Everybody eventually gets a flat tyre. Know how to deal with it.
Time Needed: 20 Minutes, Difficulty: Easy, Cost: Less than £40
Changing a car’s tyre is an emergency scenario that most people will face at some point during their tenure as motorists. Though you also need to know how to change a tyre to rotate your rubber, the most common reason you’ll need to do a swap is a flat tyre. With a flat, you will need to install a spare to safely drive to a mechanic’s shop to have the tyre properly patched and plugged or completely replaced if need be. It is important to get the flat tyre replaced as soon as possible to ensure safety and proper functioning of the vehicle.
Luckily, due to the emergency equipment that’s often fitted to a vehicle from the factory, it’s a generally easy and smooth process. There are just some key safety issues to keep in mind whilst in action changing out the bum tire. When parking in a dangerous or narrow road, make sure to use hazard lights to alert oncoming drivers.
Let’s go over everything you need and all the precautions you need to take to change your car’s tyre properly.
The Safety Brief
Two key components to safely raising a car off its deflated, punctured tyre is being on a level surface and ensuring the jack is properly fitted. Consult your owner’s manual for where the jacking points are on the car, and always ensure it has a sure footing that won’t slip.
If the jack slips, the vehicle may fall and crush a foot or leg or cause significant damage. It’s very difficult to lift up a vehicle with a jack that’s fallen on its brake disc. Additionally, regularly check and maintain the spare tyre pressure using a tyre pressure gauge to ensure it is fully inflated as per the recommendations in the handbook.
Also, absolutely never lie underneath a car that is only supported by a jack. You almost never have to while changing a tyre, but if you do find yourself in this scenario for some reason, support the car with a jack stand. It doesn’t hurt to double up and support it with a jack stand and a jack, too.
If you are forced to change the tyre on the side of the road or on the highway, it’s also crucial to consider the traffic that’s driving by. If possible, pull as far over on the shoulder as you can, and if you have any road flares or reflectors, place them in front of your car to alert incoming drivers of your presence.
The Tools & Parts You Need to Change a Tyre
You will need your vehicle’s lug nut wrench, a wheel key (if necessary), a jack, a spare tyre, a wheel brace, and a wheel wrench, at minimum.
Before accessing the wheel nuts, you will need to remove the plastic wheel trim using appropriate tools.
An annoying reality is that many modern cars don’t come equipped with a compact spare tyre, lug nut wrench, or portable jack. They often just have a can of fix-a-flat, and that’s it. If you would like to buy these items, they’re all usually very inexpensive, especially a quality scissor or bottle jack. Also, wheel chocks are a good extra safety measure as they ensure the vehicle absolutely will not roll away.
Spare compact tyres, often referred to as “doughnuts,” can cost a little more depending on your vehicle’s wheel size. Or, you could even buy another wheel and tyre that’s the same size as your vehicle’s (referred to as a full-size spare), which would make tyre changes much more stress-free, as compact spares have mileage and speed limits. For this information, refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines or your owner’s manual.
Extra items that make the job easier and cleaner: a good pair of mechanics gloves, flashlight, torque wrench, ½-inch ratchet wrench with a socket that’s the right size for your vehicle’s lug nuts, and jack stands.
This particular vehicle is equipped with wheel locks, so the wheel key is necessary to remove the lug nuts. The motorist also opted to keep a ratchet wrench and proper socket in their car for ease of operation.
The Task: How To Change a Tyre
3.4 Loosen the Wheel Nuts
Before you lift the car, loosen the wheel nuts while the car is still on the ground. This ensures safety and makes it easier to remove the wheel once the car is lifted.
3.6 Remove the Punctured Wheel
Once the car is securely lifted, remove the punctured wheel. If your car has a plastic wheel trim, use the appropriate tool to carefully remove it before proceeding.
3.7 Install the Spare Wheel
Align the spare wheel with the hub bolts and hand-tighten each wheel nut. If you are using a space saver spare wheel, remember it is a temporary solution with a reduced maximum speed limit. Similarly, a space saver wheel is intended for short-term use only, and you should replace it with a regular wheel and tire as soon as possible.
3.8 Tighten the Wheel Nuts
Lower the car back to the ground and fully tighten the wheel nuts in a crisscross pattern to ensure even pressure.
1. Ensure you’re on firm, level ground.
If you’re unable to find level ground, you might have to call a tow truck to tow your car to a shop to properly repair or change the tyre. Keep in mind that a car can really only roll a few feet, possibly less, on a completely flat tyre before the inside of the tyre and wheel rim are damaged.
Rolling on a flat tyre could end up costing more money in repairs. If the tyre only needs a plug and a patch to be 100% repaired, then the extra damage incurred could mean the whole tyre needs replacing.
Also, do everything you can do to pull over in a well-lit, wide space. The corner of a parking lot is good, as it’s off the street, but any large shoulder on a straight stretch of road is far better than a narrow shoulder on a curvy road. You want to be as visible as possible, so it’s also a good idea to turn your hazard/flasher lights on to alert other drivers of your presence.
