You can purchase tire irons from your local auto parts stores that usually have an end that fits all vehicles. You may also choose to simply use a deep socket of the appropriate size with a ratchet or breaker bar. If a lug nut is stuck, try standing on the tire iron to break it loose. [2] X Expert Source Howard FleischmannAutomotive Tire & Repair Specialist Expert Interview. 4 June 2021.
The wheel may shift as you remove the lug nuts, so watch your fingers for pinches. Remove the lug nuts across from one another in a star pattern, rather than each one in a row.
If the lug nut and stud break, you will need to have a new lug stud installed in order to repair the vehicle. Be sure to use the correct sized socket. A socket that is slightly too large could round off the lug nut. A stripped or rounded lug nut will have to be cut off by a professional.
You can purchase replacement lug nuts at your local auto parts store. Store the lug nuts in a small bowl or container so they can’t roll away as you work.
Be careful, if the tire is damaged there may be metal wire sticking out of it that can cut you. Wear gloves to pull on a damaged tire.
Do not use a metal hammer to hit the rims or you may damage them. It may take a good deal of force to remove the stuck wheel if it is rusted in place.
There are usually jack points on the frame of your car to the inside of each wheel, and at a center point on the front and back of the car. Jacking the car up at a point that is not designed for it can cause damage to the frame of the vehicle.
Different jacks may place the valve in different places, but it is often a different color than the rest of the jack or is left unpainted completely. If you are using a scissor jack, there is no valve you need to close.
The cup on the jack should be centered on the designated jack point for the vehicle. There are teeth or ridges on the cup of the jack to help prevent the car’s frame from sliding as it’s jacked up.
If you see signs that the metal is bending, lower the car and reposition the jack unto the jack point properly.
Do not place any part of your body under the vehicle unless you have jack stands in place to support it. You only need to lift the vehicle up until the tire is no longer touching the ground to remove it.
Never jack up a vehicle on slanted or uneven surfaces. Jacking a car up on a surface that isn’t strong enough can cause the jack to topple over or sink.
Make sure there’s enough room to sit behind your jack without being in the lane of the road.
Remember that putting the car in park will lock its drive wheels in place, so a front wheel drive car’s front wheels won’t turn in park, and vice versa for a rear wheel drive vehicle. If your car is equipped with a manual transmission, try putting the car in first gear to prevent it from rolling. You can place rocks or plastic wheel chocks purchased from an auto parts store behind the wheels to ensure they can’t turn while you lift the vehicle.
Your owner’s manual can help you locate your parking brake if you are unsure. The parking brake locks the rear wheels in place, so it will not help if the entire back end of the car is in the air.
