How to change a trye

Understanding the basics of car maintenance is simpler than you may expect - and can lead to you avoiding trouble and expensive repairs. And while there’s no need for most of us to know the intricacies of changing a gearbox or fitting a new exhaust, more straightforward needs should be understood. Among them is knowing how to change a tyre on your vehicle.

Experiencing a puncture or blow out is never convenient, but neither is having to wait around for a breakdown vehicle to come to your aid. Of course, in certain circumstances, roadside assistance will be the safest and best course of action to take. But, in instances where you can safely access your vehicle without traffic presenting a danger, there’s no reason you cannot undertake changing your own tyre. Simply follow this process and get back on the road in no time.

Step 1: Prepare the vehicle

It’s of the utmost importance that you position the vehicle on level ground, apply the handbrake, turn off the engine, and ensure all passengers exit the car.

Step 2: Loosen wheel nuts

This can often be a tough task to complete, particularly when wheels are fitted using electric tools. However, before the vehicle is jacked up, you should loosen the wheel nuts by turning anti-clockwise.

Step 3: Jack the car up

Now is the time to raise the vehicle. Your vehicle handbook will detail where the suitable jacking points are located. You should then place the jack accordingly, raising the car slowly until it is approximately 15cm above the ground.

Step 4: Remove the tyre

Once elevated, you can continue to remove the wheel nuts before pulling the flat tyre towards you to remove from the vehicle.

Step 5: Mount the spare wheel

Now, mount the spare wheel onto the protruding hub bolts and replace the wheel nuts accordingly.

Step 6: Lower the car

Slowly return the vehicle to the ground where you can fully tighten the wheel nuts to ensure they’re as secure as possible.

Step 7: Check tyre pressure

Ensure that the tyre pressure on the spare tyre is suitable for driving. If so, you can continue your journey and arrange for a permanent replacement. If however, your spare is also in a poor condition, you should contact a suitable breakdown service for further assistance.

Watch our video for guidance.

How to check tyre pressure

As these steps show, changing a tyre on your vehicle is a relatively straightforward and simple process that takes just a few minutes to complete. However, if you do have any concerns about undertaking such activity, we strongly recommend contacting a breakdown service for their assistance.