2000 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER ground clearance

MR2 U
1342000 MR2 (OM17475U)
The compact spare tire can be used many
times, if necessary. It has tread life of up
to 4800 km (3000 miles) depending on
road conditions and your driving habits.
When tread wear indicators appear on the
tire, replace the tire.
See also the tire section in Section 7−2
for details on the tread wear indicators
and other service information.
CAUTION
The compact spare tire was de-
signed especially for your Toyota.
Do not use it on any other vehicle.
Do not exceed 80 km/h (50 mph)
when driving with the compact
spare tire.
Avoid sudden acceleration, sudden
deceleration and sharp turns with
the compact spare tire.
NOTICE
Your ground clearance is reduced
when the compact spare tire is
installed so avoid driving over ob-
stacles and drive slowly on rough,
unpaved roads and speed bumps.
Also, do not attempt to go through an
automatic car wash as the vehicle
may get caught, resulting in damage.
SB41053
Compact spare tire
SB41054
Tool bag
Required tools and
compact spare tire

MR2 U
1372000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Loosening wheel nuts
SB41027
3. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Always loosen the wheel nuts before rais-
ing the vehicle.
Turn the wheel nuts 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 yetjust unscrew
them about one−half turn.
Positioning the jack
SB41036
4. Position the jack at the correct jack point as shown.
Make sure the jack is positioned on a
level and solid place.
Raising your vehicle
SB41029
5. After making sure that no one is in the vehicle, raise it high enough so
that the compact spare tire can be
installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting on the compact
spare tire than when removing the flat
tire.
To 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 positioned.

MR2 U
1422000 MR2 (OM17475U)
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From frontWe recommend using a tow-
ing dolly under the rear wheels. If you do
not use a towing dolly, release the parking
brake and put the transmission in neutral.
From rear Place the ignition key in the
ACC" position.
NOTICE
 When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearance
for towing at the opposite end of
the raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of the
towed vehicle will be damaged dur-
ing towing.
 Do not tow with the key removed or
in the LOCK" position, as the
steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the front
wheels straight while towing.
(b) Using flat bed truck
SB41057
(c) Towing with sling type truck
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck, ei-
ther from the front or rear. This may
cause body damage.
Em erg en cy to win g
SB41045
Remove the cover (front)
SB41033
Install the eyelet (front)

MR2 U
1522000 MR2 (OM17475U)
The compact spare tire can be used many
times, if necessary. It has tread life of up
to 4800 km (3000 miles) depending on
road conditions and your driving habits.
When tread wear indicators appear on the
tire, replace the tire.
See also the tire section in Section 7−2
for details on the tread wear indicators
and other service information.
CAUTION
The compact spare tire was de-
signed especially for your Toyota.
Do not use it on any other vehicle.
Do not exceed 80 km/h (50 mph)
when driving with the compact
spare tire.
Avoid sudden acceleration, sudden
deceleration and sharp turns with
the compact spare tire.
NOTICE
Your ground clearance is reduced
when the compact spare tire is
installed so avoid driving over ob-
stacles and drive slowly on rough,
unpaved roads and speed bumps.
Also, do not attempt to go through an
automatic car wash as the vehicle
may get caught, resulting in damage.
SB41053
Compact spare tire
SB41054
Tool bag
Required tools and
compact spare tire

MR2 U
1552000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Loosening wheel nuts
SB41027
3. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Always loosen the wheel nuts before rais-
ing the vehicle.
Turn the wheel nuts 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 yetjust unscrew
them about one−half turn.
Positioning the jack
SB41036
4. Position the jack at the correct jack point as shown.
Make sure the jack is positioned on a
level and solid place.
Raising your vehicle
SB41029
5. After making sure that no one is in the vehicle, raise it high enough so
that the compact spare tire can be
installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting on the compact
spare tire than when removing the flat
tire.
To 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 positioned.

MR2 U
1602000 MR2 (OM17475U)
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From frontWe recommend using a tow-
ing dolly under the rear wheels. If you do
not use a towing dolly, release the parking
brake and put the transmission in neutral.
From rear Place the ignition key in the
ACC" position.
NOTICE
 When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearance
for towing at the opposite end of
the raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of the
towed vehicle will be damaged dur-
ing towing.
 Do not tow with the key removed or
in the LOCK" position, as the
steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the front
wheels straight while towing.
(b) Using flat bed truck
SB41057
(c) Towing with sling type truck
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck, ei-
ther from the front or rear. This may
cause body damage.
Em erg en cy to win g
SB41045
Remove the cover (front)
SB41033
Install the eyelet (front)

MR2 U
1912000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Checking and replacing tires
SB72007
Tread wear indicator
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
adjacent grooves, the tire should be re-
placed. 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 techni-
cian and have the tire repaired or re-
placed.
Even if the damage does not appear seri-
ous, a qualified technician should examine
the damage. Objects which have pene-
trated the tire may have caused internal
damage.
Any tires which are over 6 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 original-
ly installed and with the same or great-
er load capacity.
Using any other size or type of tire may
seriously affect handling, ride, speedome-
ter/odometer calibration, ground clearance,
and clearance between the body and tires
or snow chains.
CAUTION
Do not mix radial, bias belted, or
bias−ply tires on your vehicle. It
can cause dangerous handling char-
acteristics, resulting in loss of con-
trol.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacturer’s recom-
mended size.
Toyota recommends all four tires, or at
least both front or rear tires be re-
placed as a set.
See If you have a flat tire" in Section
4 for tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Wheels can get out
of balance with regular use and should
therefore be balanced occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the air
valve should also be replaced with a
new one.

MR2 U
1942000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Replacing wheels
WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR WHEELS
If you have wheel damage such as
bending, cracks or heavy corrosion, the
wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace damaged wheels, the
tire may slip off the wheel or cause loss
of handling control.
WHEEL SELECTION
When replacing wheels, care should be
taken to ensure that the wheels are re-
placed by ones with the same load ca-
pacity, diameter, rim width, and offset.
This must be observed on compact spare
tires, too.
Correct replacement wheels are available
at your Toyota dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may
adversely affect handling, wheel and bear-
ing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odom-
eter calibration, stopping ability, headlight
aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clear-
ance, and tire or snow chain clearance to
the body and chassis. Replacement with used wheels is not rec-
ommended as they may have been sub-
jected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent
wheels which have been straightened may
have structural damage and therefore
should not be used. Never use an inner
tube in a leaking wheel which is designed
for a tubeless tire.
Aluminum wheel precautions
When installing aluminum w
heels,
check that the wheel nuts are tight
after driving your vehicle the first
1600km (1000 miles).
If you have repaired or changed your
tires, check that the wheel nuts are
still tight after driving 1600 km (1000
miles).
When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.
Use only the Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminum
wheels.
When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.
As with any wheel, periodically check
your aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.