Have you ever been stranded with a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere, with no help in sight?
No one wants to face a flat tyre situation. It can be frustrating, but it need not be a big ordeal if you’re ready and know how to change car tyres yourself. After all, the ability to replace car tyres is a life skill worth learning.
For tyre replacement, you’ll require tools and gears such as a wheel brace, car jack, etc. Let's dive in and discover how to change car tyres yourself!
Before changing car tyres at home or on the go, find a safe place to change the tyre. If you’re on the road, driving a short distance with a flat tyre is better than risking your life in the middle of the traffic. Here are some things you should consider for safety.
Park the car on a flat and hard surface.
Before you do anything, make sure your car is not moving if it's an automatic transmission (put it in "park") or in gear if it's a manual transmission.
Also, pull up the handbrake and switch on the hazard lights to alert others that your car has stopped functioning.
Never try to change a tyre with your back facing the traffic.
Place a steady rock or a wooden log to block the wheel in front and behind the tyres to prevent the car from rolling.
Once your car is stable, remove the wheel lug nuts. Use the correct technique when loosening the wheel nuts to avoid injuring yourself. Here's how to change tubeless tyres:
Gently apply some force in the anti-clockwise direction to the lug nut to loosen one screw at a time.
Make sure you loosen the nuts diagonally. So, if you started with the top-right nut, the next will be the bottom-left and vice versa.
The next step to learn how to change car tyres yourself is removing the flat tyre and wheel.
Start unscrewing the loose wheel lug nuts with the help of the wheel spanner or use your fingers. After removing all the screws, slowly take off the wheel. If it gets stuck due to corrosion, try the following steps to free it:
Put one of the wheel nuts back on the wheel but don't tighten it too much.
Gently kick the stuck wheel on the side to help loosen it from the hub.
Once the wheel is free, carefully remove it.
Now, pull the spare wheel out of the car’s trunk and replace it with the punctured wheel.
Place the spare wheel on the ground and arrange the spare wheel’s bolt holes to match the wheel studs or screw holes on the car. Start by tightening the bottom wheel lug nut using your hands and then the rest. Use the wheel brace to further tighten the wheel nuts.
Avoid fully tightening them all the way at this stage. You can bolt them tightly once you remove the jack and lower the car onto the ground for more safety.
Slowly turn the jack’s handle in the opposite direction and lower it till the new tyre and the wheel supports the car's weight. It ensures the car is firmly resting on the ground and not on the jack anymore.
Then, carefully take the jack out from beneath the car and keep it in a safe place. Position the wheel brace horizontally to the surface and use your body weight to bolt each wheel nut tightly. Double-check that all the nuts are secure.
Congratulations! You've just learned how to change car tyres yourself!
This newfound skill will save you time and money. It’ll also give you peace of mind during your future drives. Now that you know how to change your tyre like a pro, you can confidently handle any flat tyre situation.
