Help! Need to change Rav4 wheel now!

SWEETCAN2000

Hi all,
I really need help with my 05 Rav4. It looks like I've had a slow puncture over the last couple of days (I haven't been driving it) and I need to change the wheel. Problem is I haven't done this before and can't find the manual.
I'm aware of the basics of how to change the wheel but there is a silver metal ridge which runs along the length of the car between the front and back wheels on both sides. My husband was in a rush to work this morning and tried to do this for me but couldn't.
Anyone any experience with this? Help much appreciated.
PS I'm trying to hand deliver my CV into a company today and won't get very far if I don't get this sorted! Typical that my year's warranty only ran out a couple of days ago and this would've been covered.
Thanks a mil

Eoin

Moved to main motors forum as you'll probably get a quicker response there.

-Chris-

SWEETCAN2000 wrote: »

there is a silver metal ridge which runs along the length of the car between the front and back wheels on both sides.

This bit confuses me. Can you elaborate?

Is this silver ridge the reason you can't remove the wheel, or do you need assistance beyond that?

Slidey

Do these type of yokes not need to be jacked under the axles?

Suspension travel will leave them with a lot of jacking under the sill

SWEETCAN2000

-Chris- wrote: »

This bit confuses me. Can you elaborate?

Is this silver ridge the reason you can't remove the wheel, or do you need assistance beyond that?

Thanks Eoin!

Chris, well my husband was saying that he didn't know where to place the jack. Is it just placed underneath the ridge? I would've imagined it was strong enough to hold the car.

DublinDilbert

SWEETCAN2000 wrote: »

Typical that my year's warranty only ran out a couple of days ago and this would've been covered.
Thanks a mil

Are you sure you don't have break-down assist on your insurance?

You should always carry a can of the stuff you spray in and it inflates and seals the tyre on the spot (sold at garages and motor factors). Heatons in blanch are selling it for €4 per can. Its a must for every car....


Back to your problem:-

What have you done so far??
Do you have the spare wheel out?
Do you have the jack?
Do you have the wheel brace?


1) Have you tried to loosen the wheel nuts just a fraction?

2) You need to apply the hand brake and put the car in gear / park

3) Locate your jacking point. This should be detailed in your manual. But this seems to be the area your having the most issue with. Again google is your friend
http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=77508

The rav (and most toyotas) have a seam along the under side of the car which the jack fits into to stop it sliping out. Also based on the picture there's a notch in the jack to get the position along the length of the car correct too....

4) Jack up car

5) Loosen wheel nuts

6) change wheel

Eoin

-Chris- wrote: »

Is this silver ridge the reason you can't remove the wheel, or do you need assistance beyond that?

These might be running boards?

SWEETCAN2000 - under the side of the car, there should be a flat section where the jack goes, which can take the weight of the car. If you put it in the wrong place then you might do some damage to the bodywork, or cause injury to yourself.

peasant

DublinDilbert wrote: »

The rav (and most toyotas) have a seam along the under side of the car which the jack fits into to stop it sliping out. Also based on the picture there's a notch in the jack to get the position along the length of the car correct too....

unless the side steps (the silver rails are affixed to the same point too (are they??) ...because then you have problem

BoardsRanger

SWEETCAN2000 wrote: »

Typical that my year's warranty only ran out a couple of days ago and this would've been covered.
Thanks a mil

Gud luck getting a flat tyre changed under warranty if it was in date.
Chances are, you probably wont have the strenght to loosen the wheel nuts anyway.
Check any see if you have breakdown cover with your insurance, they should do it for you no problem.

SWEETCAN2000

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Are you sure you don't have break-down assist on your insurance?

You should always carry a can of the stuff you spray in and it inflates and seals the tyre on the spot (sold at garages and motor factors). Heatons in blanch are selling it for €4 per can. Its a must for every car....


Back to your problem:-

What have you done so far??
Do you have the spare wheel out?
Do you have the jack?
Do you have the wheel brace?


1) Have you tried to loosen the wheel nuts just a fraction?

