Page 516 of 608

{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.
6. Remove any rust or
dirt from the wheel
bolts, mounting
surfaces and spare
wheel.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts.
If you do, the nuts might come loose.
Your wheel could fall off, causing a
serious accident.
7. Put the wheel nuts back on with the rounded
end of the nuts toward the wheel after
mounting the spare tire.
8. Tighten each wheel nut by hand. Then use
the wheel wrench to tighten the nuts until the
wheel is held against the hub.
9. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to
lower the vehicle. Lower the jack completely.
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Page 517 of 608

{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. See
Capacities and Specifications on page 546
for 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. See
Capacities and Specifications on page 546
for the wheel nut torque speci cation.10. Tighten the nuts rmly in a crisscross
sequence as shown by turning the wheel
wrench clockwise.
When you reinstall the regular wheel and tire,
you must also reinstall the either the center cap,
or bolt-on hub cap, depending on what your
vehicle has. For center caps, place the cap on the
wheel and tap it into place until it seats ush
with the wheel. The cap only goes on one way.
Be sure to line up the tab on the center cap
with the indentation on the wheel. For bolt-on hub
caps, align the plastic nut caps with the wheel
nuts and then tighten by hand. Then use the
wheel wrench to tighten.
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Page 518 of 608

Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle has an underbody-mounted tire hoist
assembly which has a secondary latch system.
It is designed to stop the spare tire from suddenly
falling off your vehicle. For the secondary latch
to work, the spare tire must be installed with
the valve stem pointing down. SeeStoring a Flat
or Spare Tire and Tools on page 522.
{CAUTION:
Before beginning this procedure read all
the instructions. Failure to read and follow
the instructions could damage the hoist
assembly and you and others could get
hurt. Read and follow the instructions
listed next.To release the spare tire from the secondary latch,
do the following:
1. Check under the
vehicle to see if
the cable end
is visible. If the cable
is not visible,
proceed to Step 6.
2. If it is visible, rst try to tighten the cable by
turning the wheel wrench clockwise until
you hear two clicks or feel it skip twice.
You cannot overtighten the cable.
3. Loosen the cable by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise three or four turns.
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Page 519 of 608
4. Repeat this procedure at least two times.
If the spare tire lowers to the ground,
continue with Step 5 ofRemoving the
Spare Tire and Tools on page 507.
5. If the spare tire does not lower, turn the wheel
wrench counterclockwise until approximately
6 inches (15 cm) of cable is exposed.
6. Stand the wheel blocks on their shortest ends,
with the backs facing each other.
7. Place the bottom
edge of the jack (A)
on the wheel
blocks (B),
separating them so
that the jack is
balanced securely.8. Attach the jack handle, extension, and wheel
wrench to the jack and place it (with the
wheel blocks) under the vehicle toward the
front of the rear bumper.
519
Page 520 of 608