Tires sometimes have to be removed from cars, either because of a flat or in order to upgrade them. The first step to replacing a tire is to take the current one off of the vehicle. In the case of the 2000 Ford Focus, this is a relatively easy procedure that is important to know how to do.
Park the car on a level surface. If on the side of a street, activate your emergency flashers by pressing the triangular button above the radio.
Turn off the engine. You don't want to be working on a hot, running car.
Open the trunk and remove the floor panel by pulling it straight up. It is hinged at the back of the trunk and should lift easily.
Remove the car jack and lug wrench from the emergency compartment underneath the floor panel. Be sure to note their positions so that you can replace them properly when you are finished.
Position the jack on the side of the Focus, approximately 6 inches behind the front tires or 15 inches in front of the rear tires. These areas are reinforced to handle the pressures of jacking up a car.
Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise the jack and counterclockwise to lower it. The body flange should fit into the slot on the jack head. Keep turning the handle clockwise until the wheel is at least 2 inches above the ground.
Remove the tire's lug nuts with the lug wrench. They remove by turning clockwise. If they are tight, spray them with WD40. Grasp the lug wrench at the end of the handle for maximum torque, and tug in several quick, sharp pulls to get the lug nuts moving.
Pull the tire straight off of the lug bolts once all of the nuts have been removed.