2) You need to apply the hand brake and put the car in gear / park

3) Locate your jacking point. This should be detailed in your manual. But this seems to be the area your having the most issue with. Again google is your friend
http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=77508

The rav (and most toyotas) have a seam along the under side of the car which the jack fits into to stop it sliping out. Also based on the picture there's a notch in the jack to get the position along the length of the car correct too....

4) Jack up car

5) Loosen wheel nuts

6) change wheel

Hi all,

That canned stuff sounds fantastic - must get it!!
Thanks a mil for the link to the rav - printing it off now.
I can't find the manual but my Dad is coming over shortly to help.
Sorry if I sound like a typical woman who can't deal with cars but I've honestly never had a flat before and you only need it to happen once before you know how to do it.

SWEETCAN2000

BoardsRanger wrote: »

Gud luck getting a flat tyre changed under warranty if it was in date.
Chances are, you probably wont have the strenght to loosen the wheel nuts anyway.
Check any see if you have breakdown cover with your insurance, they should do it for you no problem.

I did check the insurance - it's covered in a way. They'll call out but there's a charge.

ei9go

Out of coincidence, I tried to change the rear wheel on an 05 Rav4 yesterday.

It's not possible with the supplied jack UNLESS you put a concrete block or similar between the ground and the car.

You can jack it up enough to get the punctured wheel off but you cannot put the spare , with air in it back on.

I was surprised that Toyota missed a detail like that.

SWEETCAN2000

ei9go wrote: »

Out of coincidence, I tried to change the rear wheel on an 05 Rav4 yesterday.

It's not possible with the supplied jack UNLESS you put a concrete block or similar between the ground and the car.

You can jack it up enough to get the punctured wheel off but you cannot put the spare , with air in it back on.

I was surprised that Toyota missed a detail like that.

Thanks everyone for your input and advice!

ei9go - that's mad - it's exactly what we ended up having to do!!
My dad came over to help me and used the standard Toyota jack that came with the jeep. He had great difficulty locating the correct area to place it underneath. It was difficult to find particularly because the silver ridge was so low down due to flat tyre obviously. While he was jacking up the jeep, the jack didn't look stable to me and all of a sudden buckled - the whole jeep falling back down with a loud noise. Some workmen who were nearby heard this and came over to help.
They got their jack out - which I can only describe as looking like a miniature hydraulic bar. Finding that not even this could lift the jeep they had to place planks of wood beneath the jack and the ground.
In addition to this, one of the workmen took the original Toyota jack and jacked up the jeep a little more from somewhere at the back.
They changed the wheel quick smart before the jeep had any chance of crashing back down.
All in all, it took 3 men to change that tyre - so what hope did I have?
They couldn't believe the difficulty of the circumstances and my Dad has been working on trucks and changing huge wheels all the time and yet this one caused so much trouble.
I'm definately getting myself a trolley jack.
Fair play to those workmen and shame on Toyota!!!

colm_mcm

ei9go wrote: »

It's not possible with the supplied jack UNLESS you put a concrete block or similar between the ground and the car.

what point of the car was the jack lifting?

cml387

..and if you get a puncture on the side of the road what happens?

Join the AA I would suggest.

colm_mcm

The factory jack, which is stored under the passenger's seat, will lift a RAV4 tire off the ground if the correct lift point under the vehicle is used.
You should not need to use a board or other extension to use the jack.
The exact lift points are vaguely pictured in the owner's manual.
The lift points are the shape of a small tab that fits into a corresponding slot on the lifting surface of the factory jack.
These points are not on the frame of the vehicle, as on most cars, but on the suspension.

In the front, the lift points are behind the wheels, slightly to the rear of the wheel center.

In the rear, the lift point is several inches in from the edge of the body just forward of the rear wheel.

ei9go

I was so convinced that I was jacking the car in the wrong place, I dug out the car's manual to check and I was placing the jack as recommended in the manual.

Now, the funny thing is, I remember changing a wheel with no difficulty on an 02 rav which is the same model as my 05 one.

Yes it will lift the rav but not enough to put the inflated spare on.

colm_mcm

I"ve never come across this, is yours 2.0 or 1.8 and what engine size was your 02 one?

Have you non-standard wheels on it?