Welcome to the world of do-it-yourself car repairs! It’s a fun way to save money, and understanding how your car works only has benefits. Although a chaotic place to start, this is also a fantastic way to learn.
There are four jack points on practically every car’s frame, including the Toyota Camry. The front ones are directly adjacent to the inner hinge line of the door, behind the front wheels. In front of the rear wheels are the jack points for the rear (on the driver end, not the trunk end).
It’s a good idea to initially examine the car’s undercarriage while squatting on the ground with your dependable smartphone flashlight. The jack points are located in the regions we just mentioned, and they differ slightly from the rest of the car’s frame in appearance.
To make sure you know exactly where the car’s jack points are, you should absolutely examine your car’s manual. You’ll be referring to that manual a lot as you delve into the DIY mechanic hobby. You can find it on the manufacturer’s website if you don’t already have it.
Some vintage automobiles, trucks, and SUVs won’t have designated jack points. Instead, you’ll have to make use of the vehicle’s frame. Yet again, before attempting to jack up the automobile, always refer to your vehicle’s manual.
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In This Article...
Using Natural slopes
You don’t need a jack if there are raised ramps nearby, or even if the footpath curbs are in an urban area.
To gain the appropriate height to operate beneath the automobile, drive your vehicle at an angle to the ramp so that one of its wheels is raised.
You can either drive up the ramp in reverse at an angle to elevate the front wheels, or you can drive upward at an angle to elevate the back wheels.
View the complete video here:
Digging soil underneath
- As normal, engage the emergency brakes, park your automobile, and chock the wheels.
- You can create the appropriate elevation for changing a tire by digging a hole underneath the tire.
- The earth may be dug readily for this purpose using a shovel.
- Dig continuously until the axle is firmly supported by the obstructions.
This will enable you to get a suitable elevation for simple tire removal. Replace your tire after removing the lug nuts.
Using pieces of wood / bricks
Using pieces of raw, natural wood will allow you to lift your automobile high enough to gain access to the area underneath it without spending money on a jack.
These parts can be stacked to create a wooden block. When stacking the planks, stay away from nails.
The reason is that nails cause the hardwood planks to crack and leave a weak spot in the middle, which increases the likelihood that the entire block would collapse when the automobile is parked on it (you can use wooden glue which will have no effect on the strength of the wooden blocks).
You can now manually put the car onto the wooden block or drive it up to the chosen elevation to change a tire.
You may lift your automobile up similarly using bricks or any other flat piece of rock. Use a blocking or supporting item, such as bricks or a wooden board, using caution to prevent the tire from slipping off the platform you’ve built.
Important Safety Advice: After raising the automobile, use your emergency brakes or block the wheels to prevent them from rolling. It is suggested that you use both strategies. Applying the chock should be done on the side that is not being lifted. People have died after being crushed by their cars while working underneath them, thus we urge particular caution in following all safety rules.
FIND A SAFE LOCATION
Do not suddenly brake or turn when you first notice you have a flat tire. Slow down and look about for a straight, flat section of road with a wide shoulder. The best location would be a parking lot that was empty. It is advantageous to have level terrain since it will keep your car from rolling. Furthermore, straight sections of road are preferable to curves since they increase the likelihood that incoming vehicles will spot you.
Never try to replace a tire near oncoming traffic on a small shoulder. Move forward (slowly) until you reach a safer location. Although driving on a flat tire puts your rim at danger of damage, this is better than getting struck by an inattentive motorist.
Make sure to examine the precise instructions for changing a flat tire for your vehicle in your owner’s manual.
TURN ON YOUR HAZARD LIGHTS
Other drivers will be able to see you on the side of the road thanks to your hazard lights or flashers. They should be turned on as soon as you recognize you need to stop in order to prevent an accident.
APPLY WHEEL WEDGES
To make sure the car doesn’t slide while you patch the flat tire, wheel wedges are placed in front of or behind the tires. Put these in front of the front tires if you’re changing a rear tire. Put the wheel wedges behind the rear tires if the front tire is flat.
Real wheel wedges are not necessary; you can just use bricks or big stones. Simply make sure they are substantial enough to prevent the automobile from rolling.
REMOVE THE HUBCAP OR WHEEL COVER
It is simpler to take off the hubcap before raising the car with the jack if your car has one covering the lug nuts. You can move on to Step 6 if your lug nuts are visible.
