2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI wheel size

Towing Loading Your Vehicle
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-5.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle
- such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly
towing” (towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known
as a
“dolly”).
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-45.
Notice: Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two
of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Don’t tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if
any
of its wheels will be on the ground.
COLD TIRE PRESSURE
00
The Certificationflire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver’s door.
The label shows the size of your original tires and the
inflation pressures needed to obtain the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle. This is called the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
4-45

Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use
the same size and type tires on
all wheels.
If your vehicle has 17 inch road
tires (those originally installed on your vehicle)
it is all right to drive with the 16 inch spare tire
that came with your vehicle. When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel assembly with
the same overall diameter as
your vehicle’s road tires and wheels. Because
this spare tire was developed for use on your vehicle,
it will not affect vehicle handling or
cause damage to your vehicle.
If yo^ Jse bias-ply tires on y--. ,chicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles
of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
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.
5-65

Used Replacement Wheels
-
Putting a used wheel your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far
it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new
GM original
equipment wheel.
I I
Tire Chains
Don’t use lire chains. There’s not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle
without the proper amount sf clearance can cause damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by the
CAUTION: (Continued) tire chains could cause
, -u to lose cc..-rol
of
your vehicle and you or others may be injured in
a crash. Use another type of traction device only
if its manufacturer recommends it for use on
your vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device
if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels.
If you do find traction devices
that will
fit, install them on the rear tires.
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.
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1 in a crisscross
8.
Tighten the nuts firmly
sequence as shown by
turning the wheel
wrench clockwise.
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.
CAUTION: (Continued) Stop somewhere
as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with a torque wrench to the
proper torque specification. See ”Capacities
and Specifications” in the Index for wheel nut
torque specification.
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. See “Capacities and
Specifications”
in the index for the wheel nut torque
specification.
9. When you reinstall the full-size wheel and tire, you
must
also reinstall the center cap. Place the cap on
the wheel and tap it into place until it seats flush
with the wheel.
5-82

PUSH & PULL
6. Make sure the tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire.
If the tire
moves, use the wheel wrench/hoist shaft to tighten
the cable.
Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a fully inflated spare tire.
A spare tire may lose air over time, so check its
inflation pressure regularly. See
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
on page 5-62 and Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-45
for information regarding proper tire inflation and loading
your vehicle. For instruction on how to remove, install
or store a spare tire, see
Changing a Flat Tire on
page
5-69.
After installing the spare tire on your vehicle, you should
stop as soon as possible and make sure the spare is
correctly inflated. Have the damaged or flat road
tire repaired or replaced as soon as you can and
installed back onto your vehicle. This way, a spare tire
will be available in case you need it again.
If your vehicle has a spare tire that does not match your
vehicle’s original road tires and wheels in size and
type, do not include the spare in the tire rotation.
Replace the jack, tools and spare tire
lock, if equipped.
5-85