The Ultimate Tire Changing Guide

Owning a car means that you’ll have to deal with some issues every now and then—like getting a flat tire. You could always pay someone else to change a tire for you, but it’s best to know how to do it yourself. It’s a skill that will come handy if your car gets a flat in the middle of nowhere. If you’re looking for a quick tire-changing guide that gets right down to business without any fuss or muss (or flabbergast), then read on!

How to Change a Tire:

Move your vehicle to a stable, ground-level surface. If your car is on an incline or has a flat tire, drive it to the closest safe location before attempting any repairs.

Use a tire iron to loosen all the nuts (and bolts, depending on your tire type) on your flat before you lift the car up onto jack stands.

When jacking up a car, it is crucial to position the jack under one of the vehicle’s designated lifting points. Placing it elsewhere could damage your car or you if the vehicle collapses suddenly.

Raise the car so you can remove the flat tire and install a new one.

Once the nuts are completely removed, remove the tire from its rim.

Put on the spare, then tighten its nuts partially.

Once you’ve jacked the car back down, tighten all of the nuts.

A few good tools can make the job of changing a car tire much easier. Here are three car accessories that will make your life easier if you purchase them before driving home a new vehicle:

Floor Jack: This will make it easier, safer, and faster to raise the car.

Jack Stand: This will make the car more stable when you lift it, reducing the risk that it may fall on you.

4-Way Lug Wrench: This will make it easier to remove even the most stubborn nuts.

Avoid These Tire-Changing Blunders

– Never change a tire on an incline, on bumpy or muddy ground, or while driving.

– Never loosen a car’s nuts or bolts when the vehicle is already on jack stands; this will almost certainly cause it to fall.

– It is dangerous to change a tire on a vehicle that is not in park and with the parking brake engaged. Always get all passengers out of the car when you do so, too—doing so reduces weight and also keeps them safer from accidents.

– If you force a nut or bolt, it will get stuck even more tightly and may end up needing to be removed by somebody else anyway. If removing a stuck screw doesn’t work immediately, remove the whole thing before trying again (and hoping for better results).