How to Change a Toyota Tire

Barring the recalls of 2009 and 2010, Toyota cars and trucks have a reputation for reliability. Yet being mechanically sound has little to do with the tires, and owning a Toyota still means needing to be able to change a tire in the event of an unexpected flat. This basic, fundamental bit of do-it-yourself car maintenance is a simple, but often grimy task. Do it once and you have mastered it for life.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Standard screwdriver
• Tire iron
• Spare tire
• Rubber mallet

1. • 1

     Park the car in a level place, set the emergency brake on your Toyota, and wedge a wheel block, if you have one, under one of the front tires. This will ensure stability while you change the tire.

   • 2

     Pry off the hubcap with a standard screwdriver. No factory hubcap on a Toyota car has a hubcap lock, so it should pop right off.

   • 3

     Put the wrench-end of the tire iron onto a lug nut and turn it counter-clockwise until it becomes loose. Kick the tire iron down if necessary. Loosen, but do not remove, every lug nut in turn.

   • 4

     Set up the jack underneath one of the lifting points next to the tire to be changed, as directed by your Toyota user's manual. The basic jack for all Toyota cars and many trucks will require you to slide the pry-bar end of the tire iron into a bracket on the jack, and to jack up the car by turning the tire iron.

   • 5

     Jack up the car until the tire can rotate freely in the air.

   • 6

     Remove the lug nuts from the lug stems with the tire iron. Pull the tire off the car.

   • 7

     Remove your spare tire from wherever that is kept in your Toyota. Having a full spare in an exterior housing is a common feature on RAV4s and other Toyota SUVs, for example. In a Corolla, however, the spare will be in the trunk.

   • 8

     Set the spare tire onto the wheel hub, so that the wheel is flush against the base of the lug stems. Put the lug nuts back on the wheel, and tighten them with the tire iron.

   • 9

     Lower the jack and set the tire back down on the ground. With the tire on the ground, give each lug nut an extra turn to fully tighten it into place.

   • 10

     Set your Toyota hubcap back on the wheel and tap it back into place using a rubber mallet.