Wheel And Tire: Installation

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Mazda Tribute. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

WARNING:

Whenever a wheel is installed, always remove any corrosion, dirt or foreign material present on the mounting surfaces of the wheel or the surface of the wheel hub, brake drum or brake disc that contacts the wheel. Installing wheels without correct metal-to-metal contact at the wheel mounting surfaces can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to come off while the vehicle is in motion, causing loss of control. Failure to follow these instructions may result in personal injury.

Clean the wheel hub mounting surface and wheel pilot.
Install the tire and wheel assembly.
1. Position the tire and wheel assembly.
2. Install the wheel nuts hand-tight, then lower the vehicle.
  
  Fig 1: Identifying Wheel Nut Tightening Sequence
  Courtesy of MAZDA MOTORS CORP.
  CAUTION:
  - Failure to tighten the wheel nuts in a star pattern can result in high brake disc runout, which will speed up the development of brake roughness, shudder and vibration.
Tighten the wheel nuts in the sequence shown.
Install the center cap.