Wheels: Testing and Inspection
It is necessary to replace any wheels which are bent, dented, or which have excessive lateral or radial runout. Also, wheels with runout greater than specified may cause objectionable vibrations.
1. Use a straight edge 203-229 mm (8-9 inch) long. Place the straight edge on the wheel inboard mountings surface. Try to rock the straight edge up and down within the mountings surface.
2. Repeat this procedure on at least three or four different positions on the inboard mountings surface.
- The outer rings of the mountings surface normally is raised above everything inside the mountings surface.
- The mountings surface will be raised above the outer rings if the wheel mountings surface has been bent on a tire changer.
3. Inspect the mountings wheel/nut holes for damage caused from over-torquing the wheel nuts. Inspect for collapsed wheel/nut bosses. Inspect for cracked wheel bosses.
NOTICE: The use of non-GM original equipment wheels may cause:
- Damage to the wheel bearing, the wheel fasteners and the wheel
- Tire damage caused by the modified clearance to the adjacent vehicle components
- Adverse vehicle steering stability caused by the modified scrub radius
- Damage to the vehicle caused by the modified ground clearance
- Speedometer and odometer inaccuracy
IMPORTANT:
- Replacement wheels must be equivalent to the original equipment wheels in the following ways:
- Load capacity
- Wheel diameter
- Rim width
- Wheel offset
- Mountings configuration.
- A wheel of incorrect size or type may effect the following conditions:
- Wheel and hub-bearing life
- Brake cooling
- Speedometer/odometer calibration
- Vehicle ground clearance
- Tire clearance to the body and the chassis
4. Replace the wheel if the wheel is bent. Replace the wheel if the wheel/nut boss area is cracked. Identify steel wheels with a 2 or 3 letter code stamped in the rim near the valve stem. Aluminum wheels have the code, the part number, and the manufacturer identification cast in the back side of the wheel.