How to Change a Spare Tire

A flat tire can be the most undesirable thing in the world when it happens, whether you are on your way to work in the morning or on a tiring road trip in the middle of nowhere. In this article, you will find the easy way to change a tire by yourself so that you would never get in trouble if a flat tire happens.

Step 1: Remove the spare tire.

When you heard a suspicious noise that might be a flat tire, pull off carefully to check if it is a real dead tire. After confirmation, make sure to inspect your car thoroughly and find out the location of your spare tire. Location of the spare tire might be: under the floor mat in the trunk, under the car or on the back of the tailgate. Remove the spare tire and check the air pressure to make sure it’s okay.

Step 2: Jack up the car.

Set the emergency brake and put the car in park or in gear first. Block the tire opposite of the flat tire- if the flat car is the left rear one, use a brick to block the right front tire. Use brute force to loosen the wheel lugs with the tire iron. Just make sure to turn the wheel lugs counterclockwise or all your strength will be useless. However, don’t remove the lugs because it’s not the time to do that yet. When the lugs are loose enough, put the jack under your car and move it under the jack point. Then turn the knob of the jack to raise it slowly with the jack hand crank. When the jack contracts your car frame, go on to expand the jack.

Step 3: Remove the flat tire.

When the flat tire is completely raised up against the ground, it’s time to stop expanding the jack and carefully remove the loosened wheel lugs. Unlike last step, the lugs should be removed thoroughly. Keep in mind that the removed lugs have to be kept in a safe place for further use. Then remove the flat tire with care.

Step 4: Install the spare tire.

This step is the essence of changing a tire and thus it’s the most difficult step. But don’t panic. Just stay calm and follow the procedures and you will finish it perfectly. Put the spare tire against wheel studs. The most important thing is to hold the spare tire and line up the wheel holes. While positioning the spare tire to the right position, balance the tire with your foot so that it would not be so heavy and difficult. Be sure to locate the wheel studs on the brake hub while doing this.

When the spare tire is in position with the studs, the wheel lugs should be put back using your hands, which is the further use mentioned in the last step. One thing you should bear in mind is that you must be careful not to cross thread the wheel lugs and make sure you have got them all. After you have tightened the wheel lugs using your hand to the greatest strength, turn to the help of tire iron. The criteria for the lugs now is just to make sure they won’t drop, which means they don’t have to be tightened to the greatest strength. One thing you should pay special attention to is that the break hub must fit against the wheel. After you have installed the spare tire, lower the jack till you can pull it away from your car.

Step 5: Tighten the wheel lugs.

The wheel lugs must be completely tightened before you finish the whole procedure of changing a tire. This is both for your safety and the performance of your car. Just make sure to tighten the wheel lugs as much as possible. As long as you can still tighten it using the tire iron, go on. Don’t put yourself in danger because of this tiny mistake in the whole tire changing procedure. And that is all.

Afterwards, you just have to collect the tools you just used such as the jack and tire iron and put them in your tool box. Then put the flat tire where the spare tire used to be.

OK, you are now officially professional in changing your tire by yourself and have received the online “diploma”  of “Car Tire Changing College”. Congratulations on your graduation and don’t ever worry about a flat tire!