To remove the hubcap, use the flat end of your lug wrench. Most automobiles can use this, but some hubcaps require a specialized tool to remove. For instructions on how to remove a hubcap or wheel cover properly, go to your owners manual.
LOOSEN THE LUG NUTS
Turn the lug nuts counterclockwise with the lug wrench until they lose their resistance. It’s okay if you have to use force. If required, use your foot or your entire body weight.
The lug nuts should be loosened by 1/4 to 1/2 turn, but not yet totally removed. Save that for when you need to take your tire or wheel off the car.
PLACE THE JACK UNDER THE VEHICLE
Under the car’s frame, next to the flat tire, is normally where the jack should be placed. A cleared piece of exposed metal on the bottom of many car frames is designated for the jack and is covered in molded plastic. Use the jack in accordance with the owner’s manual’s directions to properly lift the object without causing harm to the car.
RAISE THE VEHICLE WITH THE JACK
Before attempting to elevate your vehicle, lay a little cut of 2×6 wood beneath the jack to keep it from collapsing under the weight of your car and losing equilibrium. On asphalt, this strategy is very useful.
Lift the car with the jack in the right place until the flat tire is roughly six inches off the ground.
Never place any portion of your body under the car while it is being raised with the jack or later.
REMOVE THE FLAT TIRE
Pull the tire gently in your direction while holding it by the treads until it is totally free from the hub behind it. To prevent it from rolling away, position it on its side.
TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS BY HAND
Reinstall the lug nuts on the lug bolts and manually tighten them all the way. Once they are all attached, double-check each one and tighten as much as you can. After lowering the car to the ground, you’ll use the wrench to tighten them.
LOWER THE VEHICLE AND TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS AGAIN
Lower the car using the jack so that the spare tire is on the ground but that the tire isn’t bearing the entire weight of the car. Now, using the wrench and rotating in a clockwise direction, tighten the lug nuts as much as possible. Use your entire body weight to press down on the lug wrench.
LOWER THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY
Remove the jack and fully lower the car to the ground. To make sure the lug nuts are as snug as possible, give them one more tug with the wrench.
REPLACE THE HUBCAP
Put the hubcap you removed from the flat tire back on if it fits your spare tire after first removing it. If it won’t fit, store it with the tire when you store your equipment if it isn’t necessary.
STOW ALL EQUIPMENT
A jack, a lug wrench, wheel wedges, your flat tire, and perhaps a hubcap are the items you have in front of you. Before you go, remember to load them all into your car.
CHECK THE PRESSURE IN THE SPARE TIRE
To make sure the spare tire is secure for driving, you should check the tire pressure. Mini-spares, commonly known as T-Type temporary spares, need 60 psi (420 kPa). If the tire has to be inflated, proceed (slowly) to a gas station right away.
TAKE YOUR FLAT TIRE TO A TECHNICIAN
Driving long distances or at high speeds is not recommended with temporary spare tires, so proceed with caution until you can see a tire technician. If your tire needs to be repaired or needs to be replaced, a professional should be able to tell.
Do 2018 Toyota Camry models come with spare tires?
The spare tire that comes with the Toyota Camry is not the usual spare tire; rather, it is a “space saving spare tire” that is reduced in size. This will function adequately to bring you to a shop where a new tire may be put on your car.
How are the front wheels jacked up?
Under the jack point that is placed close to the front tire, place a jack stand. Downshift the automobile. On the opposite side, repeat. Right now, you have both of the front wheels raised (on jack stands) and both of the rear wheels down.
How much should my automobile be jacked up?
I was having trouble using my old floor jack a few weeks ago.
After rolling it underneath my Nova, I raised the vehicle. The fact that the handle requires intense pumping in order to raise is a major problem.
When the jack is rolled deeply beneath the vehicle, such as under the third member, it might be a great nuisance (more on this later).
When I was finished, I tried to lower the car, but it required a lot of tweaking before it would release properly. After turning the handle, it eventually released, jiggled, and wiggled, but instead of descending gradually, it did so far too quickly and in a frightening manner, as in “Ka-Boom!
It turns out that the issue was caused by a release gear set that was severely worn (I’ve already rotated and re-oriented the gear a few times). I decided to bite the bullet and get another jack because I believed it owed me nothing given that I had had it for years.
Thus, the inspiration for writing this article: what should you consider while choosing a floor jack? It turns out that there are numerous floor jacks available in Summit Racing’s catalog, and there are many possibilities in terms of functionality (not to mention a wide price range too).
