How to Change a Car Tire

Before you can start changing a tire, you’re going to want to make sure that you have some essential items including: a spare tire, a lug wrench, a jack, and an owner’s manual.

1. Once you realize you have a flat tired, you are going to want to make sure you have a safe location where you can pull over, turn on your hazard lights, and begin changing your tire.
2. Make sure you have your parking brake applied.
3. Use either bricks, large stones, or ideally, wheel wedges behind and in front of wheels to ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll.
4. Next remove the hubcap or wheel cover and use the lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts. Make sure to not completely remove the lug nuts yet but to make sure that they are at least a quarter or half of the way removed.
5. Next you want to place the jack under the vehicle frame by the flat tire. See your owner’s manual for the exact placement of the jack to ensure you do not cause damage to your vehicle.
6. Make sure the jack is positioned correctly and raise the vehicle until the flat tire is about six inches off of the ground.
7. Now fully unscrew the lug nuts, which should be easy since you already loosened them in step 4.
8. Once the lug nuts are completely off, you can remove the flat tire by pulling it towards you. Now you can mount the spare tire on the lug bolts by lining up the rim with the lug bolts and gently pushing in.
9. Now, to secure the spare tire in place, use your hand to lighten the lug nuts. They don’t have to be all the way in since you will be tightening with the lug wrench later on.
10. Use the jack to lower the vehicle so that the spare is touching the ground, but the jack is still holding up the weight of the vehicle.
11. Use the lug wrench to completely tighten the lug nuts and then completely lower the vehicle and replace the hubcap if it fits on your spare. If it doesn’t, you don’t need one.
12. Put away all of the equipment used and check the pressure in your spare tire.

Now that you know how to change a tire, you can feel safe and secure knowing that you’ll always have this skill with you! However, if you feel more comfortable to stop by Jaguar Freeport, our service experts are happy to help!