Installation Guidelines

To receive the full benefit of your purchase, please take a few moments to review the following guidelines. If you are unsure of how to replace a tire and wheel assembly on your vehicle, please consult your vehicle owner's manual or seek professional assistance. If you have questions about these guidelines, please contact us at 800-589-6789.

1. Please check to make sure all merchandise has arrived and it is undamaged. If merchandise arrived damaged, please see instructions on the back of the invoice. Verify that all merchandise is the correct size and type you ordered. Be sure to open and check all packages. Also make sure all needed hardware (caps, lug nuts, bolts, centering rings, etc.) has been included with your order. Refer back to the original invoice if you are unsure.

2. If you purchased directional tires or asymmetric tires, the first step before installing them is to match each tire and wheel to its final position on your vehicle. For directional tires, refer to the rotation arrow branded on the tire's sidewall - there will be two with right side rotation and two with left side rotation. The arrow indicates the direction in which the tire should turn. For asymmetric tires, all tires should show sidewall branding indicating "Side Facing Outward" and can be mounted on either side of the vehicle.

3. Note: if you only purchased wheels, test fitting for clearance must be done prior to mounting the tires. First, slightly loosen the lug nuts with an appropriate lug wrench. Next, jack the vehicle up until the tire clears the floor. Support the vehicle with jack stands, making sure that the stands rest on a flat surface. Carefully remove lugs and check the condition of the vehicle's lug studs or wheel bolts as you remove them. If you feel any resistance or see any roughness after removing the wheels, correct it before reinstalling the wheels. Remove any temporary retaining devices, like stud clips, used to hold brake rotors and drums in place before the wheels were installed at the factory. They may interfere with the flush fitment of your wheels against the brake hubs. If aftermarket wheels have previously been used on the vehicle, verify that the previous wheel's hub centering rings have been removed from the hubs.

4. After removing your old wheels, it may be necessary to clean the hub area with a wire brush to remove any loose rust or dirt. This will ensure a clean and even mounting surface and that the wheel will sit completely flat against the drum. It is recommended that you retain your original lug hardware and store it with the spare. Original equipment lug hardware often differs from aftermarket hardware and may be required when mounting the spare tire on the vehicle.

5. Check the fit of the wheel onto the hub of the vehicle. When installing each wheel, make sure the wheel fits flush against the hub area and that there is no gap between the hub and the mounting surface of the wheel. If the wheel will not go on all the way, do not force it on. Check and see if anything is obstructing the wheel. If there is any doubt, please seek professional assistance or contact one of our sales agents. Hub-centering rings (if required for your vehicle) will be included with your installation kit. The hub-rings should be installed in the center hole on the back of the wheel with the beveled side facing outward. Some rings are designed to be an interference fit, and may require a rubber mallet to install. The bolt circle of the wheel must match that of your vehicle and the wheel must make full contact to the flat surface of the hub. If the wheel does not match up to the bolt circle of the vehicle, or the wheel does not have full contact to the mounting surface, please contact us at 800.589.6789.

6. Install the wheel by snugging down the lug nuts or bolts in order to verify disc brake caliper clearance. Start threading the lugs with your fingers and tighten them until they are "finger tight." If there is any resistance, stop, do not force the lug hardware on. Inspect the lug stud and nut (or hub and bolt) to see if the threads are clean or obstructed. If the lug nut or bolt appears obstructed or does not match the thread pitch of your hubs, try another one. If another lug doesn't thread any better, something is wrong. Give us a call and we will verify that you have the correct hardware for your vehicle. Also, do not coat the lug hardware with grease or oil (especially the seat, which is the portion of the lug hardware that actually contacts the wheel). Only after the lugs have been installed by hand until "finger tight" should you snug them down with your lug wrench. Spin the assembly to check that it clears all brake and suspension parts. Then lower the vehicle until the tire touches the pavement for final torquing.

7. Important: Wheel Lug Nut Torque. Proper installation requires that the wheel lug torque be set to the recommended specification for your vehicle. Check out the Wheel Torque Chart. These torque specifications can also be found in your vehicle's shop manual or obtained from your vehicle dealer. Finish tightening the lugs down with an accurate torque wrench. Use a criss-cross sequence until they have reached their proper torque value, then finish lowering the vehicle.

Note: Improper lug torque can result in stripped lug nuts, broken wheel studs, a wheel loosening, or can cause the wheel, brake rotor, or brake drum to distort. If you are unsure, have the lug hardware torque checked by a qualified installation center. Recheck the lug torque within the first 100 miles or 2-3 days following installation. The thickness of an alloy wheel can differ from the original equipment wheels so verify that the lug nuts or bolts will engage the threads. If your vehicle has:

7/16", 1/2", or 12 x 1.25mm requires 8 lug wrench turns

14 x 1.5mm requires 7.5 lug wrench turns

12 x 1.5mm requires 7 lug wrench turns

8. After installing all four wheels and tires, lower the vehicle and push down gently on the vehicle at all four corners (using the bumper). This will help to settle the suspension. Secure vehicle with the emergency brake and/or wheel chocks and turn the front wheels side to side (lock to lock) to check for any obstructions. This may require an assistant to verify that no part of the fender or fenderwell makes contact with the tire or wheel. Check all four wheels for proper clearance. Before driving down the road, drive in and out of your driveway in both directions to double-check for clearance one final time. If everything appears to fit, drive off slowly and listen for any unusual sounds. If any are heard, stop the vehicle immediately until the cause is determined. These steps will ensure that you don't have any problems due to improper fitment. It will also make exchanging an incorrect fitment much faster and easier and will save you from potential damage to your vehicle or the wheels and tires.

9. If you purchased a mounted wheel and tire package from us, your tires will be inflated to the maximum tire inflation of the tire, not your vehicle's specifications - due to weather, temperature and shipping variables. You will need to adjust the inflation pressures to meet the needs of your specific vehicle. Refer to the door placard or owner's manual for minimum recommended settings by axle. One of our sales agents can also provide you with the recommended pressure for your vehicle.

If your vehicle is equipped with TPMS sensors, it may require some additional steps to reset the sensors when installing new tires and wheels. Some vehicles will "auto-learn" the TPMS sensors, while others will require special tools from your vehicle's dealership or a quailified installer. Learn more about TPMS.