Knowing how to change a tire is a necessary skill for all drivers. If you rely on a cell phone to save you in a roadside emergency, there’s always that chance you will forget to charge it, be out of range, or leave it at home. Flat tires can happen anywhere, and a cell phone is no substitute for knowing how to change a flat tire.
Thankfully, changing a tire isn’t all that hard! Just adhere to the following guidelines to be prepared in case you have a flat.
These items should have come with your vehicle:
Jack
Lug wrench
Fully inflated spare tire
Vehicle owner’s manual
If you have misplaced any of these items, or if your car did not come with these items, you should purchase new ones right away. And be sure you’re regularly inflating the spare tire to your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended PSI. You should check the spare’s air pressure every time you check your other tires.
Remember to check pressure every month and before long trips or carrying extra load.
Here are some items that don’t come with your vehicle but that you should stow in your trunk or glove box in case you have to change a flat tire:
Flashlight with working batteries
Rain poncho
Small cut of 2"x6” wood to secure the jack
Gloves
Wheel wedges
As soon as you realize you have a flat tire, do not abruptly brake or turn. Slowly reduce speed and scan your surroundings for a level, straight stretch of road with a wide shoulder. An empty parking lot would be an ideal place. Level ground is good because it will prevent your vehicle from rolling. Also, straight stretches of road are better than curves because oncoming traffic is more likely 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.
Make sure to consult your owner’s manual and review their specific steps on how to change a flat tire for your vehicle
Your hazard lights or “flashers” will help other drivers see you on the side of the road. To avoid an accident, turn them on as soon as you realize you need to pull over.
Once stopped, always use the parking brake when preparing to replace a flat tire. This will minimize the possibility of your vehicle rolling.
Wheel wedges go in front of or behind the tires to further ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll while you fix the flat tire. If you’re changing a rear tire, place these in front of the front tires. If your flat tire is at the front, put the wheel wedges behind the rear tires.
Bricks or large stones will work just as well as “real” wheel wedges. Just be sure they’re large enough to stop the car from rolling.
If your vehicle has a hubcap covering the lug nuts, it’s easier to remove the hubcap before lifting the vehicle with the jack.
If your lug nuts are exposed, you can skip ahead to Step 6.
Use the flat end of your lug wrench to remove the hubcap. This will work for most vehicles, but some hubcaps need a different tool to come off. Consult your owner’s manual for proper hubcap or wheel cover removal procedures.
Using the lug wrench, turn the lug nuts counterclockwise until you break their resistance. You may have to use force, and that’s ok. Use your foot or all of your body weight if necessary.
Loosen the lug nuts about ¼ to ½ of a turn, but don’t remove them completely yet. Save that for when it’s time to remove your tire/wheel from the vehicle.
The right place for the jack is usually 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.
To prevent the jack from settling under the weight of your vehicle and coming off balance, place a small cut of 2x6” 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.
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.
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.
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.
Put the lug nuts back on the lug bolts and tighten them all the way 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.
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.
Bring the vehicle all the way to the ground and remove the jack. Give the lug nuts another pull with the wrench to ensure they’re as tight as possible.
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.
You have before you a jack, a lug wrench, wheel wedges, your flat tire, and possibly a hubcap. Don’t forget to put all of them in your vehicle before driving away.
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.
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.
Aside from taking your tire to a professional, the above procedure shouldn’t take more than 15 to 30 minutes to change a tire.
Just be sure you don’t leave out any steps.
It’s beneficial practice changing a tire in your garage or driveway to ensure you’re ready to handle this situation if it ever happens to you.
Knowing how to fix a flat tire is great, but regular tire maintenance is even more important. In addition to reviewing this guide regularly, remember to do the following:
Keep your tires properly inflated
Rotate your tires according to the manufacturer’s guidelines
Monitor for tread wear
All of these precautions will extend the life of your tires and reduce the likelihood of a flat. While there’s no way to prevent flat tires completely, proper care can improve performance and ensure your tires last as long as possible.
There’s never a good time for a flat. That’s why Bridgestone DriveGuard tires are masterfully engineered to keep you moving for up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 MPH without disruption.
There’s never a good time for a flat. That’s why Bridgestone DriveGuard tires are masterfully engineered to keep you moving for up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 MPH without disruption.
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By: Deanna Sclar and
Updated: 12-01-2021
From The Book: Auto Repair For Dummies, 2nd Edition
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Having a flat tire and not knowing how to change it can leave you feeling helpless. With a few simple tools, you can do it yourself. Changing a tire is easy, and everyone should have a general idea of what's involved.
