2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA spare tire

{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes, brands, or types (radial
and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may also cause damage
to your vehicle. Be sure to use the correct
size, brand, and type of tires on all
wheels. It is all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on your vehicle.
SeeCompact Spare Tire on page 385.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim anges 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.
If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed
rating, and construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s original tires.
367

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 (NHTSA), 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 (UTQG)
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 specied 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 signicantly 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 specied 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.
369

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you will need is located in
the trunk.
1. Open the trunk. SeeTrunk on page 102for
more information.
2. Remove the convenience net if the vehicle
has one.
3. Lift the handle on the spare tire cover. The
handle may hook on the front edge of the
trunk’s weatherstrip to hold the cover out of
the way.4. Turn the wing nut counterclockwise and
remove it.
5. Remove the compact spare tire.
375

Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
Your vehicle may have aluminum wheels with
exposed wheel nuts. Use the wheel wrench to
loosen all the wheel nuts. Do not remove them yet.
Or, your vehicle may have steel wheel covers.
To remove the steel wheel covers and wheel nut
caps, loosen the plastic nut caps with the wheel
wrench in a counterclockwise direction. If needed,
you can nish loosening them with your ngers.
The plastic nut caps will not come off.Use the at end of the wheel wrench and pry
along the edge of the cover until it comes off.
The edge of the wheel cover could be sharp,
so do not try to remove it with your bare hands.
Do not drop the cover or lay it face down, as
it could become scratched or damaged. Store the
wheel cover in the trunk until you have the at
tire repaired or replaced.
Once you have removed the wheel cover, use the
following procedure to remove the at tire and
install the spare tire.
1. It is recommended that you do a safety check
before preceding. SeeChanging a Flat Tire
on page 374for more information.
2. Turn the wheel
wrench once on
each wheel nut to
loosen them. Do not
remove them yet.
377

3. For all wheel types, nd the jacking
location using the diagram above and the
corresponding hoisting notches located on
the bottom side of the plastic molding. The
notches in the plastic molding are marked
with a triangle shape to help you nd them.
The front location is about 7.0 inches (17.7 cm)
from the rear edge of the front wheel well. The
rear location is about 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) from
the rear edge of the wheel well.
4. Put the compact spare tire near you.
{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 damage the
vehicle and even make the vehicle fall.
To help avoid personal injury and vehicle
damage, be sure to t the jack lift head
into the proper location before raising
the vehicle.
378

{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
at tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed
if the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the
jack provided with your vehicle only for
changing a at tire.
5. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off
the ground to install the compact spare tire.
6. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the at tire.
379

{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts
to which it is fastened, can make the
wheel nuts become loose after time.
The wheel could come off and cause an
accident. When changing a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from the places where the
wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, a cloth or a paper towel can
be used to do this; but be sure to use a
scraper or wire brush later, if needed, to
get all the rust or dirt off.7. Remove any rust or
dirt from the wheel
bolts, mounting
surfaces and
spare wheel.
8. Install the compact spare tire.
380

Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools
{CAUTION:
Storing a jack, a tire, or other equipment
in the passenger compartment of the
vehicle could cause injury. In a sudden
stop or collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in the
proper place.
After the compact spare tire has been installed on
the vehicle, store the at tire in the trunk.When storing a full-size tire, use the extension
with the protector, located in the foam holder,
to help avoid wheel surface damage.
To store a full-size tire:
1. Install the tools in their original location in the
trunk area and secure.
2. Place the tire valve stem facing down and
the protector/guide placed through a wheel
bolt hole.
3. Remove the protector and attach the retainer
securely.
4. Store the cover as far forward as possible.
When storing a compact spare tire in the trunk, put
the protector back in the foam holder.
383