Introduction
Changing a tire on a lifted truck is essential to becoming a responsible vehicle owner. If you’re new to changing tires on your truck, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the process first. While the steps are fairly straightforward, safety precautions must be taken due to the increased height of the vehicle and possible damage that could result from incorrectly lifting the truck. In this article, we’ll look at how to change a tire on a lifted truck correctly.
Safety Precautions:
Before beginning any work on your vehicle, make sure it is securely parked and level. After blocking both wheels that are diagonally opposite from each other, check that the parking brake is firmly set as well. Don’t rely solely on wheel blocks while lifting the truck; they may not hold in place if you jack up the vehicle too quickly or too much weight rests onto them during the process. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing: long-sleeved shirt, trousers or jeans without belt loops, closed-toe shoes, and eye protection such as safety glasses or goggles while performing this task. You should also have standard tools within easy reach such as wrenches and jacks.
Jack Up The Truck:
The next step is to properly lift your pickup for tire changes. The most common tool for this job is a floor jack, but scissors-type jacks can also be used for taller vehicles. When selecting which jack to use for getting underneath your vehicle and supporting it when raising it off ground level, always look for jacking points made explicitly by your car manufacturer – these will generally be located around wheel wells or frame panels you can reach from outside of the vehicle just behind each wheel arch area. Ensure all jacks are safely positioned before raising then up – either side-by-side or two under front and two under back – with one placed directly beneath each wheel arch rather than near lower suspension components like control arms etc., otherwise there’s risk of destabilizing the structure of the raised vehicle when being worked upon which can cause hazardous situations for personnel involved.
Remove Tire:
The tire can now be unbolted from its hub using a wrench or ratchet socket size appropriate to its lug nuts (In many cases 17mm). Unscrew all five lug nuts counterclockwise with an appropriately sized wrench until they become loose enough to remove by hand — never use power tools like an air gun unless advised otherwise by professional mechanics due to potential risks associated with over tightening these components while servicing vehicles with higher center of gravity characteristics like those found in trucks with lifting kits installed (lifted trucks). Once removed entirely from their hubs position each lug nut away safely out of harm’s way as reassembly will require them later in sequence order (for alignment purposes). Now pull gently straight up on wheel/tire assembly until liberated entirely off axle hub assembly so replacement unit may mount without interference issues occurring after installation commences shortly thereafter following completion instructions provided at end stage instructions provided within continuing document sectional contents topic titled “Exchange Tire “i” For New Replacement Model”
Pre-Changing Checklist
Equipment:
1. A properly-sized spare tire
2. A lug-nut wrench
3. A tire iron or a torque wrench, if the spare does not come with one
4. Jack, such as an adapter floor jack or Hi-Lift Jack
5. Tire Blocks, Wheel Chocks or Wrench Extensions (which will be necessary to reach the lug nuts on high lifts)
Skills:
1. Be comfortable and familiar with safely lifting the truck, as well as correctly jacking up the vehicle.
2. Knowing how to check tire pressure and inflate tires correctly is essential for having a safe driving experience after changing a tire on your lifted truck.
3. Understanding how to read and interpret a lug nut chart will help ensure you are using the correct sizes of lug nuts when changing out your spare tire.
4. Following all safety protocols when working on lifts and jacks is crucial for avoiding injury during the process of changing a tire on a lifted truck
Tire Removal
Step 1: Park the truck on a level surface and activate the parking brake. Use wheel chocks to make sure it can’t roll, especially if you’re working on an incline.
Step 2: Add some weight to the elevated side of the vehicle if possible. This can help reduce rocking or other movement while working beneath it.
Step 3: Locate and remove the lug nuts from the wheel with an appropriate wrench or socket. Be sure to take note of any pattern they were in before loosening them until they come off freely.
Step 4: Place a floor jack underneath the lifted part of your truck frame, near where you’ll be removing the tire from. Make sure it is evenly positioned so that when you raise it, there won’t be any shifting of your truck as you work to remove and replace the tire. Jack up that side of your truck until it’s raised slightly higher than normal – but only enough so that you can easily remove and change out the tire without any stretching or straining.
Step 5: Remove the flat or damaged tire by wiggling it back and forth as you lift until free from your vehicle. Place a good spare tire in its spot and press firmly into place before beginning to replace lug nuts using their original pattern (clockwise).