2. Ensure the vehicle is in park and the parking brake is engaged.
This helps keep the vehicle secured once part of it is raised to remove the bum wheel. If the car has a manual transmission, ensure the e-brake is tight and that the car is in gear. It’s a good idea to chock the wheels that aren’t being removed, too. Chocks are cheap, but a large rock or chunk of wood can work in a pinch.
3. Ready your tools.
Gather your spare or another tyre, wrench, jack, jack stand, gloves, light, and a torque wrench. It’s always a good idea to ensure your spare tyre is properly aired up, so check its pressure every other month or so. Keeping an inexpensive portable air compressor in your car is a good move, too.
4. Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground while the wheel is weighed down.
This prevents the wheel from spinning, making the experience far more efficient. Start by loosening the wheel nuts.
5. Raise the vehicle with the jack.
Before beginning to remove the wheel, gently rock the vehicle from different angles to ensure the jack is firmly in place. You want to make sure the vehicle won’t slip off the jack when it’s in the air. If you have jack stands, insert them beneath jack points or under the frame.
6. Continue to loosen the lug nuts until they’re completely off, then carefully remove the wheel.
Depending on where you live, it might take some effort to remove the punctured wheel from the hub, especially if you live in a colder climate. If there is a plastic wheel trim, remove it carefully using the appropriate tools before attempting to take off the wheel. If it won’t come off with some light pulling, then it’s best to re-install the lug nuts, lower the vehicle back down, tighten the lugs up, and call a tow truck.
7. Fit the spare wheel.
Support it with your hand while you lightly finger-tighten the wheel nuts (or bolts, depending on your vehicle’s hubs). If the wheel nut is too large and heavy, you might try just putting one lug in to hold it in place and then continue with the others.
When using a space saver spare wheel, remember it has a reduced maximum speed limit and should not be used for longer than necessary. A space saver wheel is intended for temporary use to get you home or to a repair shop, and it should be replaced with a regular wheel and tire as soon as possible.
8. Tighten the lugs a tad more in a star pattern.
Be sure to do this, as well as make sure the wheel is flat on the surface of the hub. Start at the top or bottom, then go across to the opposite lug, then back across, and continue until they’re on. Once the lugs are tight, pull out your torque wrench if you have one. Use it to tighten the lugs to the manufacturer-specified torque, which can be found in your owner’s manual.
9. Ensure everything is clear.
Double and triple-check that nothing will get squashed by lowering your vehicle back onto Earth’s pavement-covered crust. This includes hands, feet, tools, small animals, etc.
10. Gently lower the vehicle.
The keyword here is gentle. If you missed a step or maybe forgot a lug, the slow transfer of weight onto the spare will not cause any potential issues. Unfortunately, not all cars have air jacks.
10. Continue tightening the lug nuts.
Ensure they’re good n’ tight. You don’t have to stand on the wrench, but you want to make sure they’re secured. Again, tighten in a star pattern.
11. Put tools back where they came from.
Don’t be like me, where you just throw them in the trunk and continue on your merry way. Put the tools back in their fitted positions. This will ensure you do not damage the tools or other things in your trunk, and they won’t be clanging around when you take a corner.
12. Safely drive away.
From there, drive as close to a mechanic’s shop as you can find. Remember, compact spare tyres have mileage and speed limits. Though, if you’ve got a full-size spare, you can have the damaged tyre/wheel repaired or replaced at your leisure.
Compact spares, or “doughnuts,” look goofy when mounted up to the car but could really save your bacon in a pinch.
FAQs About How to Change a Tyre
Based on data from search engines, as well as considerations of what we’d want to know, we’ve gathered frequently asked questions that should help you understand the process of changing a tyre.
Q. Why are there so many safety concerns? Can’t I just park the car and start working?
A. We’re of the opinion that it’s better to be safe than sorry. An inexpensive wheel chock, or a quick double-check of a jack’s firmness, is less of an investment than repairing a bent wheel hub or going to the hospital with a crushed foot. Always approach working on a car with caution and safety in mind.
Q. Why do so many manufacturers not include a compact spare tyre, jack, and lug nut wrench in their cars these days?
A. Because they’re cheap. But also, flats are less common than they used to be due to improved tire technology. Plus, some tyres are designed with run-flat technology, meaning they can be driven on for a short distance even after they are damaged and lose all air pressure.
Q. I bought all these extra tools to effectively and efficiently change a car tyre; what’s the best way to store it all?
A. A good, soft-side tool bag is a good choice. If you want more fun, inexpensive tools to keep around in one, a portable air compressor and tyre pressure gauge often come in handy.
Q. Is there an easier way to change tyres?
A. If you’re away from home, then you’re likely going to have to manually change your tyre. However, power tools and pneumatic tools will always make the process of changing tyres simpler and easier. If you’re so inclined, you could always carry a battery-powered impact wrench in your car, but that’s one more thing that could break or get stolen.
Watch This Video Tutorial on How to Change a Tyre
For those who prefer visual learning to text, we have you covered. The video below explains how to change a tire safely and correctly.