Here are the steps:
Never change a tire on an incline or hill; always seek a flat surface, even if it means driving on a flat tire. Use bricks, wooden wedges, or metal wheel chocks to block the wheels at the opposite end of the car from the end that is to be raised.
You can use a screwdriver to pry the wheel cover off. Just insert the point of the tool where the edge of the cover meets the wheel, and apply a little leverage. The cap should pop off. You may have to do this in a couple of places, as if you were prying the lid off a can of paint.
You might know this as breaking the lug nuts. Whatever you call it, find the end of the wrench that fits the lug nuts on your vehicle, and fit it onto the first nut.
Apply all your weight to the bar on the left. This starts turning the nut counterclockwise, which loosens it. Don‘t remove the lug nuts completely; just get them loose enough to remove by hand after you jack up the vehicle. A hollow pipe and a cross-shaft wrench can loosen the tightest lug nuts.
If you have alloy wheels that are held on by lug nuts with delicate finishes, the delicate aluminum or chrome-plated lug nuts need careful handling. They should never be loosened or replaced with power tools that can scratch the delicate finish.
Place the jack securely under the edge of the car. Proper locations may vary among vehicle models, so consult the owner’s manual for the right places to put the jack.
If you have a scissor jack (see image a), insert the rod or wrench over the knob, and then crank. If you have a hydraulic jack (see image b), place the handle into the appropriate location and pump up and down.
Use nice, even strokes, taking the jack handle from its lowest point to its highest point on each stroke to cut down on the labor involved.
Take the lug nuts completely off by hand and put them in a safe place — inside the wheel cover or hub cap works well. Grasp the flat tire with both hands and pull it straight toward you. As you pull the flat off, it should slide along the bolts until it clears the end of the bolts and you find yourself supporting its full weight. Roll the flat along the ground to the rear of the vehicle to get it out of the way.
Because tires are heavy, you may have a little trouble lifting the spare into place — especially if you’re not accustomed to lifting heavy things.
Give each lug nut a jolt with the wrench to get it firmly into place, but wait until the car is on the ground before you really try to tighten the lug nuts.
After the vehicle is resting on the ground, use the lug wrench to tighten the lug nuts as much as you can.
If your car has wheel covers with a delicate finish, the owner’s manual should provide instructions for replacing it. If your car has hubcaps, place the hubcap against the wheel and whack it into place with the heel of your hand. Cushion your hand with a soft rag first so that you won’t hurt it. And don’t hit the hubcap with a wrench or hammer — you’ll dent it.
Deanna Sclar is an acclaimed auto repair expert.
She has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV shows, including NBC's Today show and the NBCNightly News. Sclar lectures internationally on the ecological impact of vehicles and is active in promoting residential solar energy programs. Sclar is also the author of Buying a Car For Dummies.
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0 A punctured wheel is usually indicated by external noise, as well as loss of speed and poor handling. If the car pulls to the side, and in order to keep it on the road, you have to make an effort, then most likely a puncture on one of the front wheels.
If the back of the car starts to skid, then the problem is there.
When this happens, you will know exactly what it is. Don't panic by any means. Align the car and, gradually reducing speed, pull over to the side of the road.
You can't drive on with a flat tire, but it's also not a good idea to stop in the middle of the road. Therefore, do not be afraid to drive a couple of tens of meters and choose a flat, dry place on the side of the road.
It is best to stay away from moving traffic so as not to cause an accident and risk your life.
Drivers of cars with a manual transmission must engage first gear, and owners of automatic transmissions must shift the lever to the park (P) position.
And in any case, you need to put the car on the handbrake.
After parking the car in a safe place, do not forget to turn on the hazard warning lights and install the warning triangle located in the trunk.
In settlements, it is placed 20 meters behind the car, and on the highway - 40 meters.
In the same place, in the trunk, find a spare wheel and a jack with a wheelbrace. Usually the manufacturer places all this in a special niche under the floor, which can be reached by lifting the bottom panel.
It is good if you have a pump and a pressure gauge with you, as well as wheel chocks. And, of course, gloves will not interfere, since you still have to get your hands a little dirty.
After removing all the tools and spare tire, place them next to the punctured tire and ask all passengers to get out of the car. Even if it's freezing cold or pouring rain outside, safety comes first.
Despite the handbrake and the gear engaged, before installing the jack, you must additionally fix the wheels with stops. For them, however, any stones or pieces of brick will do.
If the rear wheel needs to be replaced, the chocks are placed on both sides of the front wheels and vice versa.
You are now ready to remove the wheel. First, remove the disc from the plastic cap and use the wheelbrace to loosen the bolts. To move them from their place, you will need a lot of effort, which can be provided by the weight of your body by simply pressing on the key with your foot. It is not necessary to completely unscrew the bolts: it is enough to unscrew them one turn.
