- Ensure that you are trained before working on a tire/rim assembly. Know, understand, and follow the proper safety procedures. Serious or fatal injuries can result if proper precautions are not followed.
- Use mechanical lifting and moving devices for the tires and wheels.
- Follow the manufacturers' assembly and disassembly procedures.
- Check tire/rim assembly for proper component seating prior to removing it from the vehicle.
- Stand to the side, out of the way of flying wheel parts, in case the assembly disassembles explosively.
- Always deflate the tire before removing wheel nuts on any multi-piece tires that are to be removed from their hubs.
- Deflate tires (both tires in a dual assembly) by first removing the valve core. Insert a wire in the valve stem to ensure that the stem is not blocked and that the tire is deflated completely before removing the rim/wheel from the axle.
Do not inflate any tire if:
- it has been driven under-inflated by 80 percent or less of its recommended pressure, or
- there is obvious or suspected damage to the tire or wheel components.
Such tires should always be deflated completely, removed from the vehicle, disassembled, and inspected. If the tire is in a dual assembly, check the air pressure in both tires with an air pressure gauge. An under-inflated tire may not otherwise be detected when the other tire is supporting the weight of the vehicle or trailer.