Tire Mount and Balance

This procedure covers the dismounting, mounting, and balancing of tires on the 2012-2017 Toyota Camry with 2.5L I4 engine, including proper wheel installation and torque specifications.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Valve stems (TPMS compatible) × 4 — Use OEM specification or TPMS-compatible aftermarket
• Wheel weights (clip-on or stick-on as appropriate) × 1 — Varies by wheel type
• Valve stem caps × 4 — Standard or TPMS compatible

Preparation

1. Park vehicle on level, solid surface and engage parking brake
2. Loosen all wheel lug nuts approximately 1 turn while vehicle is on ground
3. Raise vehicle with floor jack at designated jacking points (refer to owner's manual for locations)
4. Support vehicle on all four jack stands at proper lift points
5. Remove all four wheels and place in clean work area
6. Inspect wheels for damage, cracks, or excessive corrosion before mounting new tires

Procedure

1. 1

   Deflate and dismount old tires
   Remove valve core from each tire to fully deflate. Position wheel on tire changing machine and clamp securely according to machine specifications. Use bead breaker to separate tire bead from wheel rim on both sides. Apply tire lubricant to bead area. Use tire machine arm to lift tire bead over rim edge and dismount tire completely. Repeat for all four wheels.
2. 2

   Inspect and clean wheels
   Thoroughly clean wheel rim surfaces, especially bead seating areas, removing all dirt, rust, and old tire lubricant. Inspect rim for dents, cracks, or damage that could prevent proper tire seating. Check TPMS sensor condition if visible through valve stem hole. Verify wheel is not bent by checking radial and lateral runout if equipment available.
3. 3

   Install new valve stems
   If replacing valve stems, remove old TPMS-compatible valve stems carefully without damaging TPMS sensors. Install new TPMS-compatible valve stems, ensuring proper seal and alignment. Verify valve stem is properly seated in wheel and does not leak. Note: Standard rubber valve stems are NOT compatible with TPMS sensors on this vehicle.
   ⚠TPMS sensors are fragile. Excessive force during valve stem installation can crack the sensor body or damage internal components.
4. 4

   Mount new tires
   Verify tire size matches vehicle specification and tire direction (if directional tread pattern). Apply generous amount of tire lubricant to tire beads and wheel rim. Position tire on wheel with inside bead started over rim. Use tire machine to work top bead over rim completely. Ensure TPMS sensor location is at 180 degrees from machine mounting head to avoid sensor damage. Work tire onto rim carefully, keeping machine arm away from valve stem area.
   ⚠Position TPMS sensor opposite the tire machine arm during mounting to prevent crushing or breaking the sensor.
5. 5

   Seat tire beads and inflate
   Install valve core and begin inflating tire. Monitor both beads to ensure even seating on rim ledge. Inflate to approximately 40 PSI to seat beads fully (you should hear distinct 'pop' sounds as each bead seats). Inspect bead line around entire circumference to verify even seating. Reduce pressure to recommended specification after beads are seated. Repeat for all four wheels.
   ⚠️Never exceed 40 PSI when seating beads. Stand to the side, not in front of tire during inflation. An improperly seated bead can explosively fail.
6. 6

   Balance wheels - first wheel
   Mount first wheel/tire assembly on balancing machine using appropriate centering cone or hub adapter. Ensure wheel is securely mounted with no wobble. Enter wheel diameter, width, and offset/distance specifications into balancer. Spin wheel and allow balancer to calculate weight requirements. Clean weight placement areas on rim.
7. 7

   Apply balancing weights
   Apply wheel weights at positions indicated by balancer, using clip-on weights for steel wheels or adhesive weights for alloy wheels. For this vehicle's alloy wheels, typically use stick-on weights on inner rim surface to maintain appearance. Apply weights firmly and ensure proper adhesion or clip engagement. Re-spin wheel to verify balance is within specification (typically less than 0.25 oz imbalance).
8. 8

   Balance remaining wheels
   Repeat balancing procedure for remaining three wheels. Ensure each wheel achieves proper balance specification before proceeding. Mark each balanced wheel assembly with position (LF, RF, LR, RR) using temporary marker if rotating tire positions from original location.
9. 9

   Install wheels on vehicle
   Clean wheel hub mounting surfaces and brake rotor mating surfaces with wire brush to remove rust and debris. Install wheels onto hubs, ensuring centering on hub pilot. Thread all lug nuts by hand to prevent cross-threading. Using hand tools or impact wrench on low setting, snug lug nuts in star pattern but do not fully tighten yet.
10. 10

    Lower vehicle and perform final torque
    Remove jack stands and carefully lower vehicle until wheels just contact ground but vehicle weight is not fully on wheels. Using calibrated torque wrench, torque all lug nuts to specification in star pattern sequence. Lower vehicle completely to ground. Perform final torque verification on all lug nuts in star pattern to ensure proper torque. Install valve stem caps on all four wheels.
    Torque spec

    Wheel Lug Nuts140 Nm (103 lb-ft)

Reassembly

1. Verify all valve stem caps are installed
2. Double-check that all lug nuts are properly torqued in star pattern to 140 Nm (103 lb-ft)
3. Verify tire pressures are set to specification on door jamb sticker before test drive

Verification

• Test drive vehicle at low speed (under 25 mph) and verify no vibration, pulling, or unusual noise
• Verify TPMS warning light extinguishes after driving (may require up to 10 minutes of driving for system to relearn)
• After 50-100 miles of driving, re-torque all lug nuts to specification as initial settling may occur
• Verify tire pressures are correct when tires are cold
• Check for any air leaks around valve stems and bead seating areas

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