Want to know how to change a tire safely? If you want some basic automotive skills, then this tutorial is for you. Know exactly what to do in case of a flat tire.
How to Change a Tire Safely
What do you do in case of a flat tire? Call the mechanic or the towing service? That will cost you money. But what will you do in case you don't have any cell service or it's the middle of the night? Well as anyone who values self-reliance will say, it's better to know how to do it yourself.
I've been driving for years now and any driver can tell you, there will come a time that you'll get a flat tire. So being a homesteader, I made it my responsibility to learn some basic automotive skills. You may know how to drive and get around but when there's something wrong with your car, you can't always rely on others to fix it for you. So, if you also want to learn self-sufficiency, this tutorial will teach you how to change a flat tire and add an extra skill to your belt.
What you'll need t0 change a tire:
Always keep these essentials in your car to be prepared for whenever the emergency arises.
- Spare Tire
- Car Jack
- Lug Wrench
- 12 x 12″ piece of 3/4″ plywood (for your jack if it's not on concrete)
- Reflective Warning Signal
- Optional:
- gloves
- raincoat
- paper towel
- flashlight
Step 1
Try to get off the road. If you need to change your tire in a highway, PLEASE get off of the highway completely.
Step 2
Turn on your hazards. It's a way to signal any passing vehicles that you're having car problems.
Set a safe perimeter for changing your tire by also setting out some reflective warning signals or flares.
Step 3
Put your parking break on to ensure that your car won't go anywhere.
Step 4
Take your spare tire out of the trunk.
Step 5
Start to remove the flat tire. You'd want to loosen the lug nuts before jacking your car but not to the point of removing them. Turn your wrench counter-clockwise to loosen the nuts.
TIP: You can either apply force by stepping on your lug wrench or loosen it doing the lug wrench and jack method.
To do the latter, position your jack under the end of the wrench. We'll be using the weight of your car against the force of the jack to loosen the lug nuts. Just jack the wrench up until it moves and loosens the nuts. Be careful while doing this.
Step 6
Now that you've loosened all the lug nuts, time to jack up your car. It would be best to know the lift or jack points to position your jack. Normally, you can see a diagram on the jack or consult the manual of your car.
Step 7
Once the car is off the ground, remove the lug nuts completely. Put it somewhere near where it won't roll off.
Step 8
Give the tire a little nudge (or hit it if you have to) to loosen it. Once it's loose, remove it and set it aside.
Step 9
Slide the spare tire and replace the lug nuts.
Step 10
Tighten them as much as you can by hand and release the jack.
Step 11
Now that the tire is back on the ground, tighten it by using your lug wrench in a clockwise direction.
Follow a star or crisscross pattern when tightening them to make sure all the nuts have equal torque.
TIP: You don't have to tighten the lug nuts so much that you'll find it difficult to remove. Remember you're only using a spare tire.
And you're done! Congratulate yourself for the new skill you just learned. Don't forget to drive slowly and get standard tires as soon as you can.
Want to see how to change a flat tire? Watch this video tutorial from Eric the Car Guy:
What do you think of this tutorial on how to change a tire? Do you think you're more confident now to give it a try? Let us know in the comments section what your thoughts are on this easy tutorial.
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This article is incorrectly titled as it has nothing to do with changing tyres (tires), but explains how to remove and replace a wheel. Changing a tyre (tire) requires removing and replacing the fat rubber part [THAT’S the tyre (tire)] from the steel part (the rim) and is really best left to the specialists who have the correct tools for the job.