2003 CHEVROLET TRACKER spare tire

Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four-wheel drive.
Also, see
Braking on page 4-7.
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 de®nite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
ªOff-roadingº 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 ®nd 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 in¯ated? Are the ¯uid
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.
·The heaviest things should be on the load ¯oor and
forward of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
·Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn't toss things around.
4-16

In¯ation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the
driver's door lock pillar, shows the correct in¯ation
pressures for your tires when they're cold. ªColdº means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours
or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Notice:Don't let anyone tell you that underin¯ation
or overin¯ation is all right. It's not. If your tires
don't have enough air (underin¯ation), you can get
the following:
·Too much ¯exing
·Too much heat
·Tire overloading
·Bad wear
·Bad handling
·Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overin¯ation),
you can get the following:
·Unusual wear
·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. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also check
for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time for
New Tires on page 5-62andWheel Replacement on
page 5-64for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
5-60

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 12 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 speci®ed government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) 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 signi®cantly 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 speci®ed 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.
5-63

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jack, wheel wrench and jack handle are stowed in
the rear left corner of the luggage compartment.1. To open the jacking tool storage compartment, turn
the knob counterclockwise. Open the cover two
inches and pull the entire cover towards the front of
the vehicle.
2. Turn the jack screw to
remove the jack from
the clamps. If the screw
is too tight, use the jack
handle to loosen it.
5-68

The tools you'll be using include the jack (A), jack
handle (B) and wheel wrench (C).
The spare tire is mounted on your tailgate. Your
vehicle may be equipped with either a soft,
vinyl cover or a hard cover.3. To remove the hard
cover from the spare
tire, insert your key into
the wheel lock and
pull the wheel lock off.
Hard Cover
5-69

4. Using the wheel wrench, remove the wheel cover
nut. Gently pry the spare tire cover off the wheel.5. If your vehicle is equipped with a vinyl cover, unzip
the cover to ®nd the wheel lock. Insert the key into
the wheel lock and pull it off.
6. Using the wheel wrench, remove the wheel nut
under the lock.Vinyl Cover
5-70

7. Remove the remaining wheel nuts with the wheel
wrench.
8. Remove the spare tire from the mounting bracket
and place it near your ¯at tire.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire
1. If your vehicle has wheel nut caps, remove them
by turning the wheel wrench counterclockwise.
5-71

3. Under the vehicle near each wheel, there are knobs
in the vehicle's frame. Raise the jack 2 inches
(51 mm) before positioning the jack. Raise the jack
lift head until it ®ts ®rmly onto the knobs nearest
to 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 cause personal injury and
damage to the vehicle. If you try to use the
jack when it hasn't been raised at least
2 inches (51 mm), the jack may not hold up the
vehicle, and you or others could be injured.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
To help avoid personal injury and vehicle
damage, be sure to open the jack at least
2 inches (51 mm) before you ®t the lift head
into the proper location.
4. 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 ®t underneath the wheel well.
5-73