1997 CHEVROLET TRACKER change wheel

Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
turning is more difficult, and you’ll need longer
braking distances.
It’s best to use
a low gear when you’re in mud -- the
deeper
the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t
get stuck. On
these surfaces, it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is
so poor that you will
poor steering and difficult braking can cause you to slide
out of control.
won’t
get good traction. you can’t accelerate as quickly,
have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get moving,
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in wheel
traction. But it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand
is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches or sand
dunes) your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has
an effect on steering, accelerating and braking. You may
want to reduce the air pressure in your tires slightly
when driving on sand. This will improve traction.
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice.
Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring (included in the optional trailering package).
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument panel
will flash for turns even if
the bulbs on the trailer are burned
out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your
signal when they are not. It’s important to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have
to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and
you have a manual
transmission with FIFTH
(5) gear, you may prefer not to
use FIFTH (5). Just drive in FOURTH (4) (or, as you
need to, a lower gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a
hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P)
yet, or into gear for a manual transmission.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are
in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes.
Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to
PARK (P), or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transmission.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
the transfer case
is in a drive gear -- not in
NEUTRAL (N).
Release the regular brakes.
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a Chevrolet/Geo dealer or a professional
towing service tow your Tracker. See “Roadside
Assistance” in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed
or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting,
or special tires and wheels, these
instructions may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever for the
transmission and transfer case, if you have one.
the four-wheel-drive option.
If there was
an accident, what was damaged. When the
towing service arrives, let
the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use T-hooks. Use J-hooks instead.
being towed.
fully secured.
been lifted
by the
tow truck.
side when towing a vehicle.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out’’ 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, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
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 flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. T 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 brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift
lever in
PARK (P) or shift a manual
transmission to FIRST
(1) or
REVERSE (R).
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put 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.
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The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the SDare Tire and Tools
The jack and wheel wrench are under the front
passenger's seat.
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A 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.
/!1 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.
6. Replace the wheel nuts with the rounded end of the
nuts toward the wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand
until the wheel is held against the hub.
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What to Use How to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants” in the Index.
Four-wheel Drive
Most lubricant checks in this section also apply to
four-wheel-drive vehicles. However, they have two additional systems that need lubrication.
Transfer Case
When to Check and Change Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant and when to change it. See
“Scheduled Maintenance Services’’
in the Index.
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom
of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of lubricant to use. See “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants”
in the Index.
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Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel
nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires
are removed for rotation or changing. When you
have the front brakes replaced, have
the rear brakes
inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection”
in Section 7 of this
manual under Part
C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections”.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign
of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together if the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality
GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
-- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones put in
-- be sure you
get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you don’t,
your brakes may
no longer work properly. For example, if
someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front and rear brakes
can change
-- for the worse. The braking performance
you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways if
someone puts in
the wrong replacement brake parts.
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