Knowing how to change a tire is a necessary skill that all drivers should have. Yes, we all have cell phones we can use to save us from a roadside emergency but what would you do if you have no service or you have a dead battery? What if you accidentally left your phone at home? A flat tire can happen to anyone anywhere.
The good news is changing a tire isn’t that hard! Follow these steps just in case you have a flat tire.
These items should have come with your vehicle:
Jack
Lug wrench
Fully inflated spare tire
Vehicle owner’s manual
If you do not have all of these items in your vehicle (normally kept in your trunk) you should purchase any of the missing items right away. You will also want to check your spare tire is at your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended PSI regularly.
Complete List of Items Needed To Change Your Tire:
Spare Tire (make sure it is inflated properly)
Jack
Lug Wrench
Flashlight Tire Gauge
Gloves
Flares
Wheel Wedge
Step One: Find A Safe Place
Note: Make sure to consult your owner’s manual and follow any of their specific or additional steps on changing a flat tire tire for your vehicle.
As soon as you realize that you have a flat tire you should slowly reduce speed and start looking around for a safe place to pull over. Do not slam on your brakes or take a sudden sharp turn, The ideal safe place to pull over will be a parking lot or level, straight stretch road with a wide shoulder. It is important to find a straight stretch of road because curves will make it more difficult for oncoming traffic to see you.
Never attempt to change your tire on a narrow shoulder near oncoming traffic. Keep moving (slowly) until you find a safer spot. While driving on a flat risks ruining your rim, replacing a rim is better than being hit by an inattentive driver.
Step Two: Turn On Your Hazard Lights
As soon as you realize that you need to pull over turn on your hazard lights (or “flashers”). Your hazards will let other drivers know that there is something wrong and that you are about to pull over so you can safely reduce your speed and find a safe place to pull over. Your hazard lights will also help in coming (from both directions) to see you on the side of the road.
Step Three: Apply The Parking Brake
Once you have found a safe place to pull over, before you do anything make sure to use your parking break. Whenever you are preparing to change a tire you should always make sure that your parking brake is on to help minimize the possibility of your vehicle rolling.
Step Four: Apply Wheel Wedges
Wheel wedges are used to help prevent your vehicle from rolling while you are changing your tire. If you are changing your front tire then you would put the wheel wedge behind the rear tires, and if you were changing a rear tire, then you would put the wheel wedge behind the front tires.
If you don’t have “real” wheel wedges then you can use a brick or large stone instead. Make sure the brick/stone is large enough to keep the vehicle in place.
Step Five: Remove The Hubcap or Wheel Cover
If your vehicle has a hubcap/wheel cover covering the lug nuts then you will need to removed it.
Use the flat end of your lug wrench to remove the hubcap. This will work on most vehicles, but some vehicles require a special tool to come off. Consult your owner’s manual.
Step Six: Loosen The Lug Nuts
To loosen the lug nuts, use your lug nut wrench and turn them counterclockwise until you break their resistance. You may have to use force (that’s ok) you can use your foot or all of your body weight if necessary. Loosen the lug nuts about 1/4 – 1/2 of a turn (do not remove them completely yet.
Step Seven: Place The Jack Under Your Vehicle
Place the jack under the vehicle, the right place for the jack is beneath the vehicle frame alongside the tire that’s flat. Many vehicle frames have molded plastic on the bottom with a cleared area of exposed metal specifically for the jack.
To safely lift and avoid damage to the vehicle, follow the instructions for jack placement in your vehicle owner’s manual.
Step Eight: Raise Your Vehicle With The Jack
To prevent the jack from settling under the weight of your vehicle and coming off balance, place a small cut of 2×6” wood beneath it before attempting to raise your vehicle. This tactic is especially helpful on asphalt.
With the jack properly positioned, raise the vehicle until the flat tire is about six inches above the ground. Never put any part of your body under the vehicle during or after raising the vehicle with the jack.
Step Nine: Unscrew The Lug Nuts
Now it’s time to remove the lug nuts all the way. Since you’ve already loosened them, you should be able to unscrew them mostly by hand.
Step Ten: Remove The Flat Tire
Gripping the tire by the treads, pull it gently toward you until it’s completely free from the hub behind it. Set it on its side so that it doesn’t roll away.
Step Eleven: Mount The Spare Tire On The Lug Bolts
Now place the spare on the hub by lining up the rim with the lug bolts. Push gently until the lug bolts show through the rim.
Step Twelve: Tighten The Lug Nuts By Hand
Put the lug nuts back on the lug bolts and tighten them by hand. Once they are all on, check each one again, tightening as much as possible. You will tighten them with the wrench after lowering the vehicle to the ground.
Step Thirteen: Lower Your Vehicle and tighten the Lug Nuts Again
Use the jack to lower the vehicle so that the spare tire is resting on the ground but the full weight of the vehicle isn’t fully on the tire. At this point, you should tighten the lug nuts with the wrench, turning clockwise, as much as you can. Push down on the lug wrench with the full weight of your body
Step Fourteen: Lower Your Vehicle Completely
Bring the vehicle to the ground and remove the jack. Give the lug nuts another pull with the wrench to ensure they’re as tight as possible.
Step Fifteen: Replace The Hubcap Or Wheel Cover
If the hubcap you took from the flat tire will fit your spare, put it in place the same way you removed it initially. If it doesn’t fit, stow it away with the tire when you stow your equipment.
Step Sixteen: Stow All Equipment
Make sure to put all of your tools back in your vehicle. You wouldn’t want to forget anything on the side of the road!
Step Seventeen: Check The Pressure In The Spare Tire
You should check the tire pressure of the spare tire to make sure that it is safe to drive on. “T-Type” temporary spares, also called “mini-spares,” require 60 psi (420 kPa). If the tire needs pressure, drive (slowly) to a service station immediately.
Step Eighteen: Take Your Tire to A Technician
Temporary spare tires aren’t made to drive long distances or at high speeds, so drive cautiously until you’re able to visit a tire technician. A professional should be able to determine whether your tire needs a repair or if it’s time to replace it.
There is no way to guarantee you will never get a flat tire at some point in your life, there are some steps you can take to help avoid getting one.
Follow the following steps to help prevent a flat tire:
1. Check the tire pressure on each vehicle monthly
2. Rotate your tires (check your vehicle’s owner manual for how often). The usual recommended range is for every 5,000 – 10,000 miles
3. Don’t overload your vehicle. You can find the maximum weight your tires should carry on the label that lists your tire’s recommended tire pressure.
4. Avoid hazards; Though sometimes it’s unavoidable, try to take alternate routes if you know you’ll be driving near active construction zones or roads that are not well maintained. Sharp rocks, nails, metal shards, glass, and potholes can all cause punctures and flat tires. Hitting a pothole may result in damage to your tires, wheels, and other parts of the car,
5. Watch for tire recalls: The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a subscription for notifications via email about tire recalls. You can sign up for recalls about all tires or you can sign up for specific vehicles.
The information contained in this blog post is provided for general informational purposes only. The information is produced from my own personal experiences and personal research. While my main goal is to keep the information up to date and correct, I make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to this blog post or the information, products, services or related graphics if any contained in this blog post for any purpose. The information is not meant as professional or expert advice, and any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
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