wheel bolts PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2003 Owners Manual

a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction - AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces
of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
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
ui ireai ar~d iis aLiiiiy iu dissip& i-ledf vvi-Iei-1 t&&
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.
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.
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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.
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 5-73 for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
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.
~ dangerous. It could affect the braking and Putting a us
wheel o ~OL licle 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.
I
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5. Raise the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough
off the
ground
so there is enough room for the compact
spare tire to fit under the wheel well.
6. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
r
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.
5-77