How to Change a Tire
Flat tires happen. AAA takes 90 minutes. You can swap a tire in 15. This lesson walks through the safe, correct sequence so you don't damage the car, strip lugs, warp rotors, or hurt yourself.
The lesson
Find Safe Ground
Get OFF the road. A flat shoulder is 100x better than a soft one. Flat, hard surface only. Turn on hazards. Pull the parking brake. If you can't get to safe ground, call a tow — pride doesn't beat a Peterbilt.
Loosen Lugs FIRST
While the wheel is still on the ground, break the lug nuts loose (counter-clockwise) about 1/2 turn. If you lift the car first, the wheel will spin and you'll never get them off. Stuck lug? Stand on the wrench arm for leverage; don't hit it with a hammer (cracks the wrench casting).
Position the Jack
Find the factory jack point near the flat tire — there's usually a notch in the pinch weld. Wrong spot = bent metal or punched-through floor pan. Crank until the tire is about 1 inch off the ground.
Swap the Wheel
Remove the lugs (keep them in a hubcap or pocket — they roll). Pull the flat off, put the spare on. Hand-thread the lugs star-pattern first — never tighten in a circle (warps the rotor and seats unevenly).
Lower & Torque
Lower the car back down. Now fully torque the lugs in a STAR pattern to the spec in your owner's manual (typically 80-100 ft-lbs for passenger cars, 100-150 for trucks). Re-check torque after 50 miles — lugs can settle.
Donut limits
Compact spares ('donuts') are temporary: max 50 mph, max 50 miles, never use two at once, never use one on a drive axle of an AWD vehicle (damages the differential). Full-size spares can be driven on like normal but should still be checked for age.
Tool list
- Spare tire (check pressure monthly — donuts go flat sitting; should be ~60 PSI)
- Scissor jack (factory) or floor jack
- Lug wrench or 4-way cross wrench
- Torque wrench (for the re-tighten step — required, not optional)
- Wheel chocks or a brick
- Reflective triangles or road flares
- Gloves + flashlight
Safety — Read or get hurt
- !!Never get under a car held up by the scissor jack — it's only meant for a tire swap, not work.
- !!Star-pattern tightening prevents warped rotors and uneven wheel seating.
- !!Donut spares are temporary — max 50 mph, max 50 miles, never on AWD drive axles.
- !!Re-check torque after 50 miles — vibration loosens new installs.
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