How To Video: Change a Tire on the Tacoma ( high def )

always have basic information in mid is really helpfull great vid

 

To add to this, another trick is when you take off your tire, throw it under the truck either under the axle or the front suspension when you're under the truck. The wheel rim is about the same thickness of a human chest and might just be enough to stop it from crushing your ass.

Always let other people know what you're doing and to check on you in regular 10 minute intervals when you're under a truck.

Realistically, 3 minutes without oxygen will start turning you into a vegetable, but would you rather act like an 8 year old for the rest of your life in a padded room or be laying in an oak box 6 feet under?

 

Very awesome additions

I already act like an 8 year old half the time

 

Good video! Love it when you flipped off the old tire. That rim must have been hot or, you were just mad at the flat. Either way I was LMAO. Again, Great Vid!

 

Great info. Probably one of those things we take for granted until it happens to us!

 

Thank You, Good Video.
The "Dry Run" is an excellent point.
A 35° rainy night on a narrow winding road in the middle of nowhere...
is NOT the place for your "1st Time"

And check the torque again after 50-100 miles


CC

 

Great video,, and you changed it with Flip Flops on. nice!

 

Go to walmart and get one of these:



and one of these:



and one of these:



All for around $60. Will fit behind seat or in the back and makes life a lot easier when you are on the emergency lane of the freeway down slope with cars whizzing by at 75 mph like I was a month ago.

These 12 volt cigarette lighter inflaters are good to have too incase your spare is low or you just need to inflate a slow leak tire on the way home:

 

Meh... chances are you'll get the flat at night in the middle of January while it is pouring down rain. Just saying you're going to be pissed and miserable either way so you might as well save some gas by not hauling a 3 ton jack with you for several years before you finally use it... if at all.

I think this thread contains some over-compensation and lawyer fear. With that said, it is a good simple video for the basics. It was annoying to try and figure out how to get the spare out from under there when I had to do it several years ago. And there are some good basic safety tips pointed out and that mounting points document is useful. But carrying a 3-ton jack around with you everywhere you go!?!? I mean.. come on......

 

thanks.. great job for us new truck owners.

JAF

 

Don't need it, use the one from your emergency kit. If you are in the driveway, get an impact wrench from Harbor Freight. I freaking love mine for taking off the nuts (don't use it for putting them back on!). You will still want a torque wrench.

too small for the 4x4. You need a 3 ton. for those with lifts, you need a 3 ton with a block to sit on top, I max out my jack. Either way, a 3 ton is too huge to be carrying around unless you get one of those setups like the desert racers have that sit in the bed... I think blackhawke has one?

too weak, those are meant for small car tires. Get a pump from Q Industries, Viair, or ARB.

Yes and no - my family was on a gravel road 25 miles from civilization when we got our flat in the family van. The factory jack worked great and got us back into town on the donut.
A full on jack can be a bit ridiculous, but not if it's the only size thing that lifts high enough. Offroaders carry hi-lifts, speed jacks, or some long bottle jacks. On-roaders? AAA or roadside assistance insurance is nicer.

 

Yeah this thread is old but...

FWIW when I changed my dad's flat on his Tundra the emergency lug nut wrench just about snapped off!!!

So I got out the 4 way we keep in the truck. That was scary.

 

Apparently you've got a faulty one.

 

I am on my third Tacoma and sadly I can say I have never taken "the spare tire removal process" for a dry run. After reading this thread it definitely has moved up on my to do list though. Thanks for the video and good comments afterwards. A new wrench to store in the truck is a good one.*

*Always keep in mind-secure most items in your truck so that they do not become projectiles. It does and can happen. A Tacoma may save you in a roll over but it can do nothing against tow hitches, etc flying towards your melon.

 

Good Intel. Thanks!

 

For the women in the "house" (works for the guys too of course)...
I've had to change both car and truck tires before and you often run into problems where the lug nuts have been tightened so tight by the last guy/mechanic that may have done some work on your vehicle that you can't budge them when using the standard lug wrench. No worries, there's a way around this! Before you jack it up, when loosening those lug nuts up, just put the lug wrench over the lug nut that isn't budging so that the handle of the wrench extends out parallel with the ground. Once that's done you've just got to put enough muscle, or in most women's cases weight, onto the handle to get it to start turning so you can loosen the lug nuts. Best way to do this is to just step on the handle of the lug wrench. Yep, that's right, grab a firm hand hold on the truck and step up on the handle of the lug wrench to get it to move. In my experience it works every time when your arm strength alone isn't getting the job done. Just remember the righty tighty lefty loosey rule so you're not tightening instead of loosening the lug nuts!

 

My '88 Toyota pickup has the same crank system for the spare tire as my '05 Taco, and I think my '77 Hilux did too. Good design never goes out of style.

With a few years experience to back me up, here are 2 more tips:

1. Check the air pressure in the spare once in a while. Nothing like having an unusable spare tire.

2. Lubricate the crank mechanism when you check the spare tire air pressure. It can become difficult to crank when it gets older. A bit of lube will help prevent corrosion.

A final thought ... an "x" tire iron is sure nice for loosening the lug nuts. Even a cheap one will outperform the standard ones when lug nuts are on really tight.

 

Even better -

1. get the tire iron from the kit and put it on parallel to the ground so that the handle sticks out to the left.
2. Stand on the handle.

 

I also recommend when getting a new truck home checking and readjusting the torque on the lugnuts. Mine were all over the map along with tire pressure. Some lugs required breaker bar and a PIPE to free them up, others not so bad. Noone wants to run into that on the side of the road. They must just blast them on with the air gun at the factory to keep em moving.

 

old post, but great info! thanks for posting

p.s. love the middle finger to the tire! haha ive shared the same feelings toward my flats before