Changing Large Truck Tires by Hand: The other issue involved is that the lug nuts on a large truck are generally harder to loosen than a car’s.
In most cases you will need an air impact wrench to loosen the stubborn lug nuts. Depending on the truck you can break the lug nuts loose with a large breaker bar. You can purchase the breaker bar at any store that specializes in selling tools.[/box]
[box type=”shadow”]Taking Off the Wheel
1 Loosen the lug nuts with a large socket wrench. Do not remove the lug nuts as you just want to loosen them.This will require a 3/4-size socket wrench or a thick breaker bar if you do not have access to an impact wrench with adequate air supply. If you are using an impact air wrench, then disregard this step.
2 Set the parking brake. If you are removing a back tire then you will need to chock the front tire with a cement block.
3 Raise the truck to get the wheel off the ground. If you are taking off a front tire then you will raise it from the front axle. If you are taking off a back tire then you will raise if from the differential in the back. Position the jack underneath the middle of the axle or directly under the differential and raise the truck till the wheel is off the ground.
4 Loosen and take off the lug nuts from the wheel. Place them in a safe place so you can re-use them.
5 Grasp the wheel at the sides and try and pull off. The wheel may be stuck on to the axle so you will need to loosen it with a short handle sledge hammer. Strike the wheel from the back to free it from the axle.
6 Pull the wheel off the axle with your hands. You can use a large pry bar to lift the bottom of the wheel and pry it away from the axle. Let the wheel fall to the ground. Grab the top and roll it away from the truck.[/box]
[box type=”shadow”]Installing the New Wheel
1 Position the new wheel in front of the desired axle. To make this easy you will want to make sure the lug nut holes on the wheel are in the same position as the wheel studs on the axle.
2 Crouch down and wrap your arms around the wheel. Lift with your legs to place the wheel onto the axle. Lift the wheel onto the wheel studs. If you have a large pry bar you can place the pry bar under the wheel and raise the pry bar and this will raise the wheel to the axle. You will just need to lift it on the studs once the wheel is on the axle.
3 Start the lug nuts. Do not tighten the lug nuts till all the lug nuts are on the wheel studs.
4 Tighten the lug nuts by alternating from one side of the wheel to the other. If you tighten a top lug nut then the next lug nut to tighten will be a bottom lug nut. Tighten each lug as tight as you can with the breaker bar or large socket wrench. Use this same procedure if you are using an air powered impact wrench.
5 Lower the truck to the ground. Pull the jack away from the truck.
6 Tighten the lug nuts again to ensure they are tight. Tighten them as tight as you can get them. Check every lug nut that was removed.[/box]
