Page 405 of 510

Black plate (57,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
Vehicle Care 10-57
When It Is Time for New
Tires
Factors, such as maintenance,
temperatures, driving speeds,
vehicle loading, and road conditions
affect the wear rate of the tires.
Treadwear indicators are one way to
tell when it is time for new tires.
Treadwear indicators 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. SeeTireInspection on page 10‑55
andTire
Rotation on page 10‑55 for
additional information.
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This also applies to the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
never used. Multiple factors
including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure
maintenance affect how fast aging
takes place. GM recommends that
tires, including the spare if
equipped, be replaced after six
years, regardless of tread wear. The
tire manufacturer date is the last
four digits of the DOT Tire
Identification Number (TIN) which is
molded into one side of the tire
sidewall. The first two digits
represent the week (01-52) and the
last two digits, the year. For
example, the third week of the year
2010 would have a four-digit DOT
date of 0310.
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 the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
Page 406 of 510

Black plate (58,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
10-58 Vehicle Care
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
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 MS for mud
and snow. SeeTire Sidewall
Labeling on page 10‑43 for
additional information.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four.
Uniform tread depth on all tires
will help to maintain the performance of the vehicle.
Braking and handling
performance may be adversely
affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time.
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. See
Tire
Rotation on page 10‑55 for
information on proper tire
rotation. However, if it is
necessary to replace only one
axle set of worn tires, place the
new tires on the rear axle.
{WARNING
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{WARNING
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
This vehicle may have a
different size spare than the
road tires originally installed
on the vehicle. When new, the
vehicle included a spare tire
and wheel assembly with a
similar overall diameter as the
road tires and wheels, so it is
all right to drive on it. The
spare tire was developed for
use on this vehicle and will not
affect vehicle handling.
Page 408 of 510

Black plate (60,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
10-60 Vehicle Care
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 tires,
compact spare tires, tires withnominal 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 tiregraded 150 would wear one and
one-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.
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
specified 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
Page 413 of 510
Black plate (65,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
Vehicle Care 10-65
Tire Changing
Removing the Spare Tire and
Tools
The equipment needed to change a
flat tire is stored under the storage
tray, located on the driver side trim
panel, over the rear wheelhouse.
Regular Wheelbase Shown,
Extended Wheelbase Similar
1. Remove the tray to access the tools by pulling up on the finger
depression under the jack
symbol.
A. Jack Knob
B. Wing Nut Retaining theTool Bag
C. Wing Nut Retaining the Wheel Blocks
2. Turn the wing nut retaining the tool bag (B) counterclockwise to
remove it.
3. Turn the jack knob (A) counterclockwise to release the
jack and wheel blocks from the
bracket.
4. Turn the wing nut retaining the wheel blocks (C)
counterclockwise to remove the
wheel blocks and the wheel
block retainer. Use the following tools:
A. Jack
B. Wheel Blocks
C. Jack Handle
D. Jack Handle Extensions
E. Wheel Wrench
Page 414 of 510
Black plate (66,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
10-66 Vehicle Care
To access the spare tire, refer to the
following graphics and instructions:
A. Hoist Assembly
B. Hoist Shaft
C. Hoist Shaft Access Cover/Hole
D. Jack Handle Extensions
E. Wheel Wrench
F. Hoist Cable
G. Tire/Wheel Retainer
H. Spare Tire (Valve StemPointed Down)
I. Hoist Shaft Access Hole J. Hoist End of Extension Tool
K. Spare Tire Lock
1. Open the hoist shaft access
door (C) on the bumper to
access the spare tire lock (K).
2. To remove the spare tire lock (K), insert the ignition key, turn it
clockwise and then pull it
straight out.
3. Assemble the two jack handleextensions (D) and wheel
wrench (E), as shown.
4. Insert the open end of theextension (J) through the hole in
the rear bumper (I) (hoist shaft
access hole).
Be sure the hoist end (J) of the
extension connects to the hoist
shaft. The ribbed square end of
the extension is used to lower
the spare tire.
Page 415 of 510
Black plate (67,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
Vehicle Care 10-67
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 10‑76 for more
information.
6. Use the wheel wrench hook to
pull the hoist cable closer to
assist in reaching the spare tire.
7. Tilt the tire toward the vehiclewith some slack in the cable to
access the tire/wheel retainer.
Separate the retainer from the
guide pin by sliding the retainer
up the pin while pressing down
on the latch.
Page 416 of 510
Black plate (68,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
10-68 Vehicle Care
Once 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 latch.
8. Put the spare tire near the flat tire.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. Do a safety check beforeproceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑63 for more
information.
2. If the vehicle has a center cap that covers the wheel fasteners,
place the chisel end of the wheel
wrench in the slot on the wheel
and gently pry the cap out.
If the wheel has a bolt-on hub
cap, loosen the plastic nut caps
by turning the wheel wrench
counterclockwise. The plastic
nut caps will be retained in the
hub cap after it is removed from
the wheel.
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.
Page 418 of 510

Black plate (70,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd edition - 8/15/12
10-70 Vehicle Care
Front Tire Flat:If the flat tire is
on a front tire of the vehicle, use
the jack handle and only one
jack handle extension. Attach
the wheel wrench to the jack
handle extension. Attach the
jack handle to the jack (A).
Position the jack on the frame
behind the flat tire where the
frame sections overlap. Turn the
wheel wrench clockwise to raise
the vehicle. Raise the vehicle far
enough off the ground so there
is enough room for the spare tire
to clear the ground.
Rear Position –All Other Models
Rear Position –1500 Models Rear Tire Flat:
If the flat tire is
on a rear tire of the vehicle, use
the jack handle (B) and both jack
handle extensions (C). Attach
the wheel wrench (D) to the jack
handle extensions (C). Attach
the jack handle (B) to the
jack (A). Use the jacking pad
provided on the rear axle. Turn
the wheel wrench (D) clockwise
to raise the vehicle. Raise the
vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room
for the spare tire to clear the
ground.
{WARNING
Getting under a vehicle when it is
lifted on a jack 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.