The machine must then be jacked up. In no case should you install it anywhere. Especially for these purposes, there are small reinforced places on the bottom, which are usually located behind the front wheel or immediately in front of the rear. The manufacturer designates them using triangles or cutouts at the bottom of the thresholds. If the weld is covered with plastic pads, they will break at the jacking points.
Place the jack under the bottom and start turning the jack handle clockwise. Be sure to make sure that the jack rises evenly, does not heel.
If under the weight of the machine the bottom leg of the jack sinks into the ground, you need to put something like a piece of board or brick under it.
Do not raise the wheel too much. It is enough to stop 5 cm from the ground. After that, you can completely unscrew the bolts and remove the punctured wheel from the hub. It is better to slide it under the car as insurance, and put the bolts somewhere on a rag so that they are not lost.
It remains to replace the punctured wheel with a spare. To do this, align the holes on the disc with the holes in the hub, put the wheel on and screw on the bolts, completely wrapping them by hand.
It is important to install the nuts that fasten the wheels to the hub with the semicircular side towards the rim, and not outward.
Remove the punctured wheel from under the machine, lower the jack and finally tighten the bolts. You need to do it right. On wheels with four or six holes, opposite bolts are tightened in pairs. If there are five holes, then you need to pull in this order, as if you are drawing a five-pointed star.
It remains to assemble the tool, remove the jack and stops, and also check the pressure in the installed wheel and, if necessary, pump it up. If the pump is not at hand, you can ask for help from passing drivers.
If you are using a small spare tire, the so-called stowaway, then remember to be careful: it can usually be driven at a speed of no more than 80 km/h and for a distance of a maximum of 100 kilometers.
And, of course, try to repair a punctured wheel as soon as possible in a specialized tire shop, so as not to tempt fate and not drive without a spare wheel.
To change a wheel, you need a jack, a wheel wrench, a spare tire with an inflated tire, gloves, an old mat, a couple of wooden prop blocks. It’s good if there is a cutter or a sharp knife, a flat-blade screwdriver, a car manual.
Apply the handbrake, engage first gear or, for vehicles with automatic transmission, engage P mode. To prevent the car from rolling, install wooden supports under the wheels - with one support the wheel opposite to the broken one, with the second support the wheel that is located diagonally from the broken one. Put on gloves, pull out the spare tire, jack and "balloon" wrench - a socket wrench for attaching nuts. Manufacturers place the tool in the luggage compartment under the floor covering. A more accurate location of the jack, wrench and other tools will tell the car manual. Place a rug next to the machine on which you can kneel.
If the drive has a cover cap, pry it off with a flat head screwdriver. On alloy wheels, a decorative wheel bolt cap may be installed, remove it.
Using a wheelbrace, loosen each bolt on the affected wheel by about half a turn. The bolt heads can be custom-sized so that they cannot be unscrewed with a standard wrench - protection against theft.
In the shelf with the tool of the car there should be a "secret" put on the "balloon". With it, you can easily unscrew the wheel bolts.
Set the jack head to the point of support as close as possible to the affected wheel. You need to support the steel part of the body with a jack. If you prop up a part of the body made of plastic, the plastic will burst. As a general rule, the safest place to jack up is the inner lower part of the car body between the front and rear wheels. Place the spare tire under the vehicle next to the wheel that needs replacing, but away from the jack. The spare tire will insure the car if the jack slips and the car starts to fall rapidly. Jack up the machine until the wheel is 25-50 mm off the ground. The jack must be placed on a flat, firm surface. If you are changing a wheel while standing knee-deep in snow or on slippery ground, place a board under the jack to support it. Failure to do so could result in the jack slipping on slippery surfaces or sinking into the snow.
Raise the car on a jack, unscrew the bolts, and remove the wheel. Put the spare tire on the wheel hub of the car, and put the damaged one under the car body.
If the wheel is heavy, put it on your foot to maneuver it into position.
Install the wheel bolts in their socket first by threading them in and then tightening them so that they hold the wheel firmly, but not completely. You need to tighten the nuts not in turn, but crosswise. Remove the safety wheel from under the car, lower the car, remove the jack. When the machine is already on the ground and the jack is removed, tighten the wheel bolts to the stop, alternating tightening also crosswise, and not alternately. Check the air pressure in all 4 tires with a pressure gauge or ask them to do this at the first available service station, gas station. The tire pressure warning label is located on the inside of the driver's door. A flat tire wears out faster, with it the car will drive to the side, if it gets into a hole, it can break and lead to an accident.
