A flat tyre is one of the most common repairs you’ll have to make to a car. And, as long as you’ve got a spare tyre, it’s something that you can do yourself without taking the car to a garage. Read on to find out how to change a flat tyre.
What equipment will you need?
Ideally, you’ll have foreseen this issue and will have stored the correct equipment in the car, ready for this precise eventuality. Naturally, you’ll need a roadworthy spare tyre. But you’ll also need a car jack to lift the base of the car up. Plus, you’ll need a wheel chock and gloves. An electric impact wrench is also perfect for efficiently and quickly unscrewing the wheel lugs when you remove the wheel.
Get your car ready – pull over safely, turn off engines, put into first gear, apply handbrake, remove passengers etc.
From the moment you notice the flat tyre, you’ll need to get the car into a safe position for repairs. Begin by pulling over safely before going into first gear and applying the handbrake. As long as you’ve picked a safe location, you should be able to remove passengers at this point.
Position the wheel chocks
Next you’ll need to position the wheel chocks to prevent the car from rolling while jacked up. You should place these on front and rear wheels if you can, but certainly on the wheel opposite the punctured one.
Loosen the wheel nuts
By using a wrench, you can now remove the wheel nuts. Simply turn the wrench anticlockwise and remove each nut in turn to loosen the wheel. This process should always be undertaken before you lift the car.
Lift the car up with a jack
Once the wheel nuts are loosened, you should lift the car up with a jack. Position the jack to the side of the car, next to the punctured wheel. Place a small block of wood under the jack to keep it stable, then lift the car 10-15cm.
Take off the punctured wheel
At this point, fully loosen the nuts and remove the punctured wheel completely.
Fit the spare wheel
Slide your spare wheel onto the protruding hub bolts to fit it onto the car. Once fitted, you should tighten the bolts firmly to ensure that the wheel is safely attached to the car.
Replacing a punctured tyre is an important skill to learn. This is a common issue you’ll face when you own a car. By storing the correct equipment and following this guide you should have peace of mind that a flat tyre won’t ruin your day.
