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.
Front Position
Rear Position
Caution: Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up 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.
Caution: Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly positioned can damage the vehicle and even make the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal injury and vehicle damage, be sure to fit the jack lift head into the proper location before raising the vehicle.
Remove all of the wheel nuts.
Remove any rust or dirt from the wheel bolts, mounting surfaces, and spare wheel.
Caution: Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose after time. The wheel could come off and cause an accident. When changing a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency, use a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire brush later, if needed, to get all the rust or dirt off. See Changing a Flat Tire .
Caution: Never use oil or grease on bolts or nuts because the nuts might come loose. The vehicle's wheel could fall off, causing a crash.
Caution: Incorrect or improperly tightened wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come loose and even come off. This could lead to a crash. If you have to replace them, be sure to get new original equipment wheel nuts. Stop somewhere as soon as you can and have the nuts tightened with a torque wrench to the proper torque specification. See Capacities and Specifications for wheel nut torque specification.
Notice: Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead to brake pulsation and rotor damage. To avoid expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper torque specification. See Capacities and Specifications for the wheel nut torque specification.
When you reinstall the regular wheel and tire, you must also reinstall either the center cap or the bolt-on hub cap, depending on which your vehicle has.
• | For center caps, line up the tab on the center cap with the slot in the wheel. The cap only goes in one way. Place the cap on the wheel and press until it snaps into place. |
• | For bolt-on hub caps, line up the plastic nut caps with the wheel nuts and tighten clockwise by hand to get them started. Then tighten with the wheel wrench until snug. |