What Do You Do to Change a Flat Tire on a Vehicle?

Nov 19, 2020

Man replacing a tire on his blue car

Step by Step Guide on How to Replace a Flat Tire on your Car

As you are driving, you may get a sharp object stuck in your tire. Before you know it, your tire isn’t holding the air it needs and the tire goes flat. What do you do to change it? Here’s a step by step guide on how to replace a flat tire on your car.

[ READ MORE: Emergency Items to Keep in your Car ]

How to Change a Flat

1. Get somewhere safe. Before changing a flat tire, you need to be in a safe location away from traffic. Move far enough away from the road and turn your hazard lights on. If you have orange hazard triangles in your vehicle, lay them out behind your car so drivers can see you easier.

1. Ensure your vehicle doesn’t roll. Apply the parking brake and insert wheel wedges to keep your wheels from turning as you work. If your flat is in the front, firmly place the wedges behind the rear wheels. If the flat is in the back, place the wedges in front of the front tires.

1. Remove the wheel cover and loosen the lug nuts. To get to your lug nuts, remove the wheel cover if there is one. Then, loosen the lug nuts but do not remove them yet.

1. Place the jack under the vehicle. Consult your owner’s manual for the correct location on where to place the jack for your specific wheel. Once it is in the right place, raise your tire until it is about six inches off the ground. Never put any body part underneath the vehicle or tire while you continue.

1. Unscrew the lug nuts and replace the tire. Place the spare tire on the lug bolts and tighten the lug nuts by hand as much as possible.

1. Lower the vehicle and tighten the lug nuts. Lower the car until the tire is on the ground but doesn’t have the vehicle’s weight on it. Tighten the lug nuts using a wrench as much as you can. Fully lower the vehicle and replace the wheel cover.

1. Check tire pressure and take back all equipment. Make sure your spare tire is good for the trip to the technician while you get a new tire. Put away your wedges, triangles, and tools. Don’t forget that your vehicle will have its parking brake applied before you leave.

Looking for more tips and tricks like this? Check out the OkCarz blog for more useful posts!

Man replacing the tire on a silver car