2003 GMC SIERRA tire size

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, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-46.
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.
Loading Your Vehicle
The Certication/Tire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver’s door.
The label shows the size of your original tires and the
ination 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.
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{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make 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
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. See“Changing a Flat
Tire”in the Index.
When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining. Some
commercial truck tires may
not have treadwear
indicators.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
•You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
•You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
•The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
•The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
•The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
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Buying New Tires
Tofind out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certification/Tire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specifications (TPC
Spec) number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get
new tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec number.
That way your vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed to give proper endurance, handling,
speed rating, traction, ride and other things during
normal service on your vehicle. If your tires have an
all-season tread design, the TPC number will be
followed by an“MS”(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
{CAUTION:
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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rimflanges 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.
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Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Don’t use tire chains. There’s not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle without
the proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or other
vehicle parts. The area damaged by the tire
chains could cause you to lose control 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 dofind traction devices
that willfit, install them on the rear tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to“blowout”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, theflat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheelfirmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop—well off the road if possible.
If a tire goesflat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change aflat tire safely.
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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. SeeInflation -- Tire Pressure
on page 5-57andLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-47
for information regarding proper tire inflation and loading
your vehicle. For instruction on how to remove, install
or store a spare tire, seeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 5-65.
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 orflat 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.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst intoflames if you strike a
match or get them on a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed
space. When you use anything from a container to cleanyour vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s
warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Neveruse these to clean your vehicle:
•Gasoline
•Benzene
•Naphtha
•Carbon Tetrachloride
•Acetone
•Paint Thinner
•Turpentine
•Lacquer Thinner
•Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous–some more than
others–and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
•Alcohol
•Laundry Soap
•Bleach
•Reducing Agents
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