2009 CHEVROLET KODIAK Owners Manual

If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, the axle differentials,
propshafts, and transfer case may be damaged if tires
of different sizes, brands or tread types are installed
on the front and rear axles. That damage would not be
covered under your warranty.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specific tires for your
vehicle. If you need replacement tires, GM strongly
recommends that you get tires that are the same size,
brand, load range, speed rating, and construction type
(radial and bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s original
tires. This way, your vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed to give the same performance and
vehicle safety, during normal use, as the original tires.
GM recommends replacing tires in sets of six or eight as
applicable. This is because uniform tread depth on all
tires will help keep your vehicle performing most like it did
when the tires were new. Replacing less than a full set of
tires can affect the braking and handling performance of
your vehicle.
{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 your vehicle’s wheels.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on the vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges 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 the
vehicle.
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Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned at the
factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall
performance.
Proper front wheel alignment must be maintained in
order to ensure efficient steering, good directional
stability, and prevent abnormal tire wear. If you notice
unusual tire wear or your vehicle is pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need to be reset. If you
notice your vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth
road, your wheels may need to be balanced.
Tightening the Wheel Nuts
{CAUTION:
Wheel nuts that are not tight can work loose. If all
the nuts on a wheel come off, the wheel can come
off the vehicle, causing a crash. All wheel nuts
must be properly tightened. Follow the rules in this
section to be sure they are.
This section lets you know how often to check the
tightness of the wheel nuts on your vehicle and how tight
they must be.
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First, use these pictures to decide what kind of wheels
you have.
Then, refer to the following steps for the wheels
you have.Hub-Piloted Wheels, 8-Hole or 10-Hole
The studs and nuts used with these wheels have
right-hand threads.
1. With intermittent pilot pads, position a pad at
12 o’clock to center the wheel and reduce run-out.
2. Put the tire and rim assembly on the axle hub.
Install the outer rear tire and rim assembly so
that its valve stem is exactly opposite the valve stem
on the inner tire and rim assembly.
3. Put on the wheel nuts.
4. Finger-tighten the nuts.
5. Oil the surfaces (B)
between the nuts (C)
and washers (A). Do
not oil the studs or the
threads of the nut. Hub-Piloted Type,
8-Hole
Hub-Piloted Type,
10-Hole
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6. Tighten the nuts to 400 lb ft (542Y) if an 8-hole
stud or 480 lb ft (650Y) if a 10-hole stud, using
the following diagrams.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or the threads of
the wheel nuts. If you do, the wheel nuts might
come loose and the wheel could fall off, causing a
crash. 8-Hole
10-Hole (Front)10-Hole (Rear)
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{CAUTION:
If wheel studs are damaged, they can break. If all
the studs on a wheel broke, the wheel could come
off and cause a crash. If any stud is damaged
because of a loose-running wheel, it could be that
all of the studs are damaged. To be sure, replace
all studs on the wheel. If the stud holes in a wheel
have become larger, the wheel could collapse in
operation. Replace any wheel if its stud holes
have become larger or distorted in any way.
Inspect hubs and hub-piloted wheels for damage.
Because of loose running wheels, piloting pad
damage may occur and require replacement of the
entire hub, for proper centering of the wheels.
When replacing studs, hubs, wheel nuts or
wheels, be sure to use GM original equipment
parts.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause a crash. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
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 you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt off.
How Often to Check
Wheel tightness is so important you should have a
technician check nut tightness on all wheels with
a torque wrench after your first 100 miles (160 km), and
then 1,000 miles (1 600 km) after that. Be sure to
repeat this service whenever you have a tire removed
or serviced. SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-5
for further information.
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Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, replace
the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts. If the wheel
leaks air, replace it.
Your dealer 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.
{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.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
A leaking wheel could fail without warning. A
wheel designed for tubeless tires could be leaking
because it is damaged. Do not use an inner tube
or some other thing to try to stop the leaking. Get
a new wheel of the proper type.
{CAUTION:
Without the correct wheel, wheel bolts or wheel
nuts, you may not be able to stop properly, and
you could have other problems like a tire air-out.
You could have a collision. If you do not go to
your dealer to get a new wheel, wheel bolts or
wheel nuts, be sure you get the correct ones.
Each new wheel should match the original wheel
in load-carrying capacity, inflation pressure
capacity, diameter, width, offset and mounting
configuration.
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Using wheels and tires with higher load-carrying limits
than the original wheels and tires does not change
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) or the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of your vehicle.
SeeLoading the Vehicle on page 4-20for more
information.
Notice:The wrong wheel can cause trouble in
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance, stopping distance and tire
clearance to the body and chassis. You could also
have other problems like a tire air-out.
Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on the vehicle is dangerous.
You cannot know how it has been used or how far
it has been driven. It could fail suddenly and
cause a crash. If you have to replace a wheel, use
a new GM original equipment wheel.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout while you are driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air
goes out of a tire, it is much more likely to leak out
slowly. But if you should ever have a blowout, here are
a few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you would
use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control
by steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may
be very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop –– well off the road if possible.
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If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place and turn on your
hazard warning flashers. SeeHazard Warning Flashers
on page 3-6.
{CAUTION:
Your vehicle, when new, did not include tire
changing equipment or a place to store a tire in
the vehicle. Special tools and procedures are
required if a tire needs to be serviced. If these
tools and procedures are not used, you or others
could be injured or killed while trying to change or
service a truck tire.
Your truck, when new, did not include tire changing
equipment or a place to store a tire in the vehicle. Few
drivers of these vehicles have the necessary equipment
aboard to be able to change a flat tire safely. For
example, you would need a truck jack that can lift several
thousand pounds and a torque wrench that can generate
several hundred foot-pounds (Y) of twisting force.
{CAUTION:
If you try to put air back into a tire that has run
flat, even a tire that was extremely low on air, the
tire can have a sudden air-out. This could cause
you to lose control of the vehicle and have a
serious crash. Do not refill a flat or very low tire
with air without first having the tire taken off the
wheel and checked for damage.
So if you are stopped somewhere by a flat or damaged
tire or wheel, you should get expert help. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-5.
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