Total noob tire-change question
 

If we get summer-only rubber here like the US does (the tire choice in Canada is not yet specified on the scion.ca site), a set of winter tires will I think be mandatory for 4 months of the year here (even if you can avoid driving on snow days).

If I put winters on steelies, can I change the tires myself using the standard supplied jack, or will putting the weight of the car on one side for that long put too much strain on the shocks/springs and damage them or wear them out? Will a long-handled manual torque wrench offer sufficient leverage to tighten the nuts up to spec? (I'm not exactly Arnold in the biceps department - I had to stand on the provided wrench to loosen the wheel nuts when my current car got a flat.)

Hard cornering puts more stress on one side than lifting to change tires.

As for using the jack in the trunk that comes with the car, that is a bad idea. That jack is supplied for emergency road side tire change, not regular changes. I have used one from a 10 year old car to change a flat and the jack failed, lucky i had 2 lug nuts on at that point. For about $200 you can get a good enough hydraulic jack and some stands which will pay for itself after a few uses.

Winter tires are about tempature as much as snow. Aside from laws requiring them its just a good idea.

As for changing them yourself you can use the supplied jack if you are safe about it, but a good floor jack is a good investment. Harbor freight has good deals on race jacks normally I don't reccomend there tools but I've heard good things about some of their jacks. A long handled torque wrench should work fine and it's a good idea to tighten to spec especially if it's not something you have a lot of experience with.

Keep in mind these wheels have TPMS sensors so you will get a light on the dash if you put different wheels on. To avoid this you would need wheels with sensors, and to have the sensors programmed each time you change.

Get yourself a quality jack and set of jackstands, along with some bits of wood and hockey pucks. I've been impressed with the jack from Tire Rack, and most any steel pyramid-shaped jack-stand with a 3 ton+ rating will be perfect. Get 4 of them for bigger maintenance work. Protect the chassis from the jack and 'stands with pieces of wood and/or hockey pucks. Get yourself a good [long] 1/2" drive breaker bar, and a good 1/2" drive torque wrench.

Remember to ONLY lift the chassis from designated "hard points" noted in the service and/or owners manual. These typically include the unibody side sill pinch-weld rail and subframe mounting bolt points. NEVER lift the car from suspension arms or floor-pan.

Why would you need jack stands just to change wheels?

Or from the rocker panels like my silly friend, lol ^_^
It's up to you, if you want to take the small risk of the jack falling while your arm is in the well taking off the tire, then no you don't need jack stands. But if you plan to do things other than change your tires jack stands are a must.

Well all that was asked about is changing wheels, and personally if that's all I'm doing it would seem much more risky (and time consuming) transfering it on and off the jack stand rather then just using the jack with the wheels chocked.

That is a good advice to use wood or hockey puck in between the jack and car. Never thought about that, but pretty useful.

Yes, to change the tires yourself, get a breaker bar and torque wrench with 1/2" drive and that should be sufficient. If you do not have any tools, don't forget to buy a set of 1/2" drive sockets.

Now, Here is a question: for typical hydraulic jack, it is very easy to lift it by pumping the jack. How do you *gradually* lower it? Mine has a valve that you can use flat head screwdriver to release the pressure. However, when it is off, it is off suddenly, not gradually. I found that was not desired so I went back to the in-car jack so that I can gradually lift up and gradually lower the car.

To OP: although not required by law in Ontario, winter tires are *recommended* for RWD and for FR-S. Not only they provide more traction but also due to the nature of RWD. So be prepared to get another set of winter tires. Since the stock brake kit is clear for 15" (according to the JDM spec), you should be able to fit 205/55/R16 tires easily, or if you want to keep the same tire spec with 215/45/R17. You can also buy some cheap rims along with winter tires as a package. A 16" wheelie costs about CDN 60+ dollars (I think) while a rim comes with like 99 or 109 for 16" in CDN Tire. If you are going to buy the winter tires, you might as well get a decent looking rims so that you can ride in style during the winter time.

It seems you have not used a jack and stands before. I think it would be a good idea to attend a meet or get a car friend to show you how to use them.

1. I've own a set of jack stands and agree they are an absolute must for certain jobs, but not all jobs.

2. You yourself said "the small risk of the jack falling while your arm is in the well taking off the tire, then no you don't need jack." How is this any riskier then the two times you would have to reach under the car to place the jackstand?

I'm not trying to give you a hard time but I done want to see someone go out and buy something they don't need to do what is a simple and relatively safe job if common sense is used. The manufacture thinks its okay for you to do this on the roadside with a flimsy erector set of a jack so I think its okay to do it at home with a proper floor jack.

Because if the jack fails when your hands are on the tire you risk your fingers/wrist/arm.

When placing the jack stand under the pinch weld you don't risk anything unless your car has ground clearance less than the thickness of your hand.

Jacks are not designed to hold a car up in the air, only to lift it. You should always use jack stands for any job that requires lifting the car. It even says that right on the label.

You don't have to go under the car to put the jack stands in. Typically you jack the car up from a spot in the middle of the car (on mine it's the rear diff in the back and a spot on the subframe in front) then put the jackstand under 2 notched areas along the side of the car. Takes about 2 seconds, and I think my jack stands cost $5.

I guess I'm just a risk taker and don't use jack stands for wheel changes.

More power to you. I use jacks because I have had a spare tire jack fail on me and have seen a dead guy that was crushed by his car because the jack failed and he wasn't using jack stands.