With the price of tires, sometimes it is more feasible for us to replace two tires instead of all four. In some cases, that’s all we need. Replacing two tires on a front wheel drive should involve the rotation of the oldest tires to the front. Placing the newer tires on the back end will help give the car increased traction and it will decrease the chances of spinouts. Steering will help you compensate for any loss of traction.
Place the car on a rack so that all four tires are lifted off the ground. This will be much simpler than using a jack because of the possible need for tire rotation. If you were only dealing with rear tires, a jack would work.
Use a lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts from the wheels and use your fingers, if necessary, to remove the nuts entirely.
Pull the wheels off the wheel studs using both hands. It may require some wiggling to work them off, but they should slide without much resistance. Replace the lug nuts on the studs with a couple of twists. They only need to stay on so you do not misplace them.
Take the bad tires to a tire shop. Purchase two identical tires that are the same or better quality that the tires you are keeping on the car. Check to be sure the size, speed rating and load capacity are appropriate for your vehicle. Ask the tire salesperson to have the tires mounted and balanced on the rims of you brought along.
Remove the bolts from the studs and slide the tires back onto the bolts straight. The holes in the wheel should line up perfectly. Push the tire back onto the studs as far as it will go.
Replace the lug nuts on the studs with your fingers and hand-tighten. Use the lug wrench to twist the nuts clockwise until they are tight. Do not strip the nuts, but be sure they are very tight. It should require significant effort to break them loose when you want to remove them again.
If you removed more than the back tires, mount the older tires on the wheel studs in the front in the same way. Once the lugs are tight, lower the rack and drive away.
