1. kick the wheels
   take off the tires
2. loosen the lug nuts
   balance the tires

Initially loosening lug nuts requires quite a bit of torque, and that likely is enough to cause the jack to tip over, so it's best to do before you raise the car.

1. counter-clockwise
   clockwise
2. right
   toward the front bumper

Remember that lefty is loosie or that turning the lug nuts will back them off the bolts.

1. lock them by turning the steering wheel
   secure then with chocks
2. tap them with a hammer
   nothing

Wheel chocks are inexpensive and designed to keep the tires from rolling at all, so the car doesn't fall off the jack.

1. plenty of distance from traffic
   a completely flat surface
2. curving ground
   a solid surface

It's key that you find the right surface to jack up your car, otherwise you might have trouble with the car falling off the jack or other problems that could lead to injuries.

1. anywhere
   at the jack points
2. just behind the wheels
   under the front and rear bumpers

You can find the exact location of the jack points by looking in the owner's manual, if you're unsure.

1. only 6 inches
   exactly 4 inches
2. as high as the jack will go
   high enough the tire is no longer touching the ground

Exactly how high really depends on your vehicle and the size of the tires, but there needs to be room to remove the wheel freely.

1. under the hood
   under the backseat
2. in the trunk
   next to the gas tank

On most cars, the spare tire is hidden under the trunk floor, so you'll have to remove everything to take it out.

1. on the underside in the rear
   under the rear seats
2. on the roof
   on top of the hood

This is the common placement for trucks and SUVs, although a few have the spare mounted to the back or sitting upright on one side of the cargo area.

1. lower the jack
   tighten the lug nuts by hand
2. tighten only the top lug nuts
   nothing

You'll need to tighten the lug nuts by hand, ensuring the wheel doesn't come off when you lower the car.

1. nothing
   kick the tire
2. tap on the hubcap
   tighten the lug nuts the rest of the way

Some people just stomp on the tire iron to get the lug nuts all they way tightened, but if you have a torque wrench and the owner's manual, that's even better.

1. check the spare tire's pressure
   a big burnout
2. rev the engine
   nothing

Since your spare tire has been sitting out of sight and mind, you likely haven't been keeping it aired up properly. Now's a good time to check the tire pressure and make adjustments, if necessary.

1. a cup
   glasses and gloves
2. shoulder pads
   a face mask

When working with a tire balancer, your eyes and hands are at risk without proper protection.

1. calibration
   clip sizing
2. rotational velocity
   safety cover operation

Exactly how you verify the balancer has been calibrated depends on the device, which you should be familiar with.

1. remove the tire
   polish the wheel
2. remove any weights
   roll the tire five times

The whole point of the balance machine is to test if the wheel and tire are fully balanced without the use of weights.

1. pin
   plug
2. cone
   tape

The balancer should come with cones that will fit securely in the center of the wheel hub. You must select the correct one for your wheel hub, ensuring everything works correctly.

1. wing nut
   pressure cup and wing nut
2. pressure bar
   security nut

When you use the pressure cup and wing nut, you must also ensure the wheel is going on straight, otherwise the balancing reading won't be entirely accurate.

1. wheel lock
   harmonizer
2. equalizer
   hood

The hood keeps debris from flying out and hitting you or someone else. Some balancers won't start until the hood is lowered.

1. nothing
   install wheel weights
2. replace the tire
   hit the tire with a hammer

The machine will indicate where the imbalance is on the wheel, so you can install weights there. But, you should always turn on the balance machine again to confirm you've balanced the wheel properly.

1. magnetic
   low center
2. tape
   low profile

Tape weights have an adhesive backing, plus they come in squares that are a quarter ounce each, so you just add the appropriate number to the wheel in a discreet location.

1. wheel contour
   weight size
2. weight contour
   weight finish

Unlike tape weights, clips come in a whole range of sizes, which determines how much they weigh. You must select the proper one for each wheel.

1. all four
   only the drive wheels
2. only the front
   only the rear

Balancing wheels is something you need to do for all four wheels, otherwise you might run into problems with performance and tire wear.

1. all season tires
   different sizes on the front versus rear
2. snow studs
   uneven wear

In some cars, the front and rear tires aren't the same size, so you can't swap them. Also, if your car's equipped with directional tires, you can't follow the traditional patterns.

1. forward cross
   rearward cross
2. double cross
   X-pattern

A forward cross pattern involves swapping the front tires to the same side on the rear, while swapping the rear tires to the front and opposite sides.

1. sidewinder
   side-to-side
2. front-to-rear
   frontsies

Like the name suggests, the front-to-rear pattern involves swapping the wheels from the front to the rear and vice versa, keeping them on the same side of the vehicle.

1. sidewinder
   side-to-side
2. frontwinder
   shifty

Because you can't mix sizes, this requires you to swap the left and right tires, keeping them at the same end of the car.

1. It doesn't mean anything.
   Include the spare in the tire rotation each time.
2. Keep the spare where it goes.
   Always put the spare on the front left.

Unless a tire is labeled for temporary use only, if it's the same size as the other tires, you should work it into the rotation by placing it on the right rear wheel.

1. rotate them all clockwise
   rotate them all counterclockwise
2. swap every other one
   outside rear to the inside, front to outside rear, inside rear to front.

This is a fairly complex swap, but it's still not too bad, as long as the tires are all the exact same size.

1. nothing
   driveline damage
2. The tires wear out even faster.
   You bend a wheel.

If the tires on your vehicle have different levels of grip, that can cause the all-wheel-drive system to engage too much, resulting in different parts wearing out entirely.

1. the size of the studs
   the type of metal used
2. stud length
   the rolling direction

You should never change the rolling direction of studded tires, which means a front-to-rear rotation pattern is necessary.

1. bottle jack
   jack stands
2. butterfly jack
   bricks

Jack stands are designed to keep the car lifted up off the ground, and you can even use them at all four corners.

1. every 3,000 to 5,000 miles
   every 10,000 miles
2. once a year
   every other year

To keep tread wear even, it's a good idea to rotate the tires within this mileage.

1. star
   square
2. circular
   none

By tightening one lug nut, then tightening the next one diagonally from that, you create a star pattern that ensures you tighten everything evenly.

1. The struts will blow.
   The tire will explode.
2. nothing
   The brake rotor warps.

Taking the time to ensure proper and even tightening of the lug nuts is worth the extra effort.

1. nothing
   uneven tread wear
2. The tires explode.
   The tires won't keep air.

Not only can unbalanced tires lead to uneven tread wear, they can also cause premature suspension component failure, because the wheels are constantly moving up and down.

1. a breaker bar
   air impact wrench
2. oil-resistant boots
   gloves

Using an air impact wrench speeds up the job big time, because you can remove and tighten the lug nuts quickly and with precision.