A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Change a Car Tyre

If you own a car, you must relate to the struggles of having a flat tyre in the middle of the road. Most people feel a lack of expertise to change a tyre, leaving expert mechanics responsible. However, having a basic idea on how to change a car tyre might help you avoid feeling helpless because of a flat tyre in times of emergency.

Are you planning to learn ways to change car tyres easily? Let this article help you with a step-by-step guide in the following sections!

Now the question arises, how to change a car tyre? The process of changing a car tyre is perceived to be extremely difficult when it can be pretty straightforward. It does not even require much physical strength unless you deal with a large truck. It is more of a learned skill, and anyone can acquire it with the following steps.

Step 1: Find a Safe Parking Space

It is crucial to find a safe place for changing your car tyre, which means you need to get off the road to start this procedure. Once you notice the flat tyre, find a safe space away from the main road to park your car before getting started. It would help if you also switched your parking lights on in this process, making other vehicles alert and preventing them from coming near you.

Step 2: Secure the Wheel Wedges

Before removing your flat tyre, make sure to secure wheel wedges present at the back of the undamaged tyres. These are additional safety for your car, especially on an inclined road.

Step 3: Remove Wheel Covers

Cars these days usually come with wheel covers for the tyres. You need to remove these covers before proceeding to replace the flat car tyre. Referring to your car’s owner manual will be helpful before doing this, as varying car models have separate settings for wheel covers.

Step 4: Make the Lug Nuts Loose

When you use a jack to lift your car, you need to loosen the lug nuts only halfway before doing it. The tyres usually keep rotating if you raise your vehicle without reducing these. You can use a lug wrench for loosening the lug nuts. First, however, you must choose an appropriately sized lug wrench.

Step 5: Secure the Jack

You need to reach under your car to find the jacking point at this stage. Next, position the wooden boards beneath this jacking point, place the jack on these. Connect the jacking point with the jack, and start lifting your car until a tiny gap appears between your tyres and the ground.

Step 6: Replace the Tyre

Start with a wrench to remove the lug nuts after unscrewing them entirely. Now, unmount your car’s flat tyre and substitute it using a spare tyre.

Step 7: Replace Wheel Cover After Screwing Lug Nuts

Once you are done replacing your car tyre, start screwing the lug nuts halfway and lower your car to the ground. Make sure to remove the wooden boards and jack after it meets the ground. Next, tightly screw the lug nuts and change the wheel cover.

If you are concerned about how to remove a tyre from a car, you should be aware of the various requirements associated with it. The following tools will make it easier for you to change the tyres.

• Lug wrench: These are essential for loosening and tightening lug nuts on the wheels.
• Owner manual: Your car's owner manual comes with detailed specifications regarding the car tyre, including the wheel cover types and wrench types to fit the nuts and bolts of your car.
• Jack: This is essential for lifting your vehicle a few inches from the ground for replacing the tyre quickly.
• Spare tyre: You will need one extra tyre to replace the flat one.
• Wheel chock and nut key: A wheel chock helps stop your car from rolling when jacked up, but you can replace it with bricks. Moreover, a wheel nut key is required if your vehicle has locking nuts fitted.

If you wish to learn how to remove a car tyre, there are some external tools that you need to keep handy while driving. These tools are not integral parts of your car. However, having these will make it more convenient in the middle of the road.

• Flashlight: This is useful when you face the struggle of a flat tyre in the nighttime or a place with less light.
• Wooden boards: Keeping two flat wooden pieces of approximately 2×6 inches will help you secure the jack in the correct position.
• Wheel wedges: While you are working on replacing a tyre, these wedges help to lock other wheels in place.
• Tyre pressure gauge: This gauge will help you check if the new spare tyre is fully inflated.
• Gloves and raincoats: Wearing gloves before changing a tyre will help you avoid cuts and keep dirt away from your hands. A raincoat will be useful if it rains while replacing the tyre.