Here are some floor jack fundamentals, which are listed in no particular order:
How much space do you require? Here’s my opinion: I had had a large, outdated five-ton jack at my shop. It was big and massive, like a beast. For my purposes, I reasoned that a 2-ton jack would be suitable for lifting the front end of my pickup truck as well as the rear end of a passenger automobile.
The worst-case situation is lifting close to the engine, when a floor jack is probably only able to sustain about 60% of the total weight of the car. (By the way, some jacks have a safety feature built in; if you surpass the jack’s capacity, the fluid will bypass and it just won’t lift.)
Minimum Height: Many automobiles today are quite low, which may restrict your options for jacks. You may certainly roll your automobile atop a stack of extra lumber to boost height, but it quickly gets boring. The minimal height isn’t a big deal if your pastime involves lifted trucks or SUVs, of course. The bottom line is to choose a jack with a minimum height that is suitable for your car.
Maximum Lift: It’s crucial to know how high an automobile can be lifted. A jack lift height of 20 inches is sufficient for the majority of autos. You’ll need something with larger lifting capacities unless, of course, you’re into lifted off-roaders with enormous tires.
Platform Size: It’s crucial to consider the breadth of the jack at both the platform and its lifting arms. Similar rules apply to the size of the jack pad, including its overall width and length as well as the jack’s wheelbase measurements.
A jack with a longer wheelbase and a somewhat wider base will typically prove to be more stable for gearheads. When the jack is fully elevated, this becomes very crucial. Alternately, a narrow jack might fit into some chassis restrictions more readily.
Material & Weight: The Summit Racing catalog has steel or steel/cast jacks in addition to aluminum jacks. The reasoning is straightforward: an aluminum floor jack is the best option if you need to transport a floor jack to the racetrack because it is lighter. A heavier jack makes sense if it is going to be used exclusively in your shop.
Pumps to Full Height: While this may initially appear unimportant, it can quickly become tiresome if you have to use numerous handle pumps to raise the jack to its full height.
The Nova in the images serves as a prime example. The jack needs to be rolled far beneath the automobile for lifting the rear center piece. My old jack raises the platform with a lot of full stroke pumps, as I previously described. The handle can no longer make full strokes because the jack has been rolled far under the automobile. The back bumper comes into contact with the handle. As a result, lifting the car seems to take an eternity. Just so you know, some race jacks just need a couple full pumps to rise all the way.
Build Quality: While this factor can be wholly subjective, in the long run, investing in a high-quality floor jack can save you money compared to purchasing numerous cheap models and frequently replacing them due to failures.
And if you’re anything like me, you really don’t want to even consider a jack failure. To confidently lift your car and set it on jack stands, the jack needs to be reliable. Purchase the best, highest-quality jack you can afford after taking your application into account.
Just keep in mind that a set of reliable jack stands should ALWAYS be utilized in addition to a floor jack.
The average lift height of many jacks is around 20 inches. That’s more than enough for the majority of applications. In the aforementioned story, we delve into further depth. (Photo by Wayne Scraba)
Here is a picture showing the fundamental chassis arrangement of both my old jack and its replacement. As you can see, the new jack has significantly more chassis beef. (Photo by Wayne Scraba)
A low jack is essential for many hot rods and race cars. Here are the differences between two jacks (with and without the jack pad). (Photo by Wayne Scraba)
As you can see, the blue jack’s chassis height is significantly lower. (Photo by Wayne Scraba)
The example used in the text is this 1-1/2 ton Allstar race jack. Because it is made of aluminum, it weighs only 44 pounds and only needs 3 pumps to raise to its full height of 17.5 inches. (Summit Racing Photo)
The nose of Summit Racing’s low profile jack is only 2-3/4 inches tall overall, which is exceptionally low. It features a 20-inch lift height as well. Additionally, it has a 2-ton rating. (Summit Racing Photo)
This Ranger model floor jack with a 3-ton capacity is excellent all-around. This jack has an integrated safety overload feature (we talk about that in the story above). (Summit Racing Photo)
Another low profile jack is presented here, this time made by Ranger. Although it only measures 2-3/4 inches tall overall, this long-chassis jack can raise objects up to 24-inches high. But it’s not a flyweight: This jack is made entirely of steel, and it weighs 117 pounds to ship. (Summit Racing Photo)