• Tweet

• Tweet

Though it is inevitable, it is fair to say that how to change a flat tire is not the most pleasurable prospect during our vehicle’s life on the road. However, a changing a flat tire is a real prospect and one that seems to occur for most of us at just the wrong time and often not in the best location either. Even if you have membership to AA, knowing how to change a tire correctly and safely is a skill worth having.   You never know a time when you may not be able to rely on the assistance of others and you really have to deal with this roadside emergency yourself. An unexpected flat can cause considerable damage to your vehicle. Consider autoinsurancecenter.com as a resource to protect yourself from the unexpected.

How to Change a Flat Tire

Knowing how to handle a run flat tires change is not something you should leave to chance. It is necessary to understand the correct way to changing a flat tire. It also makes good sense to test your knowledge and to do a few practice runs. Being able to handle the process and mechanics of changing a tire as a matter of course, will leave you better prepared for the unexpected flat on the road.

1. Check that you have the correct equipment in changing a flat tire

Before you start out on a journey of any kind, you should always ensure that you have the correct tools needed to change a flat tire.

Spare Wheel - The car’s spare wheel is normally found stored in the trunk or boot of the car.  Check the spare regularly to gauge air pressure – it’s not very useful to changing a flat tire with a flat spare! It can be beneficial to invest in a foot pump or pressure gauge to ensure your tires are correctly inflated. Also keep an eye on the tread wear of your spare and replace the spare when it becomes too worn for safe use.

Car Jack – the Car Jack is required to lift the car off the ground and enable you to do the work. Ensure you have a Jack that is capable of lifting the GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) or Curb Weight of the vehicle and many cars have a specific spot where the jack should be placed. All this information is normally provided in the car’s manual so it’s important to keep this manual on board at all times.

Wheel Lug-Wrench – this tool is required to turn the lug nuts on the car wheels. It is sometimes referred to as the wheel wrench. A common style of Lug Wrench will be L-Shaped with a socket wrench on the bend and a prying tip on the other end.  The prying tip is necessary when hub caps have to be removed. Some Car Jacks come with a built in Lug Wrench.

Wheel Chock – a wheel chock is useful to help prevent the vehicle from moving. In an emergency situation, where you do not have a wheel chock, a large rock or a similar strong, sturdy object can be used instead. This is especially important if you are unable to changing a flat tire on a flat surface but rather on an uphill or downhill slope. The chock, or alternative object, should be placed in order to block the tire diagonally opposite to the tire that needs changing. So if you need to change the left front tire, for example, place the weight or chock in front (downhill) or behind (uphill) the right back tire.

And finally, to ensure your own safety and the safety of other drivers always carry a reflective jacket, a torch, reflective warning triangle and  a set of cutters that can easily remove cable ties sometimes used on the wheel trims and, of course, the car’s manual.

2. Stop a Car with Flat Tire Safely

As you may often be driving along the road when you experience a flat tire, it is important to remain calm. Go through the process step by step. Turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers. Slow your car by easing off the accelerator. As speed reduces, brake gently and gradually steer the car off the road. A safe area away from passing traffic is the ideal place to stop and park your car. However should you be driving on the highway, do your best to move along the hard shoulder to the widest part possible. Switch off the engine fully and put the car into either first gear or into reverse (manual transmission) or Park .(automatic) and set your parking brake.

3. Prepare Yourself

Don’t panic and rush to get the flat tire changed as quickly as possible. Think about the tasks you could perform before you go to grab the car jack. Prepare correctly and organise yourself in order to minimize the amount of time the vehicle will be raised off the ground. This will mean it is less likely to cause any damage either to you, to others, to the car or to the wheel itself.

Make sure that everyone exits the vehicle safely, no passenger should remain inside the vehicle. Ensure that they remain in a safe place away from the vehicle and the road way. Set up your reflective warning triangle to advise oncoming traffic of the potential hazard ahead. Remove the spare tire from the trunk of the car, along with the lug wrench and car jack. Place the wheel chock (or a sturdy object) on the tire diagonally opposite the tire you wish to change. Use your cutters to remove any cable ties from the trims.

4. Removing the Flat Tire

a) Firstly you will need to loosen the lug nuts. If you don’t do this initially, it will prove very difficult to do so once the car is raised. Use the Lug Wrench to loosen the nuts pressing the wrench firmly and turning it counter-clockwise. If your wheel has a hub cap you can remove using the prying tip on the end of the Lug Wrench. You should not, however, fully remove the lug nuts at this stage, simply loosen them in a star pattern order, moving diagonally from one lug nut to the other.  You may need to use your knee or leg to apply extra pressure on stubborn lug nuts.

b) With the lug nuts loosened, you can now jack up the car. Place the jack underneath the car in the appropriate location closest to the tire that you are removing. (If you’re really not sure where to place the jack, ensure you refer to the car manual before you proceed). Raise the jack gently to ensure good contact with the frame of the car. You can then use the car jack handle to raise the vehicle off the ground. Turn the jack handle clockwise to lift the car up, counterclockwise to lower the car down. Take you time to carefully jack the car safely.

c) With the car raised up just clear off the ground, it is possible to fully remove the lug nuts. Place the removed lug nuts within easy reach as you don’t want to mislay any of them when replacing the flat tire. The lug nuts are needed to hold your tire on so are pretty critical for safe driving! Remember to turn the lug nuts counterclockwise. Once the lug nuts are all removed, use both hands to carefully lift off the flat tire. Place it down safely so that it is not a hazard to other vehicles.

5. Installing the Spare Tire

a) Taking the spare tire, position it carefully lining the holes in the spare wheel over the wheel studs. It can help to secure the wheel by replacing the top lug nut first. Tightening the lug nuts should only be done by hand at this point. Remember in order to tighten the lug nuts, turn them in a clockwise direction and using the same star pattern used to loosen the lug nuts earlier. You can use the lug wrench to help you but do ensure that the nuts are not fully tightened until the car is lower. Too much force while the car is raised can cause the car to fall off the jack and can cause damage to the car or harm to the person changing the tire.

b) Once the lug nuts are firm (not tight!) on the wheel, you can begin to lower the car. Turning the jack handle counterclockwise will lower the vehicle gently. Remove the jack from underneath the car.

c) Once the spare tire is back on the ground you can now finish tightening the lug nuts as the tire will not move or rotate as it might while raised. Again continue using the star pattern technique which helps to give equal torque on the wheel studs.

Finally, congratulate yourself for having successfully changed a flat tire!

6. Driving on a Spare

If you are driving on a spare, take note of the speed restrictions that normally apply (typically limited to around 50mph). Stick to this speed limit and remember that any long distance driving on a spare runs a high risk of a blowout. Most spare tires are designed for temporary use only. Drive carefully to the nearest tire shop or service station to have your flat tire repaired or replaced as soon as possible.