Page 494 of 570

{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 518
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.
SeeCapacities and Specifications on page 518
for the wheel nut torque speci cation.10. Tighten the wheel
nuts rmly in a
crisscross sequence,
as shown.
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.
11. Do not try to put a wheel cover on the
compact spare tire. It will not t. Store
the wheel cover securely in the rear of the
vehicle until you have the at tire repaired
or replaced.
494
ProCarManuals.com
Page 495 of 570

Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle may have an underbody-mounted tire
hoist assembly equipped with a secondary latch
system. It is designed to stop a tire from suddenly
falling off your vehicle if the cable holding the
spare tire is damaged. For the secondary latch to
work, the tire must be stowed with the valve
stem pointing down.
Your vehicle uses the underbody tire hoist
assembly to store either the compact spare or
a at road tire. SeeStoring a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools on page 497for instructions on
storing the spare or at tire correctly.{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.
{CAUTION:
Someone standing too close during the
procedure could be injured by the jack.
If the spare tire does not slide off the jack
completely, make sure no one is behind
you or on either side of you as you pull
the jack out from the spare.
495
ProCarManuals.com
Page 496 of 570
To release the spare tire from the secondary latch,
do the following:
1. Place the jack under the vehicle, ahead of
the rear bumper. Position the center lift
point of the jack under the center of the
compact spare tire.2. Turn the folding wrench clockwise to raise
the jack until it lifts the secondary latch
device under the wheel plate.
3. Keep raising the jack until the compact spare
tire stops moving upward and is held rmly in
place. This lets you know that the secondary
latch has released.
4. Lower the jack by turning the folding wrench
counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until
the compact spare tire is resting on the
folding wrench.
496
ProCarManuals.com
Page 497 of 570
5. Grasp the compact spare tire with both hands
and pull it out from under the vehicle.
6. Reach under the vehicle and remove the
folding wrench and jack.
Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as
you can. You will not be able to store a spare or
at tire using the hoist assembly until it has
been repaired or replaced.
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.
497
ProCarManuals.com
Page 498 of 570

Storing the Flat or Spare Tire
{CAUTION:
The underbody-mounted spare tire needs
to be stored with the valve stem pointing
down. If the spare tire is stored with
the valve stem pointing upwards, its
secondary latch will not work properly
and the spare tire could loosen and
suddenly fall from your vehicle. If this
happened when your vehicle was being
driven, the tire might contact a person or
another vehicle, causing injury and, of
course, damage to itself as well. Be sure
the underbody-mounted spare tire is
stored with its valve stem pointing down.To store the spare tire, do the following:
1. Lay the tire near the rear of the vehicle with
the valve stem down.
2. Remove the small center cap by tapping the
back of the cap with the extension of the
shaft, if the vehicle has aluminum wheels.
3. Slide the cable retainer through the center of
the wheel and start to raise the tire.
Make sure the retainer is fully seated across
the underside of the wheel.
4. When the tire is almost in the stored position,
turn the tire so the valve is towards the rear
of the vehicle.
This will help when you check and maintain
tire pressure in the spare.
5. Raise the tire fully against the underside of
the vehicle. Continue turning the folding
wrench until you feel more than two clicks.
This indicates that the compact spare
tire is secure and the cable is tight. The
spare tire hoist cannot be overtightened.
498
ProCarManuals.com
Page 500 of 570

To replace the cover, line up the tabs on the right
of the cover with the slots in the cover opening.
Push the cover in place and push down the tab
so that it rests in the groove. This secures
the cover in place.
Store the center cap or the plastic bolt-on wheel
covers until a full size tire is put back on the
vehicle. When you replace the compact spare with
a full-size tire, reinstall the bolt-on wheel covers
or the center cap. Hand-tighten them over
the wheel nuts, using the folding wrench.
Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully in ated
when the vehicle was new, it can lose air after
a time. Check the in ation pressure regularly.
It should be 60 psi (420 kPa).
After installing the compact spare on the vehicle,
stop as soon as possible and make sure the spare
tire is correctly in ated. The compact spare is made
to perform well at speeds up to 65 mph (105 km/h)
for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km), so
you can nish your trip and have the full-size tire
repaired or replaced at your convenience.Of course, it is best to replace the spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible. The spare tire will
last longer and be in good shape in case it is
needed again.
Notice:When the compact spare is installed,
do not take your vehicle through an automatic
car wash with guide rails. The compact
spare can get caught on the rails. That can
damage the tire and wheel, and maybe
other parts of your vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on other vehicles.
And do not mix the compact spare tire or
wheel with other wheels or tires. They will not t.
Keep the spare tire and its wheel together.
Notice:Tire chains will not t your compact
spare. Using them can damage your vehicle
and can damage the chains too. Do not use tire
chains on your compact spare.
500
ProCarManuals.com
Page 527 of 570