Your Highlander Already Has the Tools
- First, find a safe place and turn on the emergency lights.
- 2. Take off the hubcap.
- Step 3: Insert the Jack, loosen the lug nuts, and raise the Highlander.
- Remove the lug nuts in Step 4 and mount the spare.
- 5. Tighten the lug nuts, then lower them and tighten them once more.
In This Article...
Does the Toyota Highlander handle snow well?
Can a Toyota Highlander Handle Snow Well? The Toyota Highlander performs exceptionally well in snow because to its raised and commanding ride height. This elevates it above many other cars in terms of drivability in snow, along with its assortment of safety measures from the Toyota Star Safety system.
Can a Highlander Offroad?
The Toyota Highlander has no trouble off-roading because to its eight inches of ground clearance and optional dynamic torque-control all-wheel-drive system. Higher ground clearance helps to reduce scratching underneath the car and makes for a smoother ride on rocky and uneven routes.
Cabin Space
Highlander: At 194.9 inches, the new 2020 Highlander is 4.7 inches longer than its more capable off-road sibling, the 4Runner. Even though their widths are nearly identical, the new Highlander sits three inches lower than the 4Runner. The Highlander is, it may be said, even more like a car than before. The Highlander makes better use of its interior space because it is built on the new TNGA unibody chassis.
The headroom is 39.9 inches without the panoramic moonroof and 39.4 inches with the optional glass roof. Without the sunroof, there is 37.1 inches of headroom in the second row and 38.4 inches with it. In any configuration, the third row offers 36.1 inches of headroom. In terms of legroom, the first two seats have enough of it. Even the tallest passengers can easily fit in the first two rows thanks to its 40.4 and 41.0 inch widths. However, the third row is a little congested at 27.7 inches.
4Runner: Despite standing a solid 71.5 inches tall and measuring 190 inches in length, the 4Runner lacks a tiny bit of headroom and shoulder room compared to its car-based predecessor. The truck-like structure, which utilizes robust but space-consuming suspension components, is partly to blame for this.
Comparing the 4Runner to its slightly bigger unibody sister, both vehicles offer comparable amounts of headroom. To be exact, 39.3 inches in the front and 38.6 inches in the back. Although it does manage to reclaim some space in the third row, which offers two inches more legroom than the Highlander, the legroom in the middle seat is noticeably shorter at 32.9 inches due to the body on frame structure.
Conclusion: The Toyota Highlander is larger than the 4Runner and has significantly more space inside for passengers. The way they are built is primarily to blame for this. The 4Runner is a body on frame, in contrast to the Highlander’s unibody design. As a result, the 4Runner sits on top of its frame as opposed to the Highlander, which means the cabin’s available area is immediately reduced.
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.
On an AWD Highlander, do all four tires need to be replaced?
All vehicles should have their tires changed in sets of four, but all-wheel drive vehicles especially need to do this. To avoid variations in each tire’s outside diameter, all four tires should be the same brand, size, construction, tread depth, and tread design.
Will the Toyota Highlander in 2021 have a spare tire?
To its credit, Toyota includes a spare tire with the Toyota Highlander. However, keeping it up is simple to forget.
Maintaining spare tires positioned underneath a car can be challenging. In this example, we’ll use a first-generation Toyota Highlander to show you how to take out, care for, and replace a spare tire. For some other Toyota models and some other makes that tuck the spare up under the back of the car, the process is the same. This narrative serves as a how-to manual for getting the spare tire down if you get a flat and are in immediate need of one.
Opening the cargo compartment and looking under the cargo floor is the first step in finding the spare tire in a Toyota Highlander. You can lower the spare tire using the special tools that are there. Next, set a work mat down. This helps to guarantee the tire has a landing location and keeps you clean. The plastic cover should then be unscrewed when you crawl up underneath the car (never while using a jack).
Return to your standing position at this point, and lower the tire using the small nut with the ring on top. To accomplish this, insert the ring into the nut slot to the right of the cargo area and turn the black wrench tool in the other direction. The spare tire for the Toyota Highlander will gradually descend to the ground.
Crank it down and then some more. After that, remove the tire and position it against the rear bumper upright. If the line you crank-down has enough slack, you can slide the retaining ring through the hole in the centre of the cover and rim. If not, crank again.
A spare tire is there on a Toyota Highlander in 2022?
The spare tire for your Toyota Highlander is secured to the frame’s lower part behind the rear bumper. You’ll need a wrench and your key to remove it.
Say you’re driving your Toyota and enjoying the scenery. The air is suddenly pouring out of your front right tire as you unexpectedly roll over a rusty nail. You must first be aware of where and how to obtain your Highlanders spare tire before hastily searching online for information on how to change a flat tire.
What three varieties of jacks are there?
Trolley jacks, bottle jacks, and scissor jacks are the three primary varieties of car jacks. Although they all carry out the same basic tasks slightly differently, some varieties are more stable than others (as we explain below).