The dreaded flat tyre. Unfortunately, we’ve all been there - that’s why we’ve created this handy step-by-step guide on how to change a car tyre to get you moving again as quickly as possible.
1. Check you’ve got everything you need
- Spare wheel
- Vehicle manual
- Car jack
- Wrench
- Wheel chocks
2. Prepare your car to change the tyre
-Switch off the engine
- Get everyone out of the vehicle and to a safe place away from any potential traffic
- Turn on the hazard lights
- Ensure the handbrake is applied
- Gather all the tools you need from the vehicle, including the spare wheel
3. Loosen the wheel nuts
- Before you jack the car up, ensure that you can loosen the wheel nuts or bolts. If they’re too tight for you to do yourself, you’ll need to call for breakdown assistance.
- If your car has locking wheel nuts, start by using the locking key
- Take the wrench and begin to loosen the bolts by turning them anti-clockwise
- Loosen the nuts slightly and then stop once you know that you can move them
4. Get the vehicle up with the jack
-Locate the jacking point nearest the wheel that you need to change. Usually, it will marked with an arrow or pad
- Wind the jack out and place it into the jacking point. Ensure that the flat foot of the jack touches the ground for stability
- Next, wind the jack carefully until the entire wheel is off the ground.
- Continue to raise the car so that it is high enough to get the new inflated tyre on, as this will be higher than the flat tyre.
5. Take off the punctured wheel
- Undo the nuts and bolts completely and set them aside safely
- You should now be able to lift the wheel away from the hub its fitted to
- If you are struggling to get the wheel off, call for assistance as you don’t want to hurt yourself or damage the vehicle
6. Fit the spare wheel
- The spare wheel should easily slide into the place where the old wheel was
- Once it’s in position, take the nuts from before and tighten them into place to secure the wheel
- Use the jack to lower the car back down the ground level
- Once the car has contact with the ground, make sure all the nuts are fully tightened before removing the jack
Once you’ve got the spare wheel fitted, make it a priority to get to your local dealer or garage to have this replaced as soon as possible. You can only travel up to 50mph with a temporary use tyre.
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