Knowing how to change your tyre is extremely important, especially if you are someone who drives long distances on a regular basis. It is crucial for everyone who owns a vehicle to have some form of knowledge on how they can change a tyre. Even if it was learned years ago, it is important to brush up on this skill as you never know when you’ll need it most.
Simply relying on “handy” devices can cause you to fall short. In the event your phone dies or you have no signal, you need a solution that will help you get to your destination safely.
A sidewall blowout or a flat tyre will not consider your circumstances. Knowing what to do in this situation will alleviate stress and keep you out of danger. With our simple guide, you’ll learn that anyone can do this with the right knowledge and tools.
You will need:
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Jack
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Wench
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Spare tyre
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Car’s manual
As the UK weather is very unpredictable, we suggest you store gloves, raincoat, and a flashlight in your car as well.
Find a safe location
As soon as you notice your tyres deflating, slowly begin to reduce your speed and look out for a safe location to park. a suitable parking spot is somewhere with a level ground that’ll prevent your vehicle from rolling when being worked on. Preferably, you want to look for an empty parking space or straight stretch road with a wide shoulder to prevent you from causing a hazard.
Make sure you turn your hazard lights on and apply your parking brakes to prevent your car from rolling. To be extra cautious, apply a wheel wedge to ensure the car isn’t going anywhere. If you haven’t got one, simply place a big enough brick in front of the front tyres if you are replacing the back or vice versa.
Remove the hubcap/wheel cover
If your vehicle has them, remove the hubcaps with the end of the lug wrench. Some vehicles require a special tool to remove hubcaps and you can check your vehicle’s manual to find this out. However, If your vehicle doesn’t have hubcaps, you can skip this part.
Loosen the lug nuts
Whilst your vehicle is stable on the ground, loosen the lug nuts with the lug wrench tool In an anti-clockwise motion. You may need to use your body weight to remove the lug nut.
Place the jack under the vehicle
Place the jack beneath the vehicle’s frame next to the flat tyre. Some vehicles will have a gap between the plastic trim for the jack to fit under [as seen in the photo]. To avoid injury and damages, we recommend you check your vehicle’s manual for additional instructions when placing a jack underneath a particular vehicle.
Raise the vehicle
IMPORTANT: Never put any part of your body under the vehicle when replacing a tyre.
Remove the lug nuts by hand
Remove the flat tyre
Holding the tyre by the tread, carefully pull it towards you so that it is completely free from the hub. place it in a safe position away from the vehicle on its side.
Put on the spare tyre
Place the spare tyre on the hub by lining up the rim with the lug bolts before carefully pushing it in place. Screw the lug nuts back on by hand as tight as possible.
Lower the vehicle
Lower the jack slightly so the spare tyre is slightly touching the ground. Tighten the lug nuts with the wrench clockwise with your body weight before lowering the vehicle fully. Remove the jack and tighten the lug nuts one more time to ensure they are as tight as possible. Replace the hubcaps if needed
Knowing when to replace your tyre
If you are ever uncertain on the health of your tyres, it is important you get them checked as soon as you can. Although great for emergencies, the spare tyre is not best fit for long distance and high-speed driving. Therefore, it is important for you to have regular tyre checks and invest in suitable tyres.
We understand that replacing a tyre can be quite daunting, especially if you have never done it before. Luckily, we are available to help you when you get stuck and will happily come straight to you with our mobile tyre fitting service or locking wheel nut removal service.
If you are in need of a new tyre fitting, call us on 0115 727 0055.
