1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM Owners Manual

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
Lift and remove the cover. See “Compact Spare Tire”
later in this section for more information about the
compact spare. Turn
the wing nut
counterclockwise and
remove it. Then lift off the
spacer and remove the
spare tire.
Remove the jack and wheel wrench from the trunk. Your
vehicle’s jack and wheel wrench are stored in
a foam
tray. Remove the band around the jack.
5-24

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Remove the wheel nut caps (you may need to use the
wheel wrench to loosen and remove them, if your
fingers do not fit into this small area).
The tools you’ll be using include the
jack (A) and wheel
wrench
(B).
2. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don’t remove them yet.
5-25

3. Position the jack and raise the jack head until it fits
firmly into the notch in the vehicle’s frame nearest
the flat tire. Put the compact spare tire near you.
A CAUTION:
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack.
A CAUTION:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall.
To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to
fit the jack
lift head into the proper location before raising the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Do not jack or lift your vehicle using the oil pan.
Pans could crack and begin to leak fluid.
5-26

4. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground
so there is enough room for the spare
tire to
fit.
5. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
6. Remove the wheel cover from the wheel, if your flat
tire has one. Then take
off the flat tire.
5-27

7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and spare wheel.
A CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the pa
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.
I A 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. 1
8. 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.
5-28 1

9. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
10. Tighten the wheel nuts
firmly in a criss-cross
sequence,
as shown.
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to become 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 100 lb-ft
(140 N-m)
5-29

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 specification.
Don’t try to put a wheel cover on your compact
spare
tire. It won’t fit. Store the wheel cover and plastic
cap nuts in the
trunk until you have the flat tire
repaired
or replaced.
NOTICE:
Wheel covers won’t fit on your compact spare. If
you try to put a wheel cover on your compact
spare, you could damage the cover or the spare.
5-30

Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
A 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.
m H
Store the flat tire in the compact spare tire compartment.
Place the tire in the compartment, then secure the
adapter, extension (aluminum wheels only) and wing
bolt. Place the cover and nut on top
of the flat tire. Store
the jack and wheel wrench in the foam tray.
A. Wrench
B. Jack
C. Flat Road Tire
D. Adapter E.
Extension (Aluminum
E Wing Bolt
G. Cover
H. Nut
Wheels
Only)
5-31