There are a couple of things in life everyone should know how to do. Change a tire is one of them. Doesn’t matter if you have triple A. They can’t always get to you. Yeas ago I suffered a blowout on a highway. Pulled over safely but because I did not know (at that time) how to change a tire, I had to wait a long time till I got help.
So let’s go through the steps of how to change a tire.
Essential Life Skills – Change A Tire
- Put the car into park. Engage e-brake and turn on your hazards.
- Take the spare tire, lug wrench and jack out of the boot.
- Position jack under metal part of the frame. Typically, this is in the main part of the body, between the front and back wheels. Check your manual if unsure.
- Before jacking up your car, make sure to loosen the nuts first.
- Lift your car off the ground slowly and unscrew the nuts the rest of the way.
- Remove old tire and replace with spare. Tighten nuts to hand tight.
- Lower the jack and remove it.
- Tighten nuts in a star pattern until all are as tight as possible.
You’re done! Not so bad, was it? A couple of things to remember though at this point. Your spare may have been in your car a long time, so might need some air in it. Also, if it’s not a full spare tire. Go slowly! These are usually rated at a lower speed and lower distance. They are designed to be very temporary solutions. Usually you can tell if you have one of these tires on because they are smaller and thinner.
If you are still unsure, check out the video below.