1995 CHEVROLET TRACKER spare wheel

Off-Road Driving with Your Geo
Four-wheel Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel
drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you
shouldn’t drive off-road unless you’re on a level, solid
surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have some
definite hazards. The greatest of these is the terrain
itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve
left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren’t
marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no road signs.
Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In
short, you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very important that you read this guide. You’ll
find many driving tips and suggestions. These will help
make your off-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For
example, be sure to have all necessary maintenance and
service work done. Check to make sure all underbody
shields (if
so equipped) are properly attached. Be sure
you read all the information about your four-wheel drive
vehicle
in this manual. Is there enough fuel? Is the spare
tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up where they
should be? What are the local laws that apply
to
off-roading where you’ll be driving? If you don’t know,
you should check with law enforcement people
in the
area. Will you be on someone’s private land? If
so, be
sure to get the.necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how to load your vehicle.
0 The heaviest things should be on the load floor and
forward
of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
0 Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn’t toss things around.
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3. The spare tire is mounted on your tailgate. Pull the
cover off of the spare tire.
4. Insert your key into the wheel lock on the spare tire
and pull
the wheel lock off.
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5. Remove wheel nuts with the wheel wrench.
6. Remove the spare tire from the mounting bracket
and place
it near your flat tire.
7. Attach the jack handle to the jack bolt. Turn the jack
handle clockwise
(to the right). That will raise the
lift head a little.
8. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove them
yet.
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I
9. Position the jack and raise the jack lift head until it
fits firmly onto the bosses nearest the flat tire.
(Under the vehicle near each wheel, there are bosses
in the vehicle’s rocker flange.)
NOTICE:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned will damage the vehicle or may allow
the vehicle to fall
off the jack. Be sure to fit the
jack lift head into the proper location before raising your vehicle.
10. 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.
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11. Remove all the wheel
nuts and take off the
flat tire.
12. Remove any rust or dirt from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and spare wheel. Place
the spare
on the wheel mounting surface.
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Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label which is on the
driver’s door shows the correct inflation pressures for
your tires, when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than
a mile.
I
’ NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underidation or
~ overinflation is all right. It’s not. If your tires don’t
~ have enough air (underinflation) you can get:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get:
Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards. When to Check
Check your
tires once a month or more. Also, check the
tire pressure of
the spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. Simply looking at the tires will
not tell you the
pressure, especially if you have radial tires
-- which
may look properly inflated even
if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear. If
unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as
soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels. See “When It’s Time for New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in
the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
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