2000 GMC SONOMA width

1-18
Q:What's wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you wouldn't have the full width of
the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is
twisted, make it straight so it can work properly,
or ask your dealer to fix it.

4-22
Q:Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A:It's much more likely to happen going uphill.
But if it happens going downhill, here's what to do.

Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.

Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.

Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.

If the engine won't start, get out and get help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the incline of a hill. If this happens, you have to decide
whether to try to drive across the incline. Here are some
things to consider:

A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be
too steep to drive across. When you go straight
up or down a hill, the length of the wheel base
(the distance from the front wheels to the rear
wheels) reduces the likelihood the vehicle will
tumble end over end. But when you drive across
an incline, the much more narrow track width
(the distance between the left and right wheels) may
not prevent the vehicle from tilting and rolling over.
Also, driving across an incline puts more weight on
the downhill wheels. This could cause a downhill
slide or a rollover.

4-42
CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.

Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly.

Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.

Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.

When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
There's also important loading information for off-road
driving in this manual. See ªLoading Your Vehicle for
Off
-Road Drivingº in the Index.
Payload
The payload capacity is shown on the Certification/Tire
label. This is the maximum load capacity that your
vehicle can carry. If you are using ethanol fuel the
maximum payload should not exceed 1000 lbs (454 kg).
Be sure to include the weight of the occupants as part of
your load. If you added any accessories or equipment
after your vehicle left the factory, remember to subtract
the weight of these things from the payload. Your dealer
can help you with this.
2-Tiered Loading
By positioning four 2, x 6, wooden planks across the
width of the pickup box, you can create an upper load
platform. The planks must be inserted in the pickup box
depressions. The length of the planks must allow for at
least a 3/4 inch (2 cm) bearing surface on each end of
the plank.
When using this upper load platform, be sure the load is
securely tied down to prevent it from shifting. The
load's center of gravity should be positioned in a zone
over the rear axle. The zone is located in the area
between the front of each wheel well and the rear of
each wheel well. The center of gravity height must not
extend above the top of the pickup box flareboard.

6-50 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 20 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited
-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as 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.

6-51
Temperature -- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested 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 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.
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.

6-70 Vehicle Dimensions*
Wheelbase
Reg Cab Short Box 108.3 inches (275.1 cm). . . . . .
Reg Cab Long Box 117.9 inches (299.5 cm). . . . . .
Extended Cab 122.9 inches (312.2 cm). . . . . . . . . .
Length
Reg Cab Short Box 189.0 inches (480.1 cm). . . . . .
Reg Cab Long Box 204.9 inches (520.4 cm). . . . . .
Extended Cab 203.6 inches (517.1 cm). . . . . . . . . .
Height
2WD Reg Cab 62.1 inches (157.7 cm). . . . . . . . . . .
2WD Ext Cab 62.2 inches (158.0 cm). . . . . . . . . . .
4WD Reg Cab Short Box 63.8 inches (162.1 cm). .
4WD Reg Cab Long Box 65.4 inches (166.1 cm). .
4WD Extended Cab 63.8 inches (162.1 cm). . . . . .
Width 67.9 inches (172.5 cm). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Front Tread
2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
0.0 Wheel Offset 54.5 inches (138.4 cm). . . . . . . . .
-6.4 Wheel Offset 55.0 inches (139.6 cm). . . . . . . .
4WD
15
-inch Tires 57.3 inches (145.4 cm). . . . . . . . . . . .
31 x 10.5 Tires 61.2 inches (155.4 cm). . . . . . . . . . .
Rear Tread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2WD 54.7 inches (138.8 cm). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4WD
15
-inch Tires 55.1 inches (139.9 cm). . . . . . . . . . . .
31 x 10.5 Tires 59.1 inches (150.0 cm). . . . . . . . . . .
*Figures reflect base equipment only.