2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN Owners Manual

Your compact spare tire is stored underneath the
rear of your vehicle. You will use the ratchet
and extension to lower the compact spare tire.The ratchet has an
UP side.
It also has a DOWN side.
5-73

4. Attach the ratchet to the extension, with the DOWN
side facing you. The extension has a socket end
and a ¯at chisel end.
5. Put the ¯at end of the extension on an angle
through the hole in the rear door frame, above
the bumper. Be sure the ¯at end connects into the
hoist shaft.
6. Turn the ratchet counterclockwise to lower the
compact spare tire to the ground. Keep turning
the ratchet until the spare tire can be pulled out from
under the vehicle.7. When the tire has been
lowered, tilt the retainer
plate at the end of
the cable and pull it
through the wheel
opening.
8. Pull the tire out from under the vehicle.
Notice:To help avoid vehicle damage, do not drive
the vehicle before the cable is restored.
5-74

The tools you'll be using include the jack (A), wheel
blocks (B), extension (C) and ratchet (D).
Removing the Wheel Covers
You will have to take off the hub caps to reach the
wheel nuts.
To remove the hub cap from the aluminum wheel, ®t the
¯at end of the extension into the notch. Then, remove
the center cap.
5-75

Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. Before you start, block the front and rear of the tire
farthest away from the one being changed. Then
put your compact spare tire near the ¯at tire.
{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.
{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 ®t the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising the vehicle.2. With the DOWN side facing you, turn the ratchet
and socket to loosen all the wheel nuts
counterclockwise. Don't remove them yet.
3. The jack has a bolt on the end. Attach the socket
end of the extension to the jack bolt.
5-76

4. Attach the ratchet to the extension with the UP side
facing you.
5. Turn the ratchet clockwise. That will raise the jack
lift head a little.
6. Position the jack under the vehicle.A. Front Jack Location
B. Jack
C. Ratchet and ExtensionFront Position
5-77

A. Rear Jack Location
B. Jack
C. Ratchet and Extension7. Raise the vehicle by turning the ratchet clockwise.
Make sure the UP mark faces you. Raise the
vehicle far enough off the ground so there is enough
room for the compact spare tire to ®t underneath
the wheel well.
8. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the ¯at tire. Rear Position
5-78

9. Remove any rust or dirt from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and spare wheel.
{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.
{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.10. Put on the compact spare tire. Put the nuts on by
hand. Make sure the cone-shaped end is toward
the wheel. Tighten each nut by hand until the wheel
is held against the hub. If a nut can't be turned
by hand, use the extension and see your dealer as
soon as possible.
11. Lower the vehicle by turning the ratchet
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
5-79

12. Tighten the wheel nuts
®rmly in a crisscross
sequence as shown.
Turn the ratchet
clockwise with the UP
mark facing you.
{CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come 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 the
proper torque speci®cation. See ªCapacities
and Speci®cationsº in the Index for wheel nut
torque speci®cation.
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 speci®cation. See ªCapacities and
Speci®cationsº in the index for the wheel nut torque
speci®cation.
13. Remove the wheel blocks.
Notice:Wheel covers won't ®t on your compact
spare. If you try to put a wheel cover on your
compact spare, you could damage the cover or
the spare.
5-80