1 Tire, 2 Tire, Old Tire, Flat Tire

Oh, the joys of getting a flat tire. In honor of myself suffering the fate of a nail in my tire last weekend, I figured it would only be fitting to explain how to change a tire. Changing a tire, although frustrating, is a fundamental skill you should have in your tool belt being a car owner. You’ll need a couple of tools, some muscles, and sadly, a new tire. Enjoy!

How to Change a Tire: Step by Step

Step 1: Secure the Car

The first thing you’ll want to do is to pull/push your emergency break and put blocks of wood around the back tires of your car. These steps are to ensure your car doesn’t roll away when you lift it.

Step 2: The Tools You’ll Need

• Car Jack

• Tire Iron

• Spare Tire

Step 3: Loosening the Lug Nuts

Tires are connected to cars by lug nuts. They came in different sizes, but a majority are 3/4” which is a size on your tire iron. Start loosening each lug nut counter-clockwise until they are loose enough to screw off with your hand. Don’t remove the lug nuts completely until your car is jacked up (next step).

Some cars have a hubcap with plastic nuts in front of the metal lug nuts. These will be easier to remove but will need to be taken off first. Example below.

Step 4: Jack the Car off the Ground

You’ll want to make sure you place the jack in the right spot. Not every spot under the car is fit for the jack. Typically, you’ll want to place the jack on the car’s frame. I know this is an annoying answer but it’s best to look at your car’s manual to see where the best spot is on your vehicle.

Once you find the right spot, start lifting your car until the tire is clear off the ground rotating freely.

Step 5: Removing the Lug Nuts

Now that your car is lifted, you’ll want to return to the lug nuts you already loosened. Fully loosen each one until they are screwed off. Keep the lug nuts in a safe place so you don’t lose them. Once each nut is removed from the pegs, take the tire off.

Step 6: Putting On the Spare Tire

Place your spare tire on the pegs of the wheel so that the pegs fit through the holes on the rim of the spare tire. Once the spare is on you can start screwing the lug nuts back in place. Tighten the lug nuts only to hand tight until you lower the car.

Step 7: Lower the Car and Fully Tighten Lug Nuts

SLOWLY lower the car back to the ground until your jack is free from the car’s weight. Remove the jack from the underside of the car and put it in a safe place. Go back to the lug nuts and start tightening them with the tire iron in a crisscross pattern. Doing so will ensure you have an even and tight connection between the tire and the car.

Tighten all the lug nuts until you can no longer push the tire iron clockwise. This isn’t an Olympic lift of tightening, once you can’t push the iron with your arms your tire is good to go.

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