How to Change a Tire and/or Install Wheel Spacers
Changing a tire is a simple job we all have to learn sometime, and better to do it now then in the pouring rain at midnight while in Inner City. Here are the tools you need for the job. They should already be in your trunk, or you can get aftermarket jacks and lug wrenches. Part 1 is your jack. This is the car's orginal jack, so yours may be different if you had one replaced. They look like this, or some are shaped like bottles or diamond shaped with a screw-type handle. Part 2 is the jack handle/lug wrench. The flat end is used to pry off the hubcap on, naturally, wheels with hubcaps. (Note: Some hubcaps have lock...be sure to unlock them before you pry your caps to bits) The other end is your lug wrench, used to tighten and loosen your wheel's lug nuts. Part 3 is my lug wrench (AutoZone, about $8) It has four sizes of lug wrenches for use on many different vehicles. I got it so I could spin it around faster and get the tires off quicker :) Part 4 is a set of Mr Gasket 7/16" wheel spacers. Ignore this part and it's associated steps if all you want to do is change a stock size tire. If you have spacers, you know why you have spacers, and I needn't go into this now... Put on the emergency brake and you're ready to continue.
The first step is to loosen the lugs. I tend to forget this one and after I jack up the car and try to take them off the wheel just spins and won't loosen at all. Just turn counter-clockwise to start them with the lug wrench and make them loose enough you can turn them by hand. Take them half way or less off at this time so they will hold up your car in case your jack fails and drops your car.
Place the end of your jack under the car and raise it so it is right below the frame. This is the set of wide square metal beams that run around the edge of your car. They are one of the strongest things in the entire car, thus being why the jack goes there. Put the jack as close to the wheel as possible. There is a small lever on this type of jack which tell it whether to go up or down. Simply enough, point the lever up as shown to make the jack go up. To lift the car, slowly pump the lug wrench/handle (do not let go until handle is all the way back up!) until the tire is off the ground.
With the car up in the air, take off the rest of the lugs and set them some place where you wont lose them such as in the hub cap or in your pocket. Be careful if you've been driving a bit...they may be hot. With all the lugs off, your wheel should pull right off.
This is what front disc brakes look like. Make sure the rotor (big round part...probably the only clean looking thing down there) is free of debris and oils. Also look at your brake pads (the red and black things in the pic..you'll be looking at the grey part on the insides) and see how much you have left. If there is only about 1/8" of lining left, you should probably replace them soon. I should have my calipers chromed... ;)
Just slip the wheel spacer over the lugs, the tapered side out. Simple enough wasn't it?
Here is a pic to show why people need spacers when they put on bigger tires. That black streak is melted rubber left from my tires rubbing the fender wall. The pic on the right shows how putting spacers on will in effect, shorten your lug bolts. You may need special lug nuts to grab onto the bolts depending how thick your spacers are. Mine were still good.
Speaking of lugs...now would be a great time to polish them up a little. Here's a before and after. Few seconds on a wire wheel will shine them right up.
Put your wheel/spare/donut on and tighten up the lugs by hand. Jiggle the wheel around some while hand tightening to make sure it's sitting flat.
Flip the lever on the jack down and pump the handle until you can pull the jack out easily. With the car on the ground, go around tightening every other lugnut. By skipping one in between, it assures your wheel is on properly.