Vehicle Maintenance & Repair

How to Change A Flat Tire

Instructions

ALWAYS FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH YOUR VEHICLES MANUAL

How to change a flat tire

Remove the spare tire from the trunk, undercarriage, or roof of vehicle, wherever applicable.
Apply the emergency brakes (e brakes or handbrake for most vehicles. Some vehicle have the e-brake as a pedal to extreme left, consult manual)
Before you jack up the vehicle, you need to loosen the lug nuts. If your car has a hubcap, remove it to gain access to the lug nuts. Attach the lug tool onto a lug nut and press down on the lug wrench so that it turns counterclockwise (righty tighty, lefty loosey)
Position the jack on a sturdy part of the frame nearest to the flat tire. (Your owner’s manual will likely point out the proper point to locate a jack.) You can raise up the jack by hand until it is in contact and is in good position on the frame. Insert the end of the jack handle into the jack and turn it clockwise (to the right). Carefully jack the car up, being certain to never place your hands or your legs under the vehicle.
Remove the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise (to the left). Make sure to keep the lug nuts close to you and secured so they don’t roll away.
Remove the flat tire and place it under the vehicle by area closest to the jack as a temporary safety precaution in case jack fails.
Position the spare tire on the wheel, lining the holes up with the wheel studs.
Install the lug nuts, turning clockwise (to the right) to tighten. Tighten them by hand as far as they can go. Using the lug wrench, continue tightening the lug nuts until they are firm.
Insert the jack handle back into the jack and turn counterclockwise (to the left) to lower the vehicle.
Once the tire is on the ground, begin tightening the lug nuts. Using the following technique will allow you to achieve equal torque on the wheel studs: Mimicking the pattern of a star, first tighten the lug nut nearest the bottom, then tighten the lug nut nearest the top, then tighten the one second closest to the bottom, then the one on the left side and finish with the one on the right side.
Put all supplies back in your vehicle.
Make sure not to exceed the speed limit outlined by your vehicle user manual while traveling on the spare tire.