Ford Explorer: Wheels and Tires / Removal and Installation - Wheel and Tire

Materials

Removal

1. With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a hoist.
   Refer to: Jacking and Lifting - Overview (100-02 Jacking and Lifting, Description and Operation).
   

1. If equipped, remove the wheel cap / center cap.
   

1. NOTICE: Do not use heat to loosen a seized wheel nut or damage to the wheel and wheel bearing can occur.

   NOTICE: If equipped with full wheel cover with exposed wheel nuts, the wheel nuts must be removed prior to removing the wheel cover or damage to the wheel cover will occur.

   Remove the wheel nuts and the wheel and tire assembly.
   

Installation

1.   WARNING: When a wheel is installed, always remove any corrosion, dirt or foreign material present on the mounting surface of the wheel and the mounting surface of the wheel hub, brake drum or brake disc. Make sure that any fasteners that attach the rotor to the hub are secured so they do not interfere with the mounting surfaces of the wheel. Failure to follow these instructions when installing wheels may result in the wheel nuts loosening and the wheel coming off while the vehicle is in motion, which could result in loss of control, leading to serious injury or death to vehicle occupant(s).

   NOTICE: Make sure to apply a thin coat of anti-seize lubrication only to the interface between the wheel pilot bore and the hub pilot. Do not allow the anti-seize to make contact with the wheel-to-brake disc/drum mounting surface, wheel studs, wheel nuts, brake pads or brake disc friction surfaces or damage to components may occur.

   1. Clean the mounting surfaces.
      Material: Motorcraft® Wheel and Tire Cleaner / ZC-37-A
   2. Apply a thin coat of anti-seize to the wheel hub pilot surface (wheel only).
      Material: Motorcraft® High Temperature Nickel Anti-Seize Lubricant / XL-2

1. NOTE: Only tighten the nuts finger tight at this stage.

   Install the wheel and tire and install the wheel nuts.
   

1.   WARNING: Retighten wheel nuts within 160 km (100 mi) after a wheel is reinstalled. Wheels can loosen after initial tightening. Failure to follow this instruction may result in serious injury to vehicle occupant(s).

   NOTICE: Failure to tighten the wheel nuts in a star/cross pattern can result in high brake disc runout, which accelerates the development of brake roughness, shudder and vibration.

   NOTE: The wheel nut torque specification is for clean, dry wheel stud and wheel nut threads.

   NOTE: Final tightening to be performed with vehicle resting on tires.

   With the weight of the vehicle on the tires, tighten the wheel nuts.
   Torque: 150 lb.ft (204 Nm)

1. If equipped, install the wheel cap / center cap.