Step 6: Once all the lug nuts are secure just hand-tightened, lower your floor jack slightly for added support of your new tires security on the rim before finishing it off with a final tight push with your wrench/socket set.
New Tire Placement and Securing
1. Make sure to use jack stands that properly fit around the truck frame, as these will prevent it from rolling off the jack and will provide additional support and stability while you are changing the tire.
2. Once the old tire is removed, begin by moving the new tire onto a rotating jack stand by connecting two of its lug nuts. You can use a breaker bar to make tightening or loosening these nuts easier.
3. Lift the new tire up to both sides of the wheel hub, ensuring its exact alignment with your vehicle’s wheel nut holes.
4. Insert each hand-tightened lug nut onto each wheel stud until all five nuts are in place and snugly secured. Then finish off by using a torque wrench to tighten them one at a time in order to apply an evenly distributed amount of pressure across each bolt head and stud for ultimate security.
5. Lower your vehicle back down with your jack as soon as possible. Double check that all lug nuts are securely tightened before taking your car out for a spin – safety first!
Post-Changing Checklist
1. Check the lug nuts: After lowering the affected wheel to the ground, make sure that all five lug nuts are tightened securely, as per the torq torque specification stated in your owner’s manual.
2. Re-check air pressure: Make sure that the tire is not over-inflated after changing. Check the tire pressure and adjust it correctly if needed.
3. Recheck alignment: Get a four-wheel alignment to ensure even wear on all four tires and also ensure there are no imbalances in steering or suspension caused by replacing one tire at a time while lifting a vehicle above normal height.
4. Exchange tires as soon as possible: For lifted vehicles, omitting rotations can lead to premature tread wear and increased road noise when driving at speed which can be dangerous for safety reasons, so be sure to exchange tires periodically as soon as you can for best results.
5. Visually inspect tires and wheels: Take some time to visually inspect each wheel making sure everything looks like it should before taking a test drive or getting back out on the road with your new tire fitted. Keep an eye out for any signs of damage that may have occurred during installation or any other form of regular wear and tear that could present later down the line
6. Test drive: Finally, take your truck for a small drive around the block under low speeds to make sure everything feels right before driving off normally again on your next journey
Troubleshooting Tips
Safety:
1. Park your lifted truck on level, firm ground before you start changing the tire. This will help to prevent the truck from rolling as you work.
2. Place wooden blocks, large rocks, or other stable objects in front and behind each wheel while you are working in order to further prevent the truck from rolling.
3. Make sure that all of the lug nuts that you are going to remove are completely loose before you attempt to jack up the truck. If any of the lug nuts resist being loosened, it is possible that the threads in that socket may be damaged and a new set of sockets (depending on size) may need to be purchased for continued use.
Difficulty-Specific Tips:
1. If your tire is jammed up against a guardrail, curb, or other object which makes it difficult to maneuver, try using rocks or other heavy objects around the tire in an effort to create a barrier between the rim and whichever object is blocking access to the bead of the tire. You can then fill this void with soap and water solution and then break away pieces of that wall until it is clear enough for you to access the lug nuts and begin jacking up the vehicle.
2. If your truck has aftermarket lift kits installed which change the angle of attachment for tires, make sure that you have correctly sized wheels and tires (if necessary) so as not cause further damage when attempting a tire change off-road/on uneven terrain/during sharp turns while driving etc. Additionally fastening any dropped front end plates back onto their respective frame mounts prior to jacking up will help maintain structural integrity when lifting a heavier load due to what can result from lifting a taller vehicle etc
Conclusion
Changing a tire on a lifted truck can be quite tricky; however, knowing how to do it is an important skill. Before beginning the process, it’s essential to make sure that you have the correct tools and that you can properly secure the vehicle so it does not move. You will then need to remove the old tire and wheel from the truck, taking care to follow all safety recommendations for use when jacking up your vehicle. Afterward, install the new wheel and tire on the lifted truck in reverse of how you removed them. Finally, tighten all lug nuts evenly and check for proper torque specifications to ensure a safe ride for your vehicle going forward. Learning how to change a tire on a lifted truck can help get you out of difficult situations and back on the road sooner.
