im trying to change my car wheel using the lug wrench provided with the spare tire.. I cant even remove one of the lug nuts from the wheel.. is there an easier way BESIDES taking it to the dealer??!?!?! HOW do i change a car wheel myself? I cant even get ONE of the lug nuts off?Okay let's run through the easy things here:
Take the lugnuts off before jacking the car up. If you have it jacked up already, the lugnuts will not come off, the tire will just keep spinning.
If you are turning it the wrong way (righty tighty, lefty loosey.. I swear, I had a friend change my tire the other day and he really was doing it the wrong way.. so it's not directed at you :) haha)
Other than that, I'm a girl and I have no idea. So good luck :)!?!?! HOW do i change a car wheel myself? I cant even get ONE of the lug nuts off?They were not torqued properly and way overtightened. Go buy a piece of pipe, about 4' long, that will fit over the lug wrench. That should give you plenty of leverage.!?!?! HOW do i change a car wheel myself? I cant even get ONE of the lug nuts off?The advice about needing a bit more leverage is most likely your answer.
I just wanted to note that, yes you should loosen the lug nuts before raising the wheel off the ground, but do not take them all the way off. You might get hurt.!?!?! HOW do i change a car wheel myself? I cant even get ONE of the lug nuts off?The lug nut wrench provided with the car is junk. Go to any auto parts store and buy yourself a good lug nut wrench that fits your lugs. I like the 4-way kind (shaped like an X) because it allows me to impart a true twisting motion to the lug nuts making better use of my force.
Most service centers use an pneumatic impact wrench to put the lug nuts back on the car. While it may save them time, it over torques the lug nuts so you have a hard time getting them off. Most car manufacturers specify a torque of 80 ft.lbs to secure the lugs adequately.
Applying an anti-seize lubricant to the lug threads before installing the nuts helps put them on with the proper torque and get them off should you have a flat as well.
All these things combined leads to barely being able to get those lug nuts off when you have to... Take care of them all and you will find changing tires one heck of a lot easier! loosening them all while the tire is still on the ground is important too. Just break them loose while the weight of the car keeps the wheel from turning (parking brake on). Take them the rest of the way off once the car is raised.
Prior prep in this area will assist greatly when you have a flat later! Watch where you drive to avoid nails etc...
