Is there an easy way to line up the wheel studs with the wheels?

I won't let anyone around me do it that way. I do not want anyone under the rig or have lots of soft squishy bits under it or in a position to be unable to jump quickly out of the way if something stupid happens.
I had that happen when I was 17. Jack fell over and pinned my pants to the ground with the rear drum. Luckily it missed my thigh. Scared me enough to never do it again. I washed my underwear when I got loose and "walked" home. I should have known better after watching the "Faces of Death" videos in the 80s.
p.s. Google it. It's disgusting and real.
 
Doesn't matter how knackered you are. We have the same issue trying to put a 40" tire on with a heavy beadlock. I'm sure there's lots of folk that can lift them, we aren't those folks. The easy way is to roll the wheel up and lean it against the studs to gauge height, then raise or lower that side with the floor jack until they line up, push the wheel on.
I was installing a wheel on a tractor once when someone else was nice enough to think the hub wasn't the right height and unknowingly to me lowered the jack, sending a wheel stud through about 1/2" of the tip of my thumb. Watch your hands and be cognizant of what's going on around you.
 
To most of you this will seem a dumb question, however some of the more mature members of the forum will understand.

Just taken the TJ off the road for the winter.

Removed the wheels to thoroughly clean the chassis.

I'm well past the first flush of youth - in fact knackered and repaired and drawing a pension.

Took 10 mins to replace one wheel (the rest took longer), could not line the studs up with the holes in the wheel.
At 74 I'm right there with you. I used to use the toes of my boots to lift it while I was sitting on my butt to do the final wheel positioning but even that is getting more difficult now with my 90 lb. wheel and tire combination. It does suck getting old.
 
I love that video since it is definitely doable but the last time I used my pry bar to do that it just did not work for me. I'm gonna get a bigger/longer prybar like he used lol.
 
Harbor Freight is OOS for the Daytona. This is pretty much a necessity if I plan to remove 35s on beadlocks.. did one wheel, one day, and swore that wasn't gonna fly. OP thought it might be a silly question.. anything but, just saved my back.
Cruised Amazon and ended up ordering these. Didn't wanna wait on HF and the reviews for this one are pretty good.

Sunex 1500-Pound Wheel Dolly

 
One of these wouldn't be the end of the world to put a tire back on.
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Being a forklift mechanic these are very nice. Some of the shop guys have them. Being on the road with limited space, and the fact I dont do a lot of solid tires, I don’t carry one.
I use the method you described earlier. Line up the lugs, lean the tire in. Maybe get one nut started, then raise the rig back up to finish.
Deal with a couple hundred pound tires and you get creative and find the easy way.
 
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