2011 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE spare tire

Black plate (65,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-65
SeeWhen It Is Time for New
Tires on page 10‑66 andWheel
Replacement on page 10‑71.
When rotating the vehicle's tires,
always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Do not include the spare tire in
the tire rotation. After the tires have been
rotated, adjust the front and rear
inflation pressures as shown on
the Tire and Loading Information
label. See
Tire Pressure on
page 10‑58 andVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑24.
Reset the Tire Pressure Monitor
System. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on
page 10‑61.
Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See
“Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
When changing a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where
the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, 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. SeeIf a Tire Goes Flat
on page 10‑73.
Lightly coat the center of the
wheel hub with wheel bearing
grease after a wheel change or
tire rotation to prevent corrosion
or rust build-up. Do not get
grease on the flat wheel
mounting surface or on the
wheel nuts or bolts.

Black plate (66,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
10-66 Vehicle Care
When It Is Time for New
Tires
Various factors, such as
maintenance, temperatures, driving
speeds, vehicle loading, and road
conditions influence when you need
new tires.
One way to tell when it is time for
new tires is to check the treadwear
indicators, which appear when the
tires have only 1.6 mm (1/16 in) or
less of tread remaining. Some
commercial truck tires may not have
treadwear indicators.See
Tire Inspection on page 10‑64
and Tire Rotation on page 10‑64 for
additional information.
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This is also true for the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
not being used. Multiple conditions
affect how fast this aging takes
place, including temperatures,
loading conditions, and inflation
pressure maintenance. Tires will
typically need to be replaced due to
wear before they may need to be
replaced due to age. Consult the tire
manufacturer for more information
on when tires should be replaced.
Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to
slow aging. This area should be
free of grease, gasoline or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber. Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for your vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed on
your vehicle, when it was new, were
designed to meet General Motors
Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec) system
rating. If you need replacement
tires, GM strongly recommends that
you get tires with the same TPC
Spec rating. 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.

Black plate (67,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-67
GM's exclusive TPC Spec system
considers over a dozen critical
specifications that impact the overall
performance of your vehicle,
including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure
monitoring performance. GM's TPC
Spec number is molded onto the
tire's sidewall near the tire size.
If the tires have an all‐season tread
design, the TPC spec number will
be followed by an MS for mud and
snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling on
page 10‑50 for additional
information.
GM recommends replacing tires in
sets of four. 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. See
Tire Inspection on page 10‑64 and
Tire Rotation on page 10‑64 for
information on proper tire rotation.{WARNING
Tires could explode during
improper service. You or others
could be injured or killed if you
attempt to mount or dismount a
tire. Only your dealer or an
authorized tire service center
should mount and dismount
the tires.
{WARNING
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
might not handle properly, and
you could have a crash. Using
tires of different sizes, brands,
or types could also cause
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
damage to your vehicle. Be sure
to use the same size, brand, and
type of tires on all wheels.
Your vehicle may have a different
size spare than the road tires
(those originally installed on your
vehicle). When new, your vehicle
included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with a similar overall
diameter as your vehicle's road
tires and wheels, so it is all right
to drive on it. Because this spare
was developed for use on your
vehicle, it will not affect vehicle
handling.

Black plate (69,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-69
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.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1½) 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 significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.

Black plate (75,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-75
Tire Changing
Removing the Spare Tire
and Tools
The jack and the wheel blocks are
located under a cover near the
passenger side rear seat.
Rear Seat (Passenger Side) JackCover
1. Remove the jack cover by turning the two wing nuts
one-quarter turn
counterclockwise and
pulling the jack cover off.
A. Wheel Blocks
B. Jack Knob
C. Wing Nut
D. Retaining Hook
E. Jack
F. Mounting Bracket
2. Release the jack (E) from the mounting bracket (F) by turning
the jack knob (B) on the jack
counterclockwise to release the
jack from the mounting bracket. 3. Remove the wheel blocks (A)
attached to the jack (E) by
turning the wing nut (C)
counterclockwise. Place the
wheel blocks where needed as
indicated in previously in this
section.
The tools for changing a flat tire are
located in the passenger side
top-box storage unit.
To remove the tools, do the
following:
1. Open the top door on the passenger side top-box storage
unit. Use the ignition/door key to
unlock it if it is locked. See
Top-Box Storage on page 4‑2 for
more information.
2. Remove the black pouch from the storage box.
You now have all of the tools
you will need to lower the spare
tire and change a flat.

Black plate (76,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
10-76 Vehicle Care
To access the spare tire:
A. Spare Tire (Valve StemPointed Down)
B. Hoist Assembly
C. Hoist Cable
D. Tire/Wheel Retainer
E. Hoist Shaft
F. Hoist End of Extension Tool
G. Hoist Shaft Access Hole H. Wheel Wrench
I. Jack Handle Extension(s)
J. Spare Tire Lock
1. Open the hoist shaft access
cover on the bumper to access
the spare tire lock (J).
2. To remove the spare tire lock, insert the ignition key, turn it
clockwise and pull it straight out.
3. Assemble the two jack handleextensions (I) and wheel
wrench (H) as shown.
4. Insert the open end of theextension (F) through the hole in
the rear bumper (G) (hoist shaft
access hole).
Be sure the hoist end (F) of the
extension connects to the hoist
shaft (E). The ribbed square end
of the extension is used to lower
the spare tire.
Do not use the chiseled end of
the wheel wrench.

Black plate (77,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-77
5. Turn the wheel wrenchcounterclockwise to lower the
spare tire to the ground.
Continue to turn the wheel
wrench until the spare tire can
be pulled out from under the
vehicle.
If the spare tire does not lower to
the ground, the secondary latch
is engaged causing the tire not
to lower. See Secondary Latch
System on page 10‑85 for more
information.6. Use the wheel wrench hook that allows you to pull the hoist cable
towards you, to assist in
reaching the spare tire.
7. Tilt the tire with slack in the
cable to access the tire/wheel
retainer (D). Separate the
retainer from the guide pin by
sliding the retainer up the pin
while pressing down on the
latch. When the retainer is
separated from the guide pin, tilt
the retainer and pull it through
the center of the wheel along
with the cable and guide pin.
8. Put the spare tire near the flat tire.

Black plate (78,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
10-78 Vehicle Care
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
The tools that are needed include
the jack (A), the wheel blocks (B),
the jack handle (C), the jack handle
extensions (D), and the wheel
wrench (E).
1. Do a safety check beforeproceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑73 for more
information.
2. To remove the center cap, place the chiseled end of the wheel
wrench in the slot on the wheel
and gently pry the cap out.3. Use the wheel wrench to loosenall the wheel nuts. Turn the
wheel wrench counterclockwise
to loosen the wheel nuts. Do not
remove the wheel nuts yet.