Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The tires and wheels on your vehicle were aligned
and balanced carefully at the factory to give you
the longest tire life and best overall performance.
Adjustments to wheel alignment and tire balancing
will not be necessary on a regular basis. However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling
to one side or the other, the alignment may need to
be checked. If you notice your vehicle vibrating when
driving on a smooth road, your tires and wheels
may need to be rebalanced. See your retailer for
proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly
rusted or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose,
the wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be
replaced. If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your retailer if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new Saturn
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure
to have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts, or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts, and wheel nuts for replacement.
Notice:The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance, and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 5-72for more
information.
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Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
You will need to remove the wheel cover or hubcap to
reach the wheel bolts.
For steel wheels with full plastic covers and aluminum
wheels with large circular center caps, do the following:
1. Loosen all plastic
caps by turning the
wheel wrench
counterclockwise.
Do not try to remove
plastic caps from
the cover or
center cap.
2. Pull the cover or center cap away from the wheel
and place it in the trunk.When reinstalling full plastic covers or center caps,
tighten all the plastic caps hand snug, then tighten with
the wheel wrench an additional one-quarter of a turn.
1. Use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel nuts.
Do not remove them yet.
2. Attach the wheel
wrench to the
jack bolt head and
rotate the wheel
wrench clockwise.
That will raise the
lift head a little.
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6. Remove all of
the wheel nuts.
7. Take off the at tire.
{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 needed,
to get all the rust or dirt off.
8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
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{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. SeeCapacities
and Specifications on page 5-99for 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. SeeCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-99for the wheel nut
torque speci cation.12. Tighten the wheel nuts
rmly in a crisscross
sequence, as shown.
13. Lower the jack all the way and remove the jack
from under the vehicle.
14. Tighten the bolts rmly with the wheel wrench.
Notice:Wheel covers will not t on your compact
spare. If you try to put a wheel cover on the compact
spare, you could damage the cover or the spare.
Do not try to put a wheel cover on your compact spare
tire. It will not t. Store the wheel cover in the trunk
until you have the at tire repaired or replaced.
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