How to Change a Tire: The Complete Guide
Experiencing a tyre blowout mid-way can be dreadful. Before you start with the tyre-changing process, make sure you are in a calm state and a safe place. The first thing to keep in mind is that you should never change your car’s tyre if you don’t have the required tools or your safety is at risk. However commercial property acquisition, if you are in a safe place with the correct tools, you can move ahead when changing the tyre. Moreover, make sure to always keep spare tyres in your car to be able to change the existing ones if needed. Read more about how to change a tire.
You can either keep a full-size spare or a narrow space-saver tyre to help yourself back on the road.
However, the method wheels of changing a tyre is the same.
If there is no spare tyre and only a tyre repair kit, then you can visit a nearby professional.
How to change a tire
Before You Begin
“Changing a tire is a valuable skill for drivers to have, and it’s important to learn how to do it properly”, says Kevin Tuffney, co-founder of Rateddriving, a driving school in the UK. First, find a safe place to park your car. It will be more useful to drive further and even risk damaging your wheel rim than fault somewhere dangerous like a narrow road.
Don’t forget to leave your hazard lights on when you park. If you have one, put on your reflective jacket and correctly position your warning triangle to warn oncoming drivers.
Moreover, make sure to read the owner’s manual of your car first.
If you plan to learn how to drive, getting driving lessons would be the first step. There are different types of driving lessons such as manual and intensive driving lessons.
Which Tools Do You Need?
Besides a spare tyre, you will need the following tools:
- Wrench to remove the nuts of the tyres
- Wheel chock to prevent your car from rolling down when jacked up (you can use bricks as well)
- Jack for lifting your car off the ground
- Wheel nut key in case you have fitted locking nuts
- Car handbook
You may also carry the following:
- Torch for changing tyres at night
- Gloves as tyres can be dirty
- Reflective jacket to make sure you are visible to other road users
- Warning triangle to want other drivers to an obstruction or hazard
- Tyre pressure gauge to check whether the new tyre is completely inflated
How To Change a Tyre
One of the most valuable life, as well as road skills, is to learn how to change the tyres of your car. Here is a step-by-step guide:
1. Prepare your car
Apply the handbrake and make sure to ask all passengers to exit from the car.
Now take the spare tyre and required equipment out of the boot.
2. Position the tyre chocks
Chocks prohibit your car from rolling down while jacked up.
Position a tyre chock on the opposite tyre to the one with a puncture.
For example, the front-left tyre of your car has a puncture, then you need to put a chock behind your right-rear tyre.
If your left-rear tyre has gone flat, you are required to place a chock in front of your car’s right-front.
Use chocks for both front/rear tyres if you have them.
Large rocks or bricks can serve the same purpose if you don’t have a chock with you.
3. Loosen the tyre nuts
Do this step when your car is on the ground level. Turn the tyre wrench anti-clockwise and then loosen the nuts so that it can be turned by hand.
However, don’t remove the nuts completely at this stage.
4. Jack your car up
Aim to position the jack at the side of the car, close to the punctured wheel.
Aim the jack close to your punctured true and place a small wood plank under it to make it stable.
Slowly raise the car until the flat tyre is off the ground by at least 10-15 cm.
5. Remove the flat tyre
Now remove the wheel nuts completely and gently pull the tyre towards you to make it come off. Now place it on the ground.
6. Mount the spare tyre
Now slide the spare tyre onto the protruding hub bolts, replace the tyre nuts, and tighten them.
7. Lower the car to tighten the bolts
Drop your car slightly down using the jack and tighten the tyre with a wrench.
8. Fully lower the car
Bring the car to the ground level and remove the jack.
9. Check the spare tyre pressure
Use a tyre pressure cause to assess whether the spare tyre is completely inflated. However, if you don’t have one, you can drive to a nearby station and use the pressure gauge there.
Pump up the spare tyre, if needed, to the recommended pressure.
10. Take the punctured tyre for repair
Visit tyre fitters or a garage at the first chance and give them the punctured tyre for repair.
They will either replace it or repair it.
Key Takeaways
With the right tools and techniques, changing your tyre is quite easy. Always find a safe spot to change your tyre. Moreover, if you have used a space-saver spare tyre make sure to replace it soon enough as these are meant only for emergencies.
