1.
Find a safe and level place to stop. Make sure you are far enough off the road to be able
to safely change a tire. Put your car in park and make sure you use
the emergency brake as well. Refer to your vehicle’s manual to
locate the spare tire and necessary tools within your car;
2.
Chock a wheel. Wheel chocks are wedges of sturdy material that are
placed closely to the tire to keep it from accidentally moving. You can use
something large, like a rock, tree limb, or anything more than a few inches
high. Place it against the tire diagonally opposite from your flat to brace your
car and keep it from rolling;
3.
Loosen the lug nuts. Place the lug wrench on any lug nut with the handle
facing left.
Push down on the wrench as hard as you can. Only loosen each of them one turn, “do
not remove any of them yet completely!”
4.
Jack up your car. Use your owner’s manual to find the correct location
to place the jack. Expand the jack by hand until it’s as tall as it can be and
still fit under the car. Insert the jack handle according to the manual’s
instructions;
5.
Start cranking. Lift your automobile high enough that the flat tire
can be replaced with a fully inflated spare. Keep everyone else away from the
car while it’s on the jack;
6.
Remove the damaged tire. Remove the loosened lug nuts, and take the wheel off.
Put the wheel off to the side, not in the car while it’s jacked up.
You don’t want to risk the car falling off the jack;
7.
Put on the spare tire. Line the lugs up with the holes in the wheel and
gently slide the replacement tire on. Screw on the lug nuts by hand, tightening
them as much as you can, do not use the wrench to tighten the lug nuts yet. Then
lower the car off the jack until it’s firmly on the ground;
8.
Tighten the lug nuts. Now that your vehicle is safely on the ground, use
the wrench to tighten the lug nuts by placing it on any nut with the handle
facing to the right. Repeat on the other lug
nuts, using the full force of your weight on each one to tighten securely.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll want to
double check that the lug nuts are tight, and consult your owner’s manual for
important details regarding the maximum speed and travel distance for driving
on a spare tire.
