1996 TOYOTA TACOMA Owners Manual

125
Turn the jack joint by hand.
To remove: Turn the joint in direction 1 un- til the jack is free.
To store: Turn the joint in direction 2 until the jack is firmly secured to prevent it fly-
ing forward during a collision or suddenbraking.To remove the spare tire:
1. Insert the end of the jack handle exten-
sion into the lowering screw and turn it counterclockwise with the handle, making
sure the handle remains firmly fitted ontothe jack handle extension.
2. After the tire is lowered completely to the ground, remove the holding bracket.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place with the outer side of the wheel facing up.
Then secure the tire, taking care that the tire goes straight up without catching on
any other part, to prevent it from flying for- ward during a collision or sudden braking.2. Block the wheel diagonally oppo-
site the flat tire to keep the vehicle from
rolling when it is jacked up. When blocking the wheel, place a wheel
block from the front for the front wheels or
from the rear for the rear wheels.
ÐBlocking the wheel

126
3. Remove the wheel ornament.
Pry off the wheel ornament, using the bev-
eled end of the wheel nut wrench as shown.
Do not try to pull off the ornament by
hand. Take due care in handling the
ornament to avoid unexpected per-
sonal injury.CAUTION
!
4. Loosen all the wheel nuts. Always l
oosen the wheel nuts before rais-
ing the vehicle.
The nuts turn counterclockwise to loosen.
To get maximum leverage, fit the wrench
to the nut so that the handle is on the right
side, as shown above. Grab the wrench
near the end of the handle and pull up on
the handle. Be careful that the wrench
does not slip off the nut.
Do not remove the nuts yetÐjust unscrew
them about one-half turn.
ÐRemoving wheel ornament
ÐLoosening wheel nuts

127
Two-wheel drive models
Four-wheel drive models5. Position the jack at the correct jack
point as shown.
Make sure the j
ack is positioned on a l evel
and solid place. JACK POINTS:
Two-wheel drive models
FrontÐUnder the frame siderail RearÐUnder the rear axle housing
Four-wheel drive models
FrontÐUnder the front suspensioncrossmember RearÐUnder the rear axle housing
6. After making sure that no one is in
the vehicle, raise it high enough so
that the spare tire can be installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting on the spare tirethan when removing the flat tire.
Normal cab modelsÐTo raise the vehicle,
insert the jack handle into the jack (it is a
loose fit) and turn it clockwise. As the jack
touches the vehicle and begins to lift,
double-check that it is properly posi-tioned.
ÐPositioning the jack
ÐRaising your vehicle

128Xtra-cab modelsÐTo raise the vehicle,
insert the jack handle extension into the jack (it is a loose fit) and turn it clockwisewith the handle, making sure the handle remains firmly fitted onto the jack handle
extension. As the j
ack touches the vehicle
and begins to lift, double-check that it is
properly positioned.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack alone. CAUTION
!
7. Remove the wheel nuts and change tires.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it aside.
Roll the spare wheel into position and
align the holes in the
wheel with the bolts.
Then lift up the wheel and get at least thetop bolt started through its hole. Wigglethe tire and press it back over the other bolts.Before putting on wheels, remove any
corrosion on the mounting surfaces with a
wire brush or such. Installation of wheels
without good metal-to-metal contact at
the mounting surface can cause wheel
nuts to loosen and eventually cause a
wheel to come off while driving. Therefore
after the first 1600 km (1000 miles), check
to see that the wheel nuts are tight.
ÐChanging wheels

129
8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end in-
ward) and tighten them as much as youcan by hand. Press back on the tire back and see if you can tighten them more.Two-wheel drive models
Four-wheel drive models9. Lower the vehicle completely and
tighten the wheel nuts.
Normal cab modelsÐTurn the jack han-
dle counterclockwise to lower the vehicle.
Xtra-cab modelsÐTurn the jack handle
extension counterclockwise with handle
to lower the vehicle, making sure the han-dle remains firmly fitted onto the jack han-
dle extension.
Use only the wheel nut wrench and turn it
clockwise to tighten the nuts. Do not use other
tools or any additional leverage oth-
er than your hands, such as a hammer,
pipe or your foot. Make sure the wrench is
securely engaged over the nut.
Tighten each nut a little at a time in the or-
der shown. Repeat the process until all the nuts are tight.
ÐLowering your vehicle
ÐReinstalling wheel nuts

130
10. Reinstall the wheel ornament.
1. Put the wheel ornament in position.
On some models, align the cutout of the
wheel ornament with the valve stem as shown.
2. Then firmly tap the outer edge of the
wheel cap with the side or heel of your
hand to snap it into place.
Take due care in handling the orna- ment to avoid unexpected personal
injury.CAUTION
!
On steel wheel ornaments for free-wheel-
ing hubs, place the wheel ornament re-
placer over the opening and tap on the
replacer to snap the ornament into place.
Be careful not to slip off the replacer. 11. Check the air pressure of the re-
placed tire.
Adjust
the air pressure to the specification
designated in Part 8. If the pressure is
lower, drive slowly to the nearest service station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire inflation valve cap as dirt and moisture could get into the valve core and possibly cause air
leakage. If the cap is missing, have a new
one put on as soon as possible. 12. Restow all the tools, jack and flat
tire securely.
As soon as possible after changing
wheels, tighten the wheel nuts to thetorque specified in Part 8 with a torque
wrench and have a technician repair the
flat tire.
Before driving, make sure all the
tools, jack and flat tire are securely in place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of personal
injury during a collision or suddenbraking. CAUTION
!
ÐReinstalling wheel ornament
ÐAfter changing wheels

131
Two-wheel drive modelsFour-wheel drive modelsIf towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-vice. Proper equipment will help ensure that your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are gener-
ally
aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is towed
incorrectly. Although most operatorsknow the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to your vehicle, make sure the following few
precautions are observed. If necessary,
show this page to the tow truck driver.
TOWING PRECAUTIONS: Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
Two-wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Using flat bed truck
Toyota recommends this as the best method for your vehicle.
If your vehicle needs to be towedÐ

132(b) Towing with wheel lift type truck From frontÐ
Manual transmission
We recommend using a towing dolly un-
der the rear wheels. If you do not use a
towing dolly, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral. Automatic transmission:
Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an auto- matic transmission from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,as this may cause serious damage to the transmission.
From rearÐ Place the ignition key in the
ACCº position.
NOTICE
Do not tow with the key removed or in the LOCKº position, as the steer-
ing lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheelsstraight while towing.
Four-wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Using flat bed truck
Toyota recommends this as the best method for your vehicle.
(b) Towing with wheel lift type truck From frontÐ Manual transmission:
We recommend using a towing dolly un-
der the rear wheels. If you do not use a
towing dolly, release the parking brake,
put the transmission in neutral and set the
transfer in H2º mode. Automatic transmission:
Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an auto- matic transmission from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,as this may cause serious damage to the transmission.
From rear ÐWe recommend using a tow
dolly under the front wheels. If you do not
use a towing dolly, place the ignition key
in the ACCº position, put the transmis-
sion in neutral and set the transfer in H2º
mode. Disengage both free-wheeling
hubs if so equipped.
NOTICE
Do not tow with the key removed or in the LOCKº position when tow-
ing from the rear without a towing dolly. The steering lock mechanismis not strong enough to hold the front wheels straight.