GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

    Caution: Refer to Safety Glasses Caution in the Preface section.

    Caution: Refer to Vehicle Lifting Caution in the Preface section.

  1. Raise and support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle .
  2. Remove the tyre and wheel assemblies from the vehicle. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation .
  3. Notice: Damage to either the tire bead or the wheel mounting holes can result from the use of improper wheel attachment or tire mounting procedures. It takes up to 70 seconds for all of the air to completely exhaust from a large tire. Failure to follow the proper procedures could cause the tire changer to put enough force on the tire to bend the wheel at the mounting surface. Such damage may result in vibration and/or shimmy, and under severe usage lead to wheel cracking.

  4. Deflate the tyre completely.
  5. Notice: Use a tire changing machine in order to dismount tires. Do not use hand tools or tire irons alone in order to remove the tire from the wheel. Damage to the tire beads or the wheel rim could result.

    Notice: Do not scratch or damage the clear coating on aluminum wheels with the tire changing equipment. Scratching the clear coating could cause the aluminum wheel to corrode and the clear coating to peel from the wheel.

    Important: If the tyre is to be refitted note and record the relationship and orientation of the tyre to the wheel.

  6. Remove the tyre from the wheel, using a tyre changing machine.
  7. Remove any rubber, light rust or corrosion from the wheel bead seats.
  8. Notice: When mounting the tires, use an approved tire mounting lubricant. DO NOT use silicon or corrosive base compounds to lubricate the tire bead and the wheel rim. A silicon base compound can cause the tire to slip on the rim. A corrosive type compound can cause tire or rim deterioration.

  9. Apply an approved Lubricant to the tyre bead and the wheel rim.
  10. Important: Rim-clamp tyre changes are recommended.

    Important: If fitting the original tyre maintain the original relationship and orientation of the tyre to the wheel.

    Important: If fitting an Australian manufactured tyre align the RED dot on tyre to the mark on outer flange of wheel, or if there is no mark on the wheel, align RED dot to low point of wheel as measured with dial indicator.

    Important: If fitting an European manufactured tyre align the WHITE dot on the tyre 180 degrees from the mark on outer flange of wheel, or if there is no mark on the wheel, align WHITE dot 180 degrees from the low point of the wheel as measured with the dial indicator.

    Important: If fitting a Japanese manufactured tyre and there is a YELLOW dot but not a RED dot use the rule for Australian tyres. If there is a YELLOW and a RED dot, ignore the YELLOW dot and use the RED dot as per the rule for Australian tyres.

  11. Install the tyre to the wheel using a tyre changer.
  12. Caution: To avoid serious personal injury, do not stand over tire when inflating. The bead may break when the bead snaps over the safety hump. Do not exceed 275 kPa (40 psi) pressure when inflating any tire if beads are not seated. If 275 kPa (40 psi) pressure will not seat the beads, deflate, relubricate the beads and reinflate. Overinflation may cause the bead to break and cause serious personal injury.

  13. Inflate the tyre to the specified pressure. Refer to Tire Inflation Pressure Specifications .
  14. Make sure that the locating rings are visible on both sides of the tyre in order to verify that the tyre bead is fully seated on the wheel.
  15. Balance the tyre and wheel. Refer to Tire and Wheel Balancing off vehicle.
  16. Install the tyre and wheel. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation .
  17. Remove the safety stands.
  18. Lower the vehicle.