How To Check; Dual Tire Operation - Chevrolet 2009 Express Owner's Manual

How to Check

Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly
inflated simply by looking at them. Radial tires
may look properly inflated even when they are
underinflated. Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. Cold means your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem.
Press the tire gage firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement. If the cold tire
inflation pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading Information
label, no further adjustment is necessary. If the
pressure is low, add air until you reach the
recommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by pushing on
the metal stem in the center of the tire valve.
Recheck the tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.

Dual Tire Operation

When the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel, wheel bolt
or wheel nut is replaced, check the wheel nut torque after
100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and 10 000 km)
of driving. For proper wheel nut tightening information,
see "Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire"
later in this section, under Changing a Flat Tire on
page 5-82. Also see "Wheel Nut Torque" under
Capacities and Specifications on page 5-114.
The outer tire on a dual wheel setup generally wears
faster than the inner tire. Your tires will wear more
evenly and last longer if you rotate the tires periodically.
See Tire Inspection and Rotation on page 5-71. Also
see Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-4.
CAUTION:
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If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is badly
underinflated, the tire can overheat. An overheated
tire can lose air suddenly or catch fire. You or
others could be injured. Be sure all tires (including
the spare) are properly inflated.
See Tires on page 5-55 and Inflation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-64 for more information on proper tire inflation.
5-65