Blog / Bishop Toyota Service

Master the Pit Stop: How to Change a Tire on Your Toyota

A Toyota technician changing a tire at Perry Motors Toyota in Bishop, CA

Changing a flat can look like a big problem, but it's easy if you follow a few simple steps. As your Toyota dealer, we want to tell you how to change a tire and get back on the road again in no time.

Find a Safe Place

The first step is to find a safe and flat place to change your tire. If your tire goes flat, you'll hear and feel this almost immediately. Look around you for a convenient place to pull over. You want to find somewhere as far from other moving vehicles as possible, as this prevents a possible accident and allows you to concentrate on fixing that tire.

Get Your Tools

There are only three things you need to change a tire: a spare tire, a jack, and a lug wrench. These items are usually located in your trunk, but if you don't find them there, your car manual will show you where they are. Once you've got your tools together, you're ready to tackle that flat.

Loosen The Lug Nuts

The lug nuts keep your tire firmly attached to the wheel hub, and they're tightly secured. Use the lug wrench to loosen each nut until you can turn it by hand. If the lug nuts won't move, connect the lug wrench to a nut and then push down on the wrench with your foot. This gives you extra leverage to force a stubborn nut to loosen.

Position the Jack

Look under your Toyota for a jack anchor point. These are flat sections of your car's frame that are designed for lifting your car. These points are placed behind each of your wheels.

Jack Your Car

Once you've found the anchor point, place the jack, and lift your car until the flat tire just touches the ground.

Remove the Flat

Unscrew each lug nut and put them to one side, then carefully lift the flat off the wheel hub.

Replace the Flat

Lift the spare tire onto the wheel hub. Once it's on the hub, rotate the spare until the holes in the hub match the holes in the spare. Replace the lug nuts and tighten them as securely as possible by hand.

Lower Your Car

Lower your car to the ground and remove the jack. Now use the lug wrench to securely tighten each nut until they don't move.

Replace the Tools

Now your tire has been changed, all that's left to do is place the flat, jack, and lug wrench back in their places and you're ready to leave. Once you've changed your tire, visit us at Perry Motors Toyota in Bishop, CA. We have all major tire brands in stock, and our technicians can supply you with a new tire.

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