighten the wheel nuts
rmly in a crisscross
sequence, as shown.
{CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come loose
and even come off. This could lead to an
accident. Be sure to use the correct wheel
nuts. If you have to replace them, be sure to
get new GM original equipment wheel nuts.
Stop somewhere as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with a torque wrench to the
proper torque specication. SeeCapacities
and Specifications on page 5-102for wheel nut
torque specication.Notice:Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead
to brake pulsation and rotor damage. To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specication. SeeCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-102for the wheel nut
torque specication.
14. Lower the jack all the way and remove the jack
from under the vehicle.
15. Tighten the bolts rmly with the wheel wrench.
Do not try to put a wheel cover on your compact spare
tire. It will not t. Store the wheel cover in the trunk
until you have the at tire repaired or replaced.
Notice:Wheel covers will not t on your compact
spare. If you try to put a wheel cover on the compact
spare, you could damage the cover or the spare.
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