How to Change a Tire
Step-by-step guide to changing a flat tire on the side of the road. Everything from pulling over safely to getting back on the highway.
A flat tire is the kind of thing you learn about while standing on the shoulder, staring at it, trying to remember whether you even have a spare. We have been there. Twice.
Changing it is genuinely not hard. The first time will still feel like it is. Everything takes longer than expected, the lug nuts seem impossibly tight, and you will probably get dirty. But once you have done it once, the mystery disappears.
This guide walks you through the entire process from the moment you realize something is wrong to driving away on your spare. The first time might take 25 to 30 minutes. After that, you can do it in under 15.
A spare tire (check your trunk or under your vehicle), a car jack (usually stored with the spare), and a lug wrench or tire iron (also stored with the spare). A flashlight helps if it is dark. Reflective triangles or road flares add safety if you carry them. Gloves are nice but not required. You will get dirty regardless.
Pull over to a safe location
As soon as you realize you have a flat, slow down gradually. Do not slam the brakes. Turn on your hazard lights immediately. Look for a flat, stable surface away from traffic. A parking lot is ideal. A wide shoulder works. Avoid soft ground, hills, or curves where other drivers cannot see you. If you are on a highway and there is an exit within a mile, it is usually safer to drive slowly to the exit than to stop on the shoulder. A flat tire is not damaged more by a short, slow drive, but getting hit by traffic is a real risk.
Secure the vehicle
Once stopped, put the car in park (or first gear for manual) and engage the parking brake. If you have wheel chocks or a brick, place it behind the tire diagonally opposite to the flat. This prevents the car from rolling when you jack it up. Turn off the engine. If you have reflective triangles, place them 50 to 100 feet behind your vehicle so approaching traffic can see you. At night, leave your hazard lights on.
Loosen the lug nuts before jacking
Order matters here. You need to loosen the lug nuts while the tire is still on the ground. If you jack the car up first, the wheel will just spin when you try to turn the nuts. Use your lug wrench and turn each nut counterclockwise about a quarter turn. Just break them free, do not remove them yet. If a nut will not budge, try standing on the wrench handle. Your body weight is far more effective than arm strength alone. Some cars have a wheel lock that requires a special key socket, usually stored with the jack.
Good to know: If you cannot loosen a lug nut by standing on the wrench, try positioning the wrench handle horizontally and pressing down with your foot. This gives you maximum leverage without rounding the nut.
Position the jack and lift
Check your owner's manual for the jack point locations. Every car has reinforced spots on the frame designed to support the weight of the vehicle. They are usually notched or marked areas on the metal frame behind the front wheels or in front of the rear wheels. Placing the jack anywhere else can crush body panels or slip. Position the jack under the correct point and crank it until the flat tire is about 6 inches off the ground. The tire needs to clear the ground enough to fit the inflated spare, which has a larger diameter than the flat.
Remove the flat and mount the spare
Now remove the lug nuts completely. Keep them somewhere safe. A pocket, a cup holder, anywhere they will not roll away. Pull the flat tire straight toward you and set it aside. Lift the spare tire and align the holes in the rim with the bolts on the hub. Push it onto the bolts until they poke through. This can take some wiggling. Thread the lug nuts on by hand, turning clockwise. Tighten them in a star or cross pattern (not going around in a circle) to ensure the wheel seats evenly against the hub. Get them hand-tight plus a little extra with the wrench, but do not do your final tightening yet.
Lower the vehicle and do the final tighten
Lower the jack slowly until the tire touches the ground but does not bear the full weight of the car yet. At this point, tighten each lug nut firmly using the same star pattern. Put real effort into this. The tire should not move or wobble on the hub. Then lower the jack completely and remove it. Give each nut one final check. They should be very tight. If you have a torque wrench, 80 to 100 foot-pounds is typical for most passenger cars.
Drive to a tire shop
If you are on a compact spare (the smaller, thinner one often called a donut), you have speed and distance limits. Most compact spares are rated for 50 mph maximum and 50 to 70 miles maximum. These are real limits, not suggestions. Compact spares have less traction, different handling characteristics, and are not designed for extended use. Drive directly to a tire shop. If you have a full-size spare, you can drive normally, but still get the flat repaired or replaced as soon as practical so you have a spare again for emergencies.
Heads up: Do not drive on a compact spare for days or weeks. We did this once and it caused uneven wear on the differential. The repair cost far more than a new tire would have. Get it fixed within a day or two.
Your first time will be slow and that is completely fine. The real value here is confidence. Next time you get a flat, you will be annoyed instead of panicked. That is genuine progress. One last thing. After driving on the spare for a few miles, pull over and recheck the lug nuts. They can loosen slightly as the wheel settles. Give each one a final tighten and you are good to go to the tire shop.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Many newer cars come with a tire repair kit instead of a spare. This kit typically includes a can of tire sealant and a small air compressor that plugs into your 12V outlet. It works for small punctures (nails, screws) but not for sidewall damage or blowouts. Check your trunk now, before you need it, so you know what you have. If you have neither a spare nor a repair kit, your only option is calling roadside assistance.
Full-size spares can go on any position without issues. Compact spares technically fit any position, but manufacturers recommend putting them on a non-drive wheel if possible. On a front-wheel-drive car, that means putting the compact spare on the rear and moving the good rear tire to the front. Putting the spare wherever the flat was and driving carefully to the shop is fine for short distances.
As tight as you can reasonably get them with the lug wrench using your hands and some body weight. A tire shop will torque them to the manufacturer's spec (usually 80 to 100 foot-pounds for passenger cars) when you bring it in. Over-tightening can strip the threads or warp the brake rotor. If it takes all your strength to tighten one more quarter turn, that is tight enough for a temporary drive to the shop.
Safety is the priority. Pull as far off the road as possible. Keep your hazard lights on. Use your phone flashlight or a headlamp. If you have reflective triangles or flares, place them well behind your car. Wear light-colored clothing if you have it. If the location feels unsafe (narrow shoulder, fast traffic, poor visibility), stay in your car with your seatbelt on and call roadside assistance. A tire is not worth your life.
Check the pressure quarterly. Spares lose air just like regular tires. Most compact spares need 60 PSI. Also check the age. Tires have a DOT date code on the sidewall (four digits, like 2419 meaning week 24 of 2019). Spare tires older than 10 years should be replaced regardless of tread depth, because the rubber compounds degrade over time and become brittle.
Car Owner Essentials
How to Check Tire Pressure
How to Change a Tire
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How to Check Your Oil
How to Jump Start a Car
How to Parallel Park
How to Use Jumper Cables