Change a Tyre in 8 Easy Steps

This post first appeared on the Brookvale Spares blog, “Brooky Tips”.

Do You Know How to Change a Tyre?

The knowledge of changing your own flat tyre is crucial to any driver.

Experiencing a flat tyre is one of those events that are inevitable at some point of a car owner’s life, but surprisingly few Sydney car owners know exactly what steps to take in such a time of need.

1. Ensure that your vehicle is on a flat, hard surface, as far away from the road as possible.
    
2. Jack the car up. If you have a scissor jack (diamond-shaped), you need to insert the rod or wrench over the knob, then crank. If you have a hydraulic jack, place the handle at an appropriate location and pump – go at a moderate pace and take the jack handle from its lowest to its highest point to minimise effort.
    
3. Use a screwdriver (or similar tool) to pry the wheel cover off. Look at it like you’re popping off the lid off a can of paint – just wedge the tip of the tool where the edge of the cover meets the wheel and apply a bit of pressure to pry the cover off. Some can be taken off by hand.
    
4. Loosen the lug nuts. To do this, find the end of the wrench that fits the lug nuts on your car, then fit it to the first nut. To loosen it, apply all your weight to the bar on the left. Don’t remove the lugs entirely, just loosen them enough to remove them by hand after the car is jacked up.
    
5. Remove the flat. After you’ve removed the lug nuts by hand, get a good grip on the tyre with both hands and pull it toward you. Prepare to support its full weight once you’ve slid it off the bolts then roll it along the ground, out of the way.
6. Lift the spare up onto the lug bolts – this will not be an easy process if you’re not used to lifting heavy cargo, especially from such an awkward position.
    
7. Re-screw the lug nuts by hand, then lower the car with the jack and use the wrench to give the lugs a final tightening.
    
8. Replace the wheel cover or hub cap. If you’ve purchased wheel covers with a delicate finish, you should consult the owner’s manual – it will provide instructions for replacing it. If the vehicle has hubcaps, don’t hit it into place with a wrench or hammer – you’ll dent and damage it. Instead, use the heel of your hand (covered with a soft rag) to bump it back into place.

There you have it! A successfully changed flat. When you’ve successfully completed this mission, ensure that the spare actually has enough air in it, lest you fall into more trouble further up the road.

Darren Cakoliris is a blogger and mechanic living in Sydney, working for Sydney-based spare parts sellers Brookvale Spares. He blogs regularly on auto news and car tips.

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This blog was posted in TopTips and tagged in auto, blog, Cars, guest, parts, tyres