2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO wheel

To reinstall the lower air dam, do the following:
1. Line up each push-pin
with its intended
retainer and push the
washer portion of
the push-pin toward
the retainer until it locks
into place.
2. Push the at end of the
push-pin toward the
retainer until it
locks into place,
making sure each is
secure.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 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 inated? Are the uid
levels up where they should be? What are the local
laws that apply to off-roading where you will be driving?
If you do not 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 does not toss things around.
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{CAUTION:
Cargo on the load oor piled higher than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop. You or your
passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
below the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load oor can be
tossed about when driving over rough
terrain. You or your passengers can be
struck by ying objects. Secure the cargo
properly.
Heavy loads on the roof raise the vehicle’s
center of gravity, making it more likely to
roll over. You can be seriously or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls over. Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area, not on the
roof. Keep cargo in the cargo area as far
forward and low as possible.
You will nd other important information in this manual.
SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-50andTires
on page 5-73.
Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental
concerns. We recognize these concerns and urge every
off-roader to follow these basic rules for protecting
the environment:
Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that could damage
the environment — shrubs, owers, trees,
grasses — or disturb wildlife (this includes
wheel-spinning, breaking down trees or
unnecessary driving through streams or over soft
ground).
Always carry a litter bag — make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open res (where
permitted), camp stoves and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch re from
the heat of the vehicle’s exhaust system.
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Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain
and its many different features. Here are some things to
consider.
Surface Conditions:Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration and braking of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction and longer braking
distances.
Surface Obstacles:Unseen or hidden obstacles can
be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle
you if you are not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even
the rise and fall of the terrain itself. Here are some
things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
There is more discussion of these subjects later.
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction
quickly?When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
rm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or
other surface features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands if you are not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you cannot control the
vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it is
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment
about what is safe and what is not.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving.
At the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reexes, perceptions and judgment can
be affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You could have a serious — or even fatal — accident
if you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. SeeDrunken Driving on page 4-2.
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Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
Use a low gear and get a rm grip on the steering
wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Do not use more power than you
need, because you do not want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to
nd another route.
{CAUTION:
Turning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up
hills, always try to go straight up.
Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of
the hill.
Attach a ag to the vehicle to make you more
visible to approaching traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill
to let opposing traffic know you are there.
Use your headlamps even during the day.
They make you more visible to oncoming traffic.
{CAUTION:
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed
can cause an accident. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even another
vehicle. You could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
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Q:What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and I cannot make it up the hill?
A:If this happens, there are some things you should
do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here is what youshoulddo:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep
it from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
If your engine has stopped running, you will need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or shift to NEUTRAL if your vehicle
has a manual transmission) and restart the engine.
Then, shift to REVERSE (R), release the parking
brake, and slowly back down the hill as straight as
possible in REVERSE (R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o’clock position.
This way, you will be able to tell if your wheels are
straight and maneuver as you back down. It is
best that you back down the hill with your wheels
straight rather than in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel too far to the left or right
will increase the possibility of a rollover.Here are some things youmust notdo if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (or pressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission) to rev-up the engine and
regain forward momentum. This will not work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back straight down.
Never attempt to turn around if you are about to
stall when going up a hill. If the hill is steep
enough to stall your vehicle, it is steep enough to
cause you to roll over if you turn around. If you
cannot make it up the hill, you must back straight
down the hill.
4-28

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you will want to
consider a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What is the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
What is at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a
low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes
and they will not have to do all the work. Descend
slowly, keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
{CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade. This
could cause loss of control and a serious
accident. Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low gear to keep
vehicle speed under control.
Q:Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A:Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that is not too steep
to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you do not drive straight down.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal pressed
down with a manual transmission. This is called
“free-wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do all the
work and could overheat and fade.
4-30

Q:Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A:It is much more likely to happen going uphill. But if
it happens going downhill, here is what to do.
1. Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift to PARK (P), or to NEUTRAL with the manual
transmission, and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
3. Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
4. If the engine will not 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.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive
across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet
grass can cause your tires to slip sideways, downhill.
If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit something that
will trip it — a rock, a rut, etc. — and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse. If you drive across a rock with the
uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because the
trail goes across the incline does not mean you have to
drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
{CAUTION:
Driving across an incline that is too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any
doubt about the steepness of the incline, do
not drive across it. Find another route instead.
4-31

Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels will
not get good traction. You cannot accelerate as
quickly, turning is more difficult, and you will need longer
braking distances.
It is best to use a low gear when you are in mud — the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep
mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle moving so you do
not get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you will sense a change in
wheel traction. But it will depend upon how loosely
packed the sand is. On loosely packed sand, such as
on beaches or sand dunes, your tires will tend to
sink into the sand. This has an effect on steering,
accelerating and braking. Drive at a reduced speed and
avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose control.
On wet ice, for example, the traction is so poor that you
will have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get
moving, poor steering and difficult braking can cause
you to slide out of control.
{CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds, or rivers can
be dangerous. Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the
ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle on safe surfaces only.
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