Your truck getting a flat tire is quite annoying, and if you don't know how to go about properly jacking up the truck, changing the tire will prove to be a great obstacle.
Knowing how to jack up a truck to change a tire isn't too difficult, and in this article, we’ll be looking at the precautions you should take and the steps you need to take to change the tire. After reading this article, you won’t find flat tires as annoying anymore.
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Precautions You Should Take Before Jacking Up A Truck Tire
A truck is quite heavy, and while jacking it up is similar to a car, there are several possible dangers. You should observe these precautions at all times:
1. Never Stay Under the Truck
Never put your hand or any body part under the truck. In the worst case, if the jack collapses and the truck falls, you want to steer clear to avoid getting hurt. While the same advice exists for trying to jack up a car for changing tire, the risks of an accident regarding a truck can be fatal.
2. Never Try to Jack Up a Truck on a Slope
When jacking up a truck, make sure you do it on flat ground. Performing it on slopes will make the task both dangerous and difficult. Always try to locate even ground for you to park the truck and then attempt to change the tire.
3. Make Sure Your Equipment is Strong and Up to Date
Trucks are heavy, and your jack needs to be strong enough to hold up the truck's weight. A faulty or weak jack can collapse under the weight, which can be very dangerous. Although jacks are generally made to be sturdy, mishaps can happen, so it is important to check up on your equipment from time to time.
9 Steps To Jack Up A Truck To Change Tire
Once you’ve understood the necessary precautions, we can now look at how to change a truck tire using a jack. The steps include:
Step 1: Parking Your Truck
The first step is to make sure your truck is parked. You cannot jack up a truck in motion, so you must park it on a smooth patch of road. Never try to park and jack it up on a slope or rough patch of road. Pull the handbrake and turn off your truck.
Step 2: Making Use of Wheel Chocks
While you won’t always need to do this step, it is recommended to do so since it makes the task much easier. Wheel chocks allow you to lock the truck in place and act as a safety measure so that it doesn't move, and you can easily lift it using the jack. Generally, the rule for using chocks is to put chocks on the side opposite the wheel jack.
Step 3: Getting Your Wheel Jack
Next, take a hydraulic powerful jack and look for a secure place to put it under your truck. Hydraulic wheel jacks are recommended since they can better carry the truck's weight but you can use heavy duty bottle jacks also.
Step 4: Locating the Jack Point
The difficult part of jacking up a truck is locating the jack point. When you use a wheel jack without setting it at a proper spot, you may find it difficult to lift the truck as the jack won’t operate properly. It also increases the risk of the truck being out of balance or toppling over.
Proper spots mainly include smooth areas under the truck designed to be in contact with a wheel jack. Using a wheel jack on a body part of a truck can cause damage, so watch out for that. Usually, the spot is near a wheel, but you can look at the manual for your truck to better locate it.
Step 5: Sliding the Jack Under
Once located, you will need to slide the jack under the truck; particularly the jack point you have located. If you want to lift the front of your vehicle, locate the jack point behind the front wheel and then slide the hydraulic jack under it. To lift the rear of your vehicle, locate the jack point in front of the rear wheel and then slide the hydraulic jack under it.
Step 6: Securing the Jack
Once you’ve slid the jack under the proper jack point, make sure it is straight. Then check if the top of the jack is in contact with the truck. Operate the jack and make sure the truck isn’t moving.
Step 7: Lifting the Truck Up
Now continue to operate the hydraulic jack. Hydraulic types usually make use of a lever to operate them.
You need to lift the truck until the wheels are off the ground. Once they are off the ground, you can place jack stands for better support.
Step 8: Changing Out the Tire
Next, unscrew the bolts of the tire and then take it out. You can then replace it with a new tire.
Step 9: Putting the Truck Down
After changing the tire, you can then slowly release the valve of your hydraulic jack. This will slowly let the truck down, and once the jack has been fully let down, you can slide it out.
Ending Note
After reading this article, you should have a better idea of how to jack up a truck to change a tire. You must be careful and take necessary precautions to ensure you don’t get hurt.