1997 TOYOTA TACOMA spare tire

1441. Reduce
your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place well away from the
traf fic. Avoid stopping on the center di-
vider of a highway. Park on a level spotwith firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in Pº (automatic) or reverse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thor- oughly.
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the poss- ibility of personal injury: Follow jacking instructions.
Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported by a jack. CAUTION
!

Stop the vehicle at a level place
and chock the wheel diagnonally
opposite to the one being
changed. Otherwise, the vehicle
will move and possibly cause un-
expected accident.
Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off the jack and cause injury to the per-son.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack alone.
Use the jack only for lifting your
vehicle during wheel changing.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
put an object on or under the jack.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a deflated tire. Driving even a short
distance can damage a tire beyondrepair.
1. Get the required tools and spare tire.
1 Wheel nut wrench
2 Jack handle
3 Jack
4 Wheel ornament replacer (with free-wheeling hubs)
To prepare yourself for an emergency, you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and theirstorage locations.
If you have a flat tireÐ
ÐRequired tools and spare tire
(normal cab models)

145
Turn the jack joint by hand.
To remove: turn the joint in direction 1 until 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 intothe lowering screw and turn it counter- clockwise.
2. After the tire is lowered completely to the ground, remove the holding brack-et.
When storing the spare tire, put it in placewith 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.1. Get the required tools and spare tire.
1 Tool bag
2 Jack
To prepare yourself for an emergency, you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and theirstorage locations.
ÐRequired tools and spare tire (Xtra-cab models)

146
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 onto the jack handle extension.
2. After the fire is lowered completely to the ground, remove the holding brack- et.
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 thetire 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 diagnoally 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

148
Two-wheel drive models
Four-wheel drive models5. Position the
jack at the correct jack
points 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 side rail RearÐUnder the rear axle housing
Four-wheel drive models
FrontÐUnder the front suspension cross member
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 in the spare tire than 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

149
Xtra-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 into 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

185
Check the fluid level through the reser-
voir. If necessary, add automatic trans-
mission fluid DEXRON [
II or -III.
If the vehicle has been driven around 80
km/h (50 mph) for 20 minutes (a little more
in frigid temperatures), the fluid is hot (40 C ' 80 C or 104 F ' 175 F). You
may also check the level when the fluid is
cold (about room temperature, 0 C '
40 C or 32 F ' 104 F) if the engine has
not been run for about five hours.
a. Clean all dit from outside of the reser- voir tank.
b. Remove the filler cap by turning it
counterclockwise and wipe the dipstick clean. c. Reinstall the filler cap.
d. Remove the filler cap again and look at the fluid level. If the fluid is cold, the level
should be in the COLDº range. Similarly, if it is hot, the fluid level should be in the
HOTº range. If the level is at
the low side
of either range, add automatic transmis-
sion fluid DEXRON -II or III to bring the
level within range.
e. After replacing the filler cap, visually check the steering box case, vane pump
and hose connections for leaks or dam-age.
CAUTION
The reservoir tank may be hot so be careful not to burn yourself.!
Avoid overfilling, or the power steering could be damaged.
NOTICE
Keep your tire pressures at the proper level.
The recommended cold tire pressures, tire size and the cargo weight are also giv-
en in Part 8.
You should check the tire pressures every two weeks, or at least once a month. And
don't forget the spare!
Incorrect tire pressure can reduce tire
life and make your vehicle less safe to drive.
Low tire pressure results in excessive
wear, poor handling, reduced fuel econo-
my, and the possibility of blowouts from
overheated tires. Also, low tire pressure
can cause poor sealing of the tread bead.
If the tire pressure is excessively low,
there is the possibility of wheel deforma- tion and/or tire separation.
High tire pressure produces a harsh ride,
handling problems, excessive wear at the center of the tire tread, and a greater pos-
sibility of tire damage from road hazards.
If a tire frequently needs refilling, have it
checked by your Toyota dealer.
Checking power steering fluid
Checking tire pressure

186The following instructions for check-
ing tire pressure should be observed:
The pressure should be checked
only when the tires are cold. If your
vehicle has been parked for at least 3hours and has not been driven for
more than 1.5 km or 1 mile since, you
will get an accurate cold tire pressure reading.
Always use a tire pressure gauge.
The appearance of a tire can be mis-
leading. Besides, tire pressure that
are even just a few pounds off can de-
grade handling and ride.
Do not bleed or reduce tire pres-sure after driving. It is normal for the
tire pressure to be higher after driving.
Never exceed the cargo weight ra-tio. The luggage weight should bedis-
tributed evenly.
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation
valve caps. Without the valve caps,
dirt or moisture could get into the valve
core and cause air leakage. If the caps
have been lost, have new ones put onas soon as possible.
CHECKING YOUR TIRES Check the tire tread for the tread wear
indicators. If the indicators show, re-place the tires.
The tires on your Toyota have built-in tread wear indicators to help you know
when the tires need replacement. When
the tread depth wears to 1.6 mm (0.06 in.)
or less, the indicators will appear. If you
can see the indicators in two or more adja-
cent grooves, the tire should be replaced.
The lower the tread, the higher the risk of skidding. The effectiveness of snow tires is lost
if the tread wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.). Check the tires regularly for damage
such as cuts, splits and cracks. If any
damage is found, consult with a tech-
nician and have the tire repaired or re- placed. Even if the damage does not appear seri-
ous, a qualified technician should ex-
amine the damage. Objects which have penetrated the tire may have caused in-ternal damage.
Any tires which are over six years old
must be checked by a qualified techni-
cian even if damage is not obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This
also applies to the spare tire and tires
stored for future use. REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use only the
same size and construction as origi-
nally installed and with the same or
greater load capacity.
Using any other size or type of tire may se-
riously affect handling, ride, speedomeet-
er/odometer calibration, ground clear-
ance, and clearance between the body
and tires or snow chains.
Checking and replacing tires