tire size CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2003 1.G Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P). You or someone
else could be seriously injured. Be sure to set
the parking brake before placing the transfer
case in NEUTRAL. See ªParking Brakeº in the
Index.
4. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N). See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-34for the proper
procedure to select the neutral position for your
vehicle.
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is ®rmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
6. When the vehicle is properly attached to the tow
vehicle and is ready to be towed, turn the ignition
to LOCK.
Loading Your Vehicle
The Certi®cation/Tire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver's door.
The label shows the size of your original tires and the
in¯ation pressures needed to obtain the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle. This is called the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
4-51

If you're using a weight-carrying or a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent
to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight
for your vehicle.
After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights
are proper. If they aren't, you may be able to get them
right simply by moving some items around in the
trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are in¯ated to the upper limit
for cold tires. You'll ®nd these numbers on the
Certi®cation label at the rear edge of the driver's door or
see
Tires on page 5-61. Then be sure you don't go
over the GVW and rear axle limits for your vehicle,
including the weight of the trailer tongue.
If you use a weight distributing hitch, make sure you
don't go over the rear axle limit before you apply
the weight distributing spring bars.
Hitches
It's important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why you'll need the right hitch. Here
are some rules to follow:
·If you'll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will
weigh more than 5,000 lbs. (2 268 kg), be sure to
use a properly mounted, weight-distributing
hitch and sway control of the proper size. This
equipment is very important for proper vehicle
loading and good handling when you're driving.
4-63

When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it's
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining. Some
commercial truck tires may
not have treadwear
indicators.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
·You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
·You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire's rubber.
·The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
·The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
·The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can't be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To ®nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certi®cation/Tire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Speci®cations (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 ªMSº (for mud and snow).
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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. If your vehicle has 17 inch road
tires (those originally installed on your vehicle)
it is all right to drive with the 16 inch spare tire
that came with your vehicle. When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with the same overall diameter as
your vehicle's road tires and wheels. Because
this spare tire was developed for use on your
vehicle, it will not affect vehicle handling or
cause damage to your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim ¯anges 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.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
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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.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-70for more
information.
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 is a 1500 Series, 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
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 do ®nd traction devices that will ®t,
install them on the rear tires.
5-68

Notice:If your vehicle is a 2500 Series, use tire
chains only where legal and only when you must.
Use chains that are the proper size for your
tires. Install them on the tires of the rear axle. Don't
use chains on the tires of the front axle. 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 ªblowoutº 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 ªblowout,º here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the ¯at tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel ®rmly.
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 goes ¯at, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a ¯at tire safely.
5-69

When you reinstall the full-size wheel and tire, you must
also reinstall the wheel cover with attached plastic
nuts, the plastic nut caps or the smooth center cap.
·If you are reinstalling a wheel cover with attached
plastic nuts, place it on the wheel and tighten the
nuts by hand to get them started. Then tighten
the nut caps with the wheel wrench until they are
snug. Do not overtighten the nut caps or they
may break.
·If you are reinstalling plastic nut caps, tighten the
nuts by hand to get them started. Then tighten
the nut caps with the wheel wrench until they are
snug. Do not overtighten the nut caps or they
may break.
·If you are reinstalling the smooth center cap, place
it on the wheel and tap it into place until it seats
¯ush with the wheel.
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire, Jack and
Tools
{CAUTION:
Storing a jack, a tire, or other equipment in the
passenger compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or collision,
loose equipment could strike someone. Store
all these in the proper place.
Notice:An aluminum wheel with a ¯at tire should
always be stored under the vehicle with the
hoist. However, storing it that way for an extended
period of time could damage the wheel. To avoid
this, always stow the wheel properly with the valve
stem pointing down and have the wheel repaired
as soon as possible.
5-81

13. Tilt the retainer at the
end of the cable and
pull it through the
wheel opening. Pull the
tire out from under
the vehicle.
14. If the cable is hanging under the vehicle, turn the
wheel wrench clockwise to raise the cable back up.
Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as you can.
You will not be able to store a spare or ¯at tire using
the hoist assembly until it has been replaced.
To continue changing the ¯at tire, see ªRemoving the
Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tireº earlier in
this section.Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a fully in¯ated spare tire.
A spare tire may lose air over time, so check its
in¯ation pressure regularly. See
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure
on page 5-62andLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-51for information regarding proper tire in¯ation and loading
your vehicle. For instruction on how to remove, install
or store a spare tire, see
Changing a Flat Tire on
page 5-70.
After installing the spare tire on your vehicle, you should
stop as soon as possible and make sure the spare is
correctly in¯ated. Have the damaged or ¯at road
tire repaired or replaced as soon as you can and
installed back onto your vehicle. This way, a spare tire
will be available in case you need it again.
If your vehicle has a spare tire that does not match your
vehicle's original road tires and wheels in size and
type, do not include the spare in the tire rotation